The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing hot stamped products prepared from coated steels and to various uses of the invention products such as in spot welding.
In recent years the use of coated steels in hot-stamping processes for the shaping of parts has become important, especially in the automotive industry. Fabrication of such parts or products may include the successive following main steps:
Heat treatments of the blanks in view of the intermetallic alloying of the coating and austenitizing of the substrate are most frequently performed in furnaces. The thermal cycles experienced by the blanks include first a heating phase whose rate is a function of parameters such as furnace temperature settings, travelling speed, blank thickness, heating process, and coating reflectivity. After this heating phase, thermal cycles generally include a holding phase, whose temperature is the regulation temperature of the furnace.
Parts or products obtained after heating, hot stamping and rapid cooling display very high mechanical resistance and may be used for structural applications, for example for automotive industry applications. These parts must be frequently welded with others and high weldability is required. This means that:
The inventors have discovered that certain coated steels in which a base steel strip or sheet is at least partially coated (sometimes termed “pre-coated,” this prefix indicating that a transformation of the nature of the pre-coating will take place during heat treatment before hot stamping or forming) on at least one side with a coating of either aluminum or an aluminum alloy and in which the coating has a defined thickness, are conveniently formed into shaped parts after heating in particular conditions, and thereby display particular improved weldability.
The inventors have also discovered that particular good weldability of aluminized and hot stamped parts is associated with a special succession of coating layers on the parts, proceeding from steel substrate outwards, and a controlled fraction of porosities in these layers.
The inventors have also discovered that this special disposal of layers is associated to specific heating conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel hot stamped parts which are prepared from a pre-coated steel.
It is another object of the present invention to provide novel articles of manufacture, such as a motor vehicle, which contain such stamped parts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide novel methods of making stamped parts displaying high weldability.
These and other objects, which will become apparent during the following detailed description.
The invention is implemented with certain pre-coated steel strips, which comprise a strip of base steel and a pre-coating of aluminum or an aluminum alloy on at least a part of one side of the strip of the base steel. For many applications, the strip or sheet of base steel may comprise any type of steel which may be coated with either aluminum or an aluminum alloy. However, for certain applications, such as a structural part of an automobile, it is preferred that the strip of base steel comprises a steel for providing ultra high strength on the part, higher than 1000 MPa. In such cases, it is particularly preferred that the strip of base steel comprises a boron steel.
The strip can derive, by reason of its processing, from a hot-rolling mill, and possibly may be cold-rerolled again depending on the final thickness desired. Preferred thicknesses are 0.7 to 3 mm. Typically, the strip of base steel will be stored and transported in the form of a coil both before and after the formation of the coating.
An example of a preferred steel for the strip of base steel is one having the following composition by weight:
0.10%<carbon<0.5%
0.5%<manganese<3%
0.1%<silicon<1%
0.01%<chromium<1%
nickel<0.1%
copper<0.1%
titanium<0.2%
aluminum<0.1%
phosphorus<0.1%
sulfur<0.05%
0.0005%<boron<0.010%,
the remainder comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of iron and impurities inherent in processing. Use of such a steel provides a very high mechanical resistance after thermal treatment and the aluminum-based coating provides a high resistance to corrosion.
Particularly preferably, the composition by weight of the steel in the strip of base steel is the following:
0.15%<carbon<0.25%
0.8%<manganese<1.8%
0.1%<silicon<0.35%
0.01%<chromium<0.5%
nickel<0.1%
copper<0.1%
titanium<0.1%
aluminum<0.1%
phosphorus<0.1%
sulfur<0.05%
0.002%<boron<0.005%,
the remainder comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of iron and impurities inherent in processing.
An example of preferred commercially available steel for use in the strip of base steel is 22MnB5.
Chromium, manganese, boron and carbon may be added, in the composition of the steel according to the invention, for their effect on hardenability. In addition, carbon makes it possible to achieve high mechanical characteristics thanks to its effect on the hardness of the martensite.
Aluminum is introduced into the composition, to perform deoxidation in the liquid state and to protect the effectiveness of the boron.
Titanium, the ratio of the content of which with respect to the nitrogen content should be in excess of 3.42, is introduced for example in order to prevent combining of the boron with the nitrogen, the nitrogen being combined with titanium.
The alloying elements, Mn, Cr, B, make possible a hardenability allowing hardening in the stamping tools or the use of mild hardening fluids limiting deformation of the parts at the time of thermal treatment. In addition, the composition according to the invention is optimized from the point of view of weldability. Additions of Ni and Cu, up to 0.1%, may also be performed.
The steel may undergo a treatment for globularization of sulfides performed with calcium, which has the effect of improving the fatigue resistance of the sheet.
The strip of base steel is coated (or pre-coated, this prefix indicating that a transformation of the nature of the pre-coating will take place during heat treatment before stamping) with either aluminum or an aluminum alloy, preferably with hot-dip. A typical metal bath for an Al—Si coating generally contains in its basic composition by weight, from 8% to 11% silicon, from 2% to 4% iron, the remainder being aluminum or aluminum alloy, and impurities inherent in processing. Silicon is present in order to prevent the formation of a thick iron-metallic intermetallic layer which reduces adherence and formability. Other alloying elements useful with aluminum herein include iron, and calcium, between 15 and 30 ppm by weight, including combinations of two or more thereof with aluminium. Typical composition of Al—Si coating is: Al-9.3% Si-2.8% Fe. Invention coatings are not limited to these compositions, however.
While not bound by a particular theory of operation, the inventors believe that several of the benefits of the invention are first related to a specific range of pre-coating thickness tp of 20 to 33 micrometers:
For a pre-coating thickness less than 20 micrometers, the alloyed layer which is formed during the heating of the blank has an insufficient roughness. Thus, the adhesion of subsequent painting is low on this surface, and the corrosion resistance is decreased.
If the pre-coating thickness is more than 33 micrometers at a given location on a sheet, the risk is that the difference of thickness between this location and some other locations where the pre-coating is thinner, becomes too important, and that alloying during the heating of the blank becomes uneven. The inventors have also shown that the control of the pre-coating thickness in the narrow range presented above, contributes to form coatings after alliation whose thickness is also controlled in a precise range. This is also a factor for ensuring that the range of resistance welding parameters applied on parts after alliation is not subject to variability.
The pre-coated steel sheets or strips are then cut into blanks, and submitted to heat treatments in furnace prior to hot stamping, in order to obtain products or parts. The inventors have discovered that very good welding properties are achieved if the coating obtained on parts or products made out of blanks having undergone intermetallic alloying, austenitizing and hot stamping, displays distinctive features. It must be pointed out that this coating is different from the initial pre-coating, since the thermal treatment causes an alloying reaction with the steel substrate which modifies both the physico-chemical nature and the geometry of the pre-coating: in this regard, the inventors have discovered that particularly good weldability of aluminized and hot stamped parts is associated with the following succession of coating layers on the parts, proceeding from steel substrate outwards:
(a) Interdiffusion layer,
(b) Intermediate layer,
(c) Intermetallic layer,
(d) Superficial layer
The inventors have also discovered that particular good weldability is obtained with a limited quantity of porosities in the coating layers, as will be detailed below.
In a preferred embodiment, the layers are as follows:
The inventors have discovered that high weldability is especially obtained when layers (c) and (d) are essentially continuous; the character of essential continuity of these layers is defined in the following manner: the layers may be fully continuous. But they may be fragmented in some areas due to layer parts coming from lower or upper levels. According to the invention, this fragmentation must be limited, i.e. layers (c) and (d) must occupy at least 90% of their respective level. High weldability is obtained when less than 10% of layer (c) is present at the extreme surface of the part. Without being bound by a theory, it is thought that this particular layer disposal, in particular layer (a) and layers (c) and (d) influence the resistivity of the coating both by their intrinsic characteristics and by the effect of roughness. Thus, current flow, heat generation at the surfaces, and nugget formation in the initial stage of spot welding are affected by this particular arrangement.
This favorable layer disposition is obtained for example when aluminum- or aluminum alloy pre-coated steel sheets, whose thickness range from, e.g., 0.7 to 3 mm, are heated for 3 to 13 minutes (this dwell time includes the heating phase and the holding time) in a furnace without special atmosphere heated to a temperature of 880 to 940° C. The invention does not require a furnace with a controlled atmosphere. Other conditions leading to such favorable layer dispositions are found in
Particularly preferred conditions are:
for thicknesses of 0.7-1.5 mm
for thicknesses of 1.5 to 3 mm
Porosities appear mainly during the interdiffusion of pre-coating with the steel substrate, due to the difference of diffusion fluxes. This implies a flux of vacancies with a creation of Kirkendal defects. This manifestation of vacancies under the form of porosities appears to be optimized when heating rate V′c is comprised between 1.5 and 6° C./s.
During spot welding of welding products, current flows initially around the porosities, which collapse progressively due to pressure and temperature elevation. Thus, the current flows through a coating whose some properties may change discontinuously, which in turn may lead to increased sparking and splashings during the welding operation.
Increased spot weldability is observed when the coating resulting from interdiffusion contains, in surfacic fraction, less than 10% of porosities. For a given area representative of the coating, this fraction is the total surface occupied by porosities, as referred to the area of the coating.
Special good weldability is experienced when the superficial layer has a controlled compacity, which means that the superficial layer (d) contains less than 20% porosities: this fraction is the surface of porosities in the superficial layer (d), as referred to the area of this superficial layer.
A special advantage arises from pre-coatings whose thickness is comprised between 20 and 33 micrometers, since this thickness range yields favorable layer disposal, and since the homogeneity of the pre-coating thickness is associated to an homogeneity of the coating formed after alliation treatment.
Heated blanks are thereafter transferred from the furnace to a die, hot stamped in a press to obtain a part or product, and cooled at a rate Vr of more than 30° C./s. The cooling rate Vr is defined here as the mean rate between the exit of the heated blank from the furnace, down to 400° C. In these conditions, austenite formed at high temperature mainly transform into martensitic or martensitic-bainitic structures with high strength.
In a preferred embodiment, the elapsed time between the exit of the heated blank and the introduction of the blank in the hot stamping press is not more than 10 seconds. Otherwise, a partial transformation from austenite is susceptible to appear: if obtaining a full martensitic structure is desired, the transfer time between the exit of the furnace and stamping should be less than 10 s.
The coating obtained has in particular the function of protecting the basic sheet against corrosion in various conditions. At the time of thermal treatment performed on a finished part or at the time of a hot-shaping process, the coating forms a layer having a substantial resistance to abrasion, wear, fatigue, shock, as well as a good resistance to corrosion and a good capacity for painting and gluing. The coating makes it possible to avoid different surface-preparation operations such as for steel sheets for thermal treatment not having any coating.
The thermal treatment applied at the time of a hot-forming process or after forming makes it possible to obtain high mechanical characteristics which can exceed 1500 MPa for mechanical resistance and 1200 MPa for yield stress. The final mechanical characteristics are adjustable and depend in particular on the martensite fraction of the structure, on the carbon content of the steel and on the thermal treatment.
The invention also concerns the use of a hot-rolled steel sheet which then can be cold-rolled and coated, for structural and/or anti-intrusion or substructure parts for a land motor vehicle, such as, for example, a bumper bar, a door reinforcement, a wheel spoke, etc.
The present invention will now be further described by way a certain exemplary embodiments which are not intended to be limiting.
i)—Conditions according to the invention: in an example of implementation, a cold rolled steel sheet, 1.2 mm thick, has been fabricated: it contains by weight: 0.23% carbon, 1.25% manganese, 0.017% phosphorus, 0.002% sulfur, 0.27% silicon, 0.062% aluminum, 0.021% copper, 0.019% nickel, 0.208% chromium, 0.005% nitrogen, 0.038% titanium, 0.004% boron, 0.003% calcium. The sheet has been pre-coated with an aluminum-based alloy with composition 9.3% silicon, 2.8% iron, the remainder being aluminum and unavoidable impurities. The thickness on each side of the sheet was controlled to be within the range (20-33) micrometers.
The sheets were afterwards cut into blanks which were heated at 920° C. for 6 nm, this time including the heating phase and the holding time. Heating rate Vc between 20 and 700° C. was 10° C./s. The heating rate Vc′ between 500 and 700° C. was 5° C./s. No special control of furnace atmosphere was performed. The blanks were transferred from the furnace to a press in less than 10 s, hot stamped and quenched in order to obtain full martensitic structures.
The parts obtained after hot-stamping are covered by a coating, 40 micrometers thick, which has a four layer structure. Starting from the steel substrate, the layers are the following:
Resistance spot welding was performed in the two situations i) and ii):
While the above description is clear with regard to the understanding of the invention, the following terms as used in the following list of preferred embodiments and claims have the following noted meanings in order to avoid any confusion:
pre-coating: —the material (Al or Al alloy) coated on or located on at least a portion of the strip or sheet, etc., of base steel to form a pre-coating/base composite, the composite not having been subjected to an alliation reaction between the coated Al or Al alloy material and base steel
alliation or alloying: —a reaction between the pre-coating and base steel, to produce at least one intermediate layer different in composition from both the base steel and the pre-coating. The alliation reaction happens during the heat treatment immediately preceding hot stamping. The alliation reaction affects the total thickness of the pre-coating. In a highly preferred embodiment the alliation reaction forms the following layers: (a) interdiffusion, (b) intermediate, (c) intermetallic, and (d) superficial as described above;
pre-coated steel:—the pre-coating/base composite, not having been subjected to an alliation reaction between the coated material and base steel;
coating: —the pre-coating after having been subjected to an alliation reaction between the pre-coating and base steel. In a highly preferred embodiment the coating comprises layers (a) interdiffusion, (b) intermediate, (c) intermetallic, and (d) superficial described above;
coated steel or product:—the pre-coated steel or product that has been subjected to an alliation reaction between the pre-coating and base steel. In a highly preferred embodiment the coated steel is a strip or sheet, etc., of base steel having thereon an invention coating comprising layers (a) interdiffusion, (b) intermediate, (c) intermetallic, and (d) superficial described above;
blank: —a shape cut from a strip.
product: —a hot stamped blank
The above written description of the invention provides a manner and process of making and using it such that any person skilled in this art is enabled to make and use the same, this enablement being provided in particular for the subject matter of the appended claims, which make up a part of the original description.
Thus, the present invention provides, among other things, the following preferred embodiments:
wherein said layer (a) has a thickness less than 15 micrometers
and further comprises iron and impurities inherent in processing.
and further comprises iron and impurities inherent in processing.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20110006491 A1 | Jan 2011 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/IB2008/000079 | Jan 2008 | US |
Child | 12834162 | US |