Assessing edge cracking resistance in AHSS automotive parts by the Essential Work of Fracture methodology

• Lightweight designs and demanding safety requirements in automotive industry areincreasingly promoting the use of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) sheets. Such steelspresent higher strength (above 800 MPa) but lower ductility than conventional steels. Their greatproperties allow the reduction of the thickness of automobile structural components withoutcompromising the safety, but also introduce new challenges to parts manufacturers. Thefabrication of most cold formed components starts from shear cut blanks and, due to the lowerductility of AHSS, edge cracking problems can appear during forming operations, forcing thestop of the production and slowing down the industrial process.Forming Limit Diagrams (FLD) and FEM simulations are very useful tools to predict fractureproblems in zones with high localized strain, but they are not able to predict edge cracking. Ithas been observed that the fracture toughness, measured through the Essential Work of Fracture(EWF) methodology, is a good indicator of the stretch flangeability in AHSS and can help toforesee this type of fractures.In this work, a serial production automotive component has been studied. The componentshowed cracks in some flanged edges when using a dual phase steel. It is shown that theconventional approach to explain formability, based on tensile tests and FLD, fails in theprediction of edge cracking. A new approach, based on fracture mechanics, help to solve theproblem by selecting steel grades with higher fracture toughness, measured by means of EWF.Results confirmed that fracture toughness, in terms of EWF, can be readily used as a materialparameter to rationalize cracking related problems and select AHSS with improved edgecracking resistance.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Teknisk mekanik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Applied Mechanics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Hållfasthetslära

Solid Mechanics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)