• Laser Solutions
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 1999

In this paper, weldability and formability of Tailored-Blank (TB) and the structural impact testing of bump beam were investigated to apply TB to automobile bumper beam. The optimal $CO_2$ laser welding condition for TB of SPFC and SPRC steel plates with different thicknesses was obtained. Before welding, the cross section of butt joint was prepared only by shearing without milling process. Real type bump beam was produced by two kind of forming processes such as roll-forming and press-forming, and the good formability of TB was obtained. Impact test results of bump by using pendulum and barrier were satisfied the impact regulation of bump. Finally. It may be confirmed that laser welded TB is well-balanced material in both weight reduction and production cost of automobile bump.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2001

Laser welded tailored blanks(TB) are increasingly used in automotive parts. Among these, TB side panel has forming difficulties in stretch flanging areas such as front and center pillar lower region. To avoid splits in the stretch flanging areas, Proper design of blank shape and drawbeads are essential In this study, the forming simulaton is carried out to investigate the influences of blank shape and drawbeads on stretch flange formability of different thickness TB. And an optimization procedure including the effects of both the blank design and drawbeads is presented. The optimization procedure proposed in this study is expected to be effectively used in blank and die design of TB side panel.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.538-543
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• 2002

M/S TB(Mash Seam Tailored Blank) is a production method for blanks by welding together blanks of different material, thickness and coating, and is an attractive method for manufacturing car body because it makes parts lighter and can save the cost and time to manufacture. However, there have not been quantified criteria to evaluate the quality of TB weld. This study introduced FHR (failure height ratio) in order to assess formability or/and weldability of the M/S welds and the applicability of FHR was confirmed by actual auto body forming and FLD tests. Furthermore, a new parameter, HN(heat number) based on the heat input of "$Q=I^2Rt$" was proposed and assessed. It was found that the concept of HN could be utilized to evaluate the soundness of M/S welds without any destructive tests.ive tests.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.120-126
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• 2006

In this paper, we investigated the characteristics of fatigue fracture on TB(Tailored Blank) weldment by comparing the fatigue crack propagation characteristics of base metal with those of TB welded sheet used for vehicle body panels. We also investigated the influence of center crack on the fatigue characteristic of laser weld sheet of same thickness. We conducted an experiment on fatigue crack propagation on the base metal specimen of 1.2mm thickness of cold-rolled metal sheet(SPCSD) and 2.0mm thickness of hot-rolled metal sheet(SAPH440) and 1.2+2.0mm TB specimen. We also made an experiment on fatigue crack propagation on 2.0+2.0mm and 1.2+1.2mm thickness TB specimen which had center crack. The characteristics of fatigue crack growth on the base metal were different from those on 1.2+2.0mm thickness TB specimen. The fatigue crack growth rate of the TB welded specimens is slower in low stress intensity factor range$({\Delta}K)$ region and faster in high ${\Delta}K$ region than that of the base metal specimens.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1376-1380
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• 2005

In recent automotive industry, vehicle weight can be reduced by one-step forming of tailored blanks welded with two or more sheets of metal blanks. Tailored blank(TB) welding is a production method for blanks involving welding together materials of different quality, thickness, and coating, and has proved popular in fabrication automotive parts. This paper deals with the forming characteristics of mash seam welded tailored blanks. Using these forming characteristics, the bumper beam was developed using the mash seam welded tailored blank with the different thickness. We performed the forming simulation with respect to strain distribution on blank during the stamping of the bumper rail part. Based on these results, we made some stamping tryouts with selected types of blank designs to investigate the formability of tailored blank with different thickness. During the tryouts, we knew that it was important the BHF(Blank Holding Force). We obtained to reducing 10.5% weight and cost with adapting the bumper beam of automotive component using the tailored blank of mash seam welding.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.66-75
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• 1999

Weld bead quality in tailored blank(TB) is critically affected by edge preparation of sheets. The edge quality of prepared sheets for TB can be classified into straightness and the cross section quality of sheared plane such as a ratio of shear face, shear plane angle, etc. In order to have a good edg quality for butt-welding sheets, precision shearing will be recommended. In this paper, the feasibility of a conventional mechanical shearing as the edge preparation for tailored blanks is studyied. It reveals that fine shearing may not be the unique solution as it is generally accepted. To obtain the good shearing condition with a conventional mechanical shearing, experiments were carried out using Tahuchi method. The major parameters affecting a sheared contour are the clearance between upper blade and lower blade, and shear angle. The optimal shearing condition yields a very good straightness along the entire length of the cut, which gives a butt joint gap less than 10% of the base material thickness. The good cross section of sheared plane is also achieved in the optimal shearing condition such as a ratio of the shear face above 65%, a cross section's shear plane angle above 85%, little burr, which is providing finally good weld beads.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.102-109
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• 1998

In this study, the side panels were developed using the laser-welded Tailored Blanks (TB) with both the same thickness and the different thickness. At first, the formability of the same thickness T.B was investigated to be compared with one of the non welded panel with respect to weldline movements and strain distribution on blank during the stamping. Based on these results, we selected candidates of T.B with different thickness for stamping experiments. That is, we determined the weld line positions and the die step. Then we made some stamping tryouts with selected types of blank designs to investigate the formability of T.B with different thickness. During the tryouts, the wrinkles were found in the a-pillar lower region which is under the deformation mode of the shrink flange. In the b-pillar region, the fractures were found also, these defects have been reduced and corrected by controlling the blank design and the die faces and process pamameters.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.307-309
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• 2000

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.193-199
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• 2001

Forming more than two parts of sheet metal in a single stamping operation lowers production costs, reduces weight, and heightens dimensional accuracy. The tailored blank (TB) is a laser-welded or mash-seam-welded sheet metal with different thicknesses, different strengths, or different coatings. Recently, automotive manufacturers have been interested in tailored blanks because of their desire to improve the rigidity, weight reduction, crash durability, and cost savings. Therefore the application to auto-bodies has increased. However, as tailored blanks do not behave like un-welded blanks in press forming operations, stamping engineers no longer rely on conventional forming techniques. Field try-outs are very important manufacturing processes for an economic die-making. In the field try-outs, the rounded geometries of tool and the drawbead shape and size in die face are generally modified when the forming defects can not be removed by the adjustment of forming process parameters. In this study, the field try-outs of tailored door inner panel are introduced and evaluated. The behaviours of laser tailored blank associated with different thickness combinations in the forming process of door inner panel are described focusing on terms of experimental investigations on the formability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Laser Processing Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.39-43
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• 2001