US20140255723A1 - Hard beads in steel to enhance strength - Google Patents
Hard beads in steel to enhance strength Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20140255723A1 US20140255723A1 US13/792,142 US201313792142A US2014255723A1 US 20140255723 A1 US20140255723 A1 US 20140255723A1 US 201313792142 A US201313792142 A US 201313792142A US 2014255723 A1 US2014255723 A1 US 2014255723A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- single piece
- piece sheet
- steel
- hard
- bead
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
- C21D9/46—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor for sheet metals
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D10/00—Modifying the physical properties by methods other than heat treatment or deformation
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
- C21D1/06—Surface hardening
- C21D1/09—Surface hardening by direct application of electrical or wave energy; by particle radiation
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
- Y10T428/12493—Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
- Y10T428/12771—Transition metal-base component
- Y10T428/12785—Group IIB metal-base component
- Y10T428/12792—Zn-base component
- Y10T428/12799—Next to Fe-base component [e.g., galvanized]
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/31504—Composite [nonstructural laminate]
- Y10T428/31678—Of metal
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to strength enhancement of pre- and post-fabricated steel parts and specifically, this invention discloses strength enhancement of pre- and post-fabricated steel parts by forming hard beads therein.
- heat treatment application is employed to increase the strength of the sheet steel.
- the heat treatment applications may have limitations as to what degree the strength can be enhanced, and if the treatment can be applied after stamping.
- laser welded blanks having two different thicknesses and/or materials of different physical properties are used to reduce weight of a part.
- it also increases the weight of the part to some extent, which requires rework of stamping die to accommodate different thicknesses of the blank.
- a few more manufacturing processes and systems such as multiple shearing dies, material handling, finishing, oiling of blanks are required that adds to overall production of the part. Therefore, there is a need for a new way to enhance strength of sheet steel.
- one aspect of the present invention is to offer strength enhancement of sheet steel by forming hard beads therein, without increasing weight and cost thereof, and additionally offering design and manufacturing flexibilities.
- Another aspect of the present invention is to enhance strength of single piece sheet steel by forming hard beads therein by melting and re-solidifying.
- Another aspect of the present invention is to provide options to form hard beads in a single piece of sheet steel before or after stamping.
- Another aspect of the present invention is to offer the strength enhancement of one or more selected zones of a single piece of the sheet steel by applying hard beads therein in a preferred pattern.
- FIG. 1 Shows views of a single piece of sheet steel including a hard bead therein, (a) perspective view, (b) cross-sectional view; and
- FIG. 2 Shows exemplary hard bead patterns on a single piece sheet steel.
- FIG. 1 an example of hard bead 40 formed across the thickness of a single piece sheet 20 of steel (e.g. rolled steel).
- the hard bead 40 is formed to have an elongated shape extended in a surface direction in which tensile strength of the single piece sheet 20 is to be enhanced.
- the hard bead 40 is formed by melting and then quickly re-solidifying a selected zone of the single piece sheet 20 .
- the steel in the selected zone can be melted by application of conventional technology; for example, by application of high energy laser beam, by application of high energy electron beam, by application of high temperature flame, etc.
- the scope of the present invention is not limited to any specific method of melting. The above mentioned melting of sheet steel by application of laser beam, electron beam, high temperature flame etc.
- the hard bead 40 offers increased tensile and bending strength as compared to the base steel; and in turn, hard bead 40 being present in the single piece sheet 20 , enhances overall tensile and bending strengths thereof. As a result, the overall tensile and bending strength of the single piece sheet 20 is enhanced without increasing its weight. It is to be emphasized that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the presence of hard bead 40 spanning across the total thickness of the single piece sheet 20 as apparent in the above description and as illustrated above in FIG.
- hard bead 40 can be formed to occupy only a partial thickness of the single piece sheet 40 as deemed necessary.
- the hard bead 40 in the single piece sheet 20 is analogous to a rebar in concrete.
- the single piece sheet 20 can be of low cost wrought steel and soft steel which is suitable for stamping and forming structural or non-structural parts. While the thickness T of the single piece sheet 20 is not limited to any thickness for the concept of this invention; however, for most practical purposes, the thickness T can range from 0.01 mm to about 10 mm and more preferably from 0.02 mm to about 3.5 mm. The length of the hard bead 40 is predetermined by the desired strength requirement of the part to be made from the single piece sheet 20 .
- a plurality of beads can be employed instead of a single bead.
- the plurality of beads can have different dimensions and shapes (i.e. straight and curved), and can be arranged in a pattern P, predetermined by a strength requirement of the part to be made before the stamping operation of the single sheet 20 .
- the plurality of the hard beads 40 can be placed, adjacent to each other with an overlap, and/or with spacing.
- the pattern P and an amount of overlap or spacing can be determined on the basis of part functionality and design requirements by using other known techniques; for example, fine element analysis.
- the hard bead 40 can be formed before or after a stamping operation whichever is deemed more suitable for manufacturing a part or for repairing of a part after it has been manufactured.
- Any wrought, soft steel etc. can be treated by method according to the present invention.
- Both coated (galvanized steel etc.) and uncoated sheets may also be treated by the method of present invention.
- a typical hard bead 40 of width W may range from 0.01 mm to 10.0 mm, but preferably from 0.05 mm to 4.0 mm, in a single pass of the energy source that is applied on the single sheet 20 .
- the operation of hard bead 40 formation may be done in an inert environment depending on the process of melting. In some melting processes, it is important to prevent the steel from being oxidized by oxygen present in the ambient air, and so an inert gas should be used as a so-called “cover gas”, as known in the art of welding and metal working. Description of cover gas is well-known in the art and its detailed description can be found in the conventional art.
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Laser Beam Processing (AREA)
Abstract
Hard beads can be formed in a single piece of sheet steel to enhance its strength before or after stamping. The hard beads are formed by melting and re-solidifying it in small discrete volumes. The melting can be performed by applying heat from a heat source; for example, a laser beam, an electron beam, a high temperature flame etc. The re-solidified volume of steel is the hard bead which is stronger than the remaining base steel. Preferably, the hard bead can be formed to have an elongated shape; and the tensile strength of the single piece of sheet steel is enhanced in the direction the bead is elongated. Hard beads thus formed can be arranged in a suitable pattern to meet a strength requirement of a part.
Description
- The present invention relates generally to strength enhancement of pre- and post-fabricated steel parts and specifically, this invention discloses strength enhancement of pre- and post-fabricated steel parts by forming hard beads therein.
- Application of sheet steel is found in most areas of modern technology ranging from electronics to automotive, and it is worth mentioning that the steel is a significant component of the weight and cost of the part. Recently, weight and cost reduction of a part has been a major challenge, and since steel plays a major role in determining the cost and weight of a part, it is steel that has been the focus of many endeavors. In the conventional art, a higher strength requirement of steel is met by using thicker single sheets or multiple sheets lapped together resulting in a heavier part in each case. In another example of the conventional art where weight limit is a critical factor in design consideration, high strength steel is used. However, the high strength steel costs are significantly more which results in costly pre- and -post processes, and thus increases the part cost. Further in the conventional art, heat treatment application is employed to increase the strength of the sheet steel. However, the heat treatment applications may have limitations as to what degree the strength can be enhanced, and if the treatment can be applied after stamping. Also in the conventional art, laser welded blanks having two different thicknesses and/or materials of different physical properties are used to reduce weight of a part. However, it also increases the weight of the part to some extent, which requires rework of stamping die to accommodate different thicknesses of the blank. Moreover, a few more manufacturing processes and systems, such as multiple shearing dies, material handling, finishing, oiling of blanks are required that adds to overall production of the part. Therefore, there is a need for a new way to enhance strength of sheet steel.
- In view of the above problems of the convention art, one aspect of the present invention is to offer strength enhancement of sheet steel by forming hard beads therein, without increasing weight and cost thereof, and additionally offering design and manufacturing flexibilities.
- Another aspect of the present invention is to enhance strength of single piece sheet steel by forming hard beads therein by melting and re-solidifying.
- Another aspect of the present invention is to provide options to form hard beads in a single piece of sheet steel before or after stamping.
- Another aspect of the present invention is to offer the strength enhancement of one or more selected zones of a single piece of the sheet steel by applying hard beads therein in a preferred pattern.
- These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawing of which:
-
FIG. 1 : Shows views of a single piece of sheet steel including a hard bead therein, (a) perspective view, (b) cross-sectional view; and -
FIG. 2 : Shows exemplary hard bead patterns on a single piece sheet steel. - Reference now will be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, an example of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to figures.
- References are made to
FIG. 1 as an example ofhard bead 40 formed across the thickness of asingle piece sheet 20 of steel (e.g. rolled steel). Thehard bead 40 is formed to have an elongated shape extended in a surface direction in which tensile strength of thesingle piece sheet 20 is to be enhanced. Thehard bead 40 is formed by melting and then quickly re-solidifying a selected zone of thesingle piece sheet 20. The steel in the selected zone can be melted by application of conventional technology; for example, by application of high energy laser beam, by application of high energy electron beam, by application of high temperature flame, etc. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to any specific method of melting. The above mentioned melting of sheet steel by application of laser beam, electron beam, high temperature flame etc. is known in the conventional art, therefore detailed descriptions of heat sources here is redundant. If necessary, a small amount of chemical agents can be added when the selected zone is in molten state. Thehard bead 40 thus formed offers increased tensile and bending strength as compared to the base steel; and in turn,hard bead 40 being present in thesingle piece sheet 20, enhances overall tensile and bending strengths thereof. As a result, the overall tensile and bending strength of thesingle piece sheet 20 is enhanced without increasing its weight. It is to be emphasized that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the presence ofhard bead 40 spanning across the total thickness of thesingle piece sheet 20 as apparent in the above description and as illustrated above inFIG. 1( a), rather,hard bead 40 can be formed to occupy only a partial thickness of thesingle piece sheet 40 as deemed necessary. Structurally, thehard bead 40 in thesingle piece sheet 20 is analogous to a rebar in concrete. - The
single piece sheet 20 can be of low cost wrought steel and soft steel which is suitable for stamping and forming structural or non-structural parts. While the thickness T of thesingle piece sheet 20 is not limited to any thickness for the concept of this invention; however, for most practical purposes, the thickness T can range from 0.01 mm to about 10 mm and more preferably from 0.02 mm to about 3.5 mm. The length of thehard bead 40 is predetermined by the desired strength requirement of the part to be made from thesingle piece sheet 20. - A plurality of beads can be employed instead of a single bead. The plurality of beads can have different dimensions and shapes (i.e. straight and curved), and can be arranged in a pattern P, predetermined by a strength requirement of the part to be made before the stamping operation of the
single sheet 20. The plurality of thehard beads 40 can be placed, adjacent to each other with an overlap, and/or with spacing. The pattern P and an amount of overlap or spacing can be determined on the basis of part functionality and design requirements by using other known techniques; for example, fine element analysis. - It is to be mentioned that the
hard bead 40 can be formed before or after a stamping operation whichever is deemed more suitable for manufacturing a part or for repairing of a part after it has been manufactured. Any wrought, soft steel etc. can be treated by method according to the present invention. Both coated (galvanized steel etc.) and uncoated sheets may also be treated by the method of present invention. - A typical
hard bead 40 of width W may range from 0.01 mm to 10.0 mm, but preferably from 0.05 mm to 4.0 mm, in a single pass of the energy source that is applied on thesingle sheet 20. - The operation of
hard bead 40 formation may be done in an inert environment depending on the process of melting. In some melting processes, it is important to prevent the steel from being oxidized by oxygen present in the ambient air, and so an inert gas should be used as a so-called “cover gas”, as known in the art of welding and metal working. Description of cover gas is well-known in the art and its detailed description can be found in the conventional art. - From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the scope of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations, not departing from the spirit of invention, be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the claims appended hereto.
Claims (11)
1. A single piece sheet of steel comprising:
a hard bead provided within the thickness of the single piece sheet to increase a tensile and bending strength of the single piece sheet,
wherein, the hard bead is formed by melting and re-solidifying a portion of the single piece sheet, and the hard bead is not formed as a part lap welding or butt welding.
2. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , can be made from low carbon steel.
3. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , can be in the form of rolled steel.
4. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , can be a coated steel sheet.
5. The single piece sheet according to claim 4 , can be a galvanized steel sheet.
6. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , wherein, the hard bead can be formed before the single piece sheet is stamped to form a part.
7. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , wherein, the hard bead can be formed after the single piece sheet is stamped to form a part.
8. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the single piece sheet may be in the range from 0.01 mm to about 50 mm, and more preferably from 0.02 mm to about 10.0 mm.
9. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the hard bead spans across the total thickness of the single piece sheet from one face to another.
10. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the hard bead spans only a portion of the total thickness of the single piece sheet.
11. The single piece sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the hard bead has a width from 0.01 mm to 10.0 mm and more preferably from 0.05 mm to 4.0 mm.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/792,142 US20140255723A1 (en) | 2013-03-10 | 2013-03-10 | Hard beads in steel to enhance strength |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/792,142 US20140255723A1 (en) | 2013-03-10 | 2013-03-10 | Hard beads in steel to enhance strength |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20140255723A1 true US20140255723A1 (en) | 2014-09-11 |
Family
ID=51488174
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/792,142 Abandoned US20140255723A1 (en) | 2013-03-10 | 2013-03-10 | Hard beads in steel to enhance strength |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20140255723A1 (en) |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4304978A (en) * | 1978-10-05 | 1981-12-08 | Coherent, Inc. | Heat treating using a laser |
US5735163A (en) * | 1994-08-29 | 1998-04-07 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Press working method including step of strengthening local portion of blank |
US20030015263A1 (en) * | 2000-05-26 | 2003-01-23 | Chikara Kami | Cold rolled steel sheet and galvanized steel sheet having strain aging hardening property and method for producing the same |
-
2013
- 2013-03-10 US US13/792,142 patent/US20140255723A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4304978A (en) * | 1978-10-05 | 1981-12-08 | Coherent, Inc. | Heat treating using a laser |
US5735163A (en) * | 1994-08-29 | 1998-04-07 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Press working method including step of strengthening local portion of blank |
US20030015263A1 (en) * | 2000-05-26 | 2003-01-23 | Chikara Kami | Cold rolled steel sheet and galvanized steel sheet having strain aging hardening property and method for producing the same |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
Jahn et al., Local Laser Strengthening of Steel Sheet for Load Adapted Component Design in Car Body Structures, 2011, Physics Procedia, Vol 12, pp. 431-441. * |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
CA2752855C (en) | Method for producing a press-hardened metal component | |
JP5727061B2 (en) | Manufacturing method for vehicle body side structure and vehicle body side structure | |
KR102469605B1 (en) | Method for producing a component by subjecting a sheet bar of steel to a forming process | |
JP2012517901A5 (en) | ||
US11813696B2 (en) | Method for joining two blanks and blanks and products obtained | |
KR101266575B1 (en) | A method of making a strip comprising a plurality of wires arranged parallel to each other, and a strip made according to the method | |
KR20170063852A (en) | Multi-layer flat steel product and component produced therefrom | |
US20090208772A1 (en) | Method of welding three metal sheets and apparatus with three stacked metal sheets | |
BRPI0714814A2 (en) | PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A WORKABLE CORROSION RESISTANT PLATE | |
JP2011062718A (en) | Lap fillet arc welded joint of thin steel sheet and method for manufacturing the same | |
TW202000358A (en) | Steel sheet, tailor welded blank, hot press formed product, steel pipe, hollow quenched product, manufacturing method of steel sheet, manufacturing method of tailor welded blank, manufacturing method of hot press formed product, manufacturing method of steel pipe, and manufacturing method of hollow quenched product | |
CN109196126B (en) | Welded joint having excellent fatigue characteristics and method for manufacturing same | |
JP6443704B2 (en) | Manufacturing method for body parts | |
CN105274469B (en) | Panel and method for treating a panel | |
JP2009072799A (en) | Laser welding method of zinc-based plated steel sheet | |
UA128111C2 (en) | Welded steel part used as motor vehicle part, hot pressed steel part, and method of manufacturing said welded steel part | |
JP2014237141A (en) | LASER BEAM CUTTING METHOD OF Zn-BASED PLATED STEEL SHEET | |
US20140255723A1 (en) | Hard beads in steel to enhance strength | |
JP2021091928A (en) | Steel, blank, and method for producing hot stamp member | |
US20180078990A1 (en) | Method for producing a moulded part, moulded part, tool and press comprising a tool | |
US20170305115A1 (en) | Composite component and method for the production and use thereof | |
JPWO2020059804A1 (en) | Tailored blanks, methods for manufacturing tailored blanks, press-molded products, and methods for manufacturing press-molded products. | |
JP2007283342A (en) | Butt-welded metal plate | |
KR101738985B1 (en) | Hot formed steel part for vehicles and the method for manufacturing the same | |
JP5902599B2 (en) | Tailored blank manufacturing method and tailored blank |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |