• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2012

Hot stamping is a forming method that offers various advantages such as superior mechanical properties, good formability, and very small springback. However, relatively large-sized parts, such as front pillars, exhibit poor formability when hot stamped due to the limited material flow and thickness reduction imparted by the process. This reduction in thickness can also lead to cracks. One of the reasons is the relatively high friction between the sheet and the die. In this study, in order to obtain the optimal conditions for hot stamping of front pillars, various process parameters were studied and analyzed using the sheet forming software, J-STAMP. The effects of various parameters such as the die structure, blank shape, blank holding force, punch speed, clearance(upper and lower dies) and distance block were analyzed and compared.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

Recently the use of ultra high strength steels (UHSS) in structural and safety component is rapidly increasing in the automotive industry. For example, 1.5GPa grade hot stamping with die-quenching of boron steel 22MnB5 could apply crash-resistant parts such as bumpers and pillars. The development of laser welding process of hot stamping steels, fundamental bead-on-plate welding and lap joint welding test were carried out using 3kW Nd:YAG laser. Local hardening & HAZ softening occurred in hot stamping steel as a result of metallurgical change caused by the welding heat input in the Nd:YAG laser welding process. The size of soft zones in the hot stamping steel was related to the welding heat input, being smaller at high speeds which generated a smaller heat input. Also in the case of lap joint design structure, same welded characteristics were shown. The HAZ softening degree was controlled to ensure the joint strength.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.818-824
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• 2019

In this study, the direct water quenching technique is applied to validate the applicability of direct water quenching as a cooling method in the hot stamping process of 3.2 mm thick boron steel sheet. Cooling performance of conventional die quenching and direct water quenching is compared. Higher cooling rate is obtained by hot stamping with direct water quenching compared to die quenching. As the flow rate of cooling water increases, the cooling rate increases, and a high cooling rate of 71 ℃/s is achieved under flow rate conditions of 0.8 L/min. Through direct water quenching, the cooling time required for sufficient cooling of the sheet is reduced. Full martensitic microstructure is obtained under flow rate condition of 0.8 L/min. Hardness increases with increasing flow rate. From these results, it is verified that the direct water quenching is applicable to the hot stamping of thick boron steel sheet.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.895-896
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• 2012

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.693-700
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• 2020

Direct water quenching technique can be used in hot stamping process to obtain higher cooling rate compared to that of the normal die cooling method. In the direct water quenching process, setting proper water flow rate in consideration of material thickness and the size of the area directly cooled in the component is important to ensure uniform microstructure and mechanical properties. In this study, to derive proper water flow rate conditions that can achieve uniform microstructure and mechanical properties, microstructure and hardness distribution in various water flow rate conditions are measured for 3.2 mm thick boron steel sheet. Hardness distribution is uniform under the flow condition of 1.5 L/min or higher. However, due to the lower cooling rate in that area, the lower flow conditions result in a drastic decrease in hardness in some areas in the hot-stamped part, resulting in low martensite fraction. From these results, it is found that the selection of proper water flow rate is an important factor in hot stamping with direct water quenching process to ensure uniform mechanical properties.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.123-132
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• 2013

Hot stamping, which is the hot pressing of special steel sheet using a cold die, can combine ease of shaping with high strength mechanical properties due to the hardening effect of rapid quenching. In this paper, a thermo-mechanical analysis of hot stamping using the finite element method in conjunction with phase transformations was performed in order to investigate the plastic deformation behavior, temperature history, and mechanical properties of the stamped car part. We also conducted a fully coupled thermo-mechanical analysis during the stamping and rapid quenching process to obtain the mechanical properties with the consideration of the effects of plastic deformation and phase transformation on the temperature histories at each point in the part. The finite element analysis could provide key information concerning the temperature histories and the sheet mechanical properties when the phase transformation is properly considered. Such an analysis can also be used to determine the effect of cyclic cooling on the tooling.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.64-64
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• 2009

The use of ultra high strength steels (UTSS) is a natural result with increasing the demands for the lightweight materials and developing an innovative steel technology. Recently it has been used a 1500MPa grade hot stamping steel as automobile bodies, reinforcement parts, and seat frame parts in the automotive industry. It is a quenchenable steel manufactured by hot stamping process. It is well known that UTSS welding has softening in the heat affected zone(HAZ). Because welding is a sort of process applying heat, it should change the heat treated features and degrade the strength. This study was performed to investigate the influence of the heat input on the softening of the HAZ in the GMAW process. Each experiment was compared with that in the conditions having a different current and voltage at a same heat input. In order to analysis characteristics of the HAZ, optical microscope was used to observe microstructure and vickers hardness tests were carried out across the welds. Applying low heat input means a fast cooling rate. It leads to high hardness in the HAZ. It is found that characteristics of the HAZ are determined by microstructure obtained by different cooling rate.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.30-36
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• 2013

Recently the use of ultra high strength steels(UHSS) in structural and safety component is rapidly increasing in the automotive industry. Furthermore, it commonly use in tailor welded blank laser welding process before hot stamping to reduce lightweight vehicle. However TWB process is to be a problem about welded strength after hot stamping because it's welded before heat treatment. Therefore, in this study, laser welds of TWB after heat treatment were analyzed for changes in the characteristics, especially the impact on the oxidation and decarburization in order to prevent pre-coated Al-Si layer welds on the properties for intensive investigation. As a result, the degradation of the TWB weldments changes in the heat treatment conditions alone, without any pre-treatment of the coating layer has confirmed that there is a limitation on the improvement. Furthermore Al-Si elements are overall distributed on the weldment and it specially concentrated along the fusion line. Hardness value of Al-Si segregation area is less than 350Hv and tensile strength showed just 78~83% compared with substrate. Accordingly, we proved that both side Al-Si coating should be removed in order to ensure the strength of the substrate.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2018

In this study, the cooling characteristics of dies were investigated in the hot stamping process of front pillars for automobile. Two identical dies were manufactured out of tool steels with different thermal conductivities. The dies were designed with curved channels for uniform cooling of the blank. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were also carried out, which can consider the heat transfer among the coolant, die, and blank. Measured and simulated thermal histories of dies were compared, and it was shown that high conductivity tool steel has an excellent cooling capacity compared to conventional tool steel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.317-320
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• 2008

The Hot Stamping process, which is the hot pressing of steel parts using cold dies. can utilize both case of shaping and high strength due to the hardening effect of rapid quenching during the pressing. We carried out experiments of quenching rate and tempering treatments at temperatures of $200^{\circ}C$ and $300^{\circ}C$ and different soaking times. Tn this study, the mechanical properties and microstructure of micro boron alloyed steels after heat treatments are compared.