Page 18 - MetalForming May 2014

In 1994, a consortium of 35 major and grades called Advanced High conjunction with these new materials,
Strength Steels (AHSS). These steels had unique microstructures utilizing complex deformation and phase-trans- formation processes to achieve new- found strength and formability com- binations. And, the steels were able to be formed and fabricated using existing stamping and fabrication equipment and production methods.
More automotive-lightweighting projects followed, such as the Ultra- Lightweight Steel Auto Closures pro- gram that developed mass-efficient hoods, doors and deck lids from higher- strength steels. The ULSAB-Advanced Vehicle Concepts (AVC) program fur- ther refined fabrication methods in
sheet-steel producers around the
world launched the UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) series of programs to design and build a lightweight steel autobody structure to meet new safety and performance targets. The first body-in-white (BIW ) unveiled in 1998 validated the program’s design con- cepts, and a major contributor to its success was a group of new steel types
Stuart Keeler (Keeler Technologies LLC) is known worldwide for his discovery of forming limit diagrams, develop- ment of circle grid analysis and imple- mentation of other press shop analysis tools: e-mail keeltech@comcast.net.
to achieve even greater mass reduction with AHSS. The Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP) engaged in research and demonstrated the value of AHSS through several programs. One such project, Lightweight Front End Struc- ture, used a holistic approach to meet goals of more than 20-percent weight reduction while maintaining crash wor- thiness. Manufacturability was exam- ined and emphasized throughout this project.
Building Momentum
Essential for expanding the use of AHSS has been the simultaneous devel- opment of new processes and equip-
16 MetalForming/May 2014
www.metalformingmagazine.com
The Proliferation of
New Types and Grades of
Advanced High Strength Steels
...have metalformers searching for shaping and joining solutions. Have no fear—Version 5.0 of the 400-plus page AHSS Application Guidelines is here, 5 yr. in the waiting, and it’s chock full of answers to your forming and joining questions.
BY STUART KEELER
Photo courtesy Severstal North America