METAL PART WITH CONTROLLED DEFORMATION ORIENTATION

• US 20160368536A1
• Filed: 07/04/2014
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autotech Engineering, SL (Gestamp Automoción SA), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Autotech Engineering, A.I.E. (Gestamp Automoción SA)
• Inventors: GATARD, Gregory, JONSSON, Martin, CAZES, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 9,908,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 22/022 by heating the blank or stamping associated with heat treatment C21D takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 22/208 by heating the blank or deep-drawing associated with heat treatment C21D takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 35/005 characterized by the material of the blank or the workpiece B21D26/053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 47/00 Making rigid structural elements or units, e.g. honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/88 other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/007 predominantly of special steel or specially treated steel, e.g. stainless steel or locally surface hardened steel
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/673 for die quenching
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 11/00 Process control or regulation for heat treatments
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 2221/00 Treating localised areas of an article
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 9/0068 for particular articles not mentioned below

Abstract

A metal piece having at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece, said pieces being respectively arranged on one side and the other of a longitudinal central section (PM) of said piece and alternatively located in two locations separated longitudinally along the piece, the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece being formed by local control of the stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece, notably a process comprising steps including heating the piece to a temperature range suitable for obtaining an austenitic stage, then stamping this piece in a stamping tool suitable for defining different temperatures in the different areas of the stamped piece, for example by virtue of the voids formed in the stamping tool or by local reheating of the stamping tool.

Claims

1. A metal piece, particularly for the production of an automobile vehicle, comprising:

at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than a body of the piece, respectively arranged on one side and another side of a longitudinal central section (PM) of the piece and alternatively located in locations separated longitudinally along the length of the piece, and without the areas being adjoined.

2. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece are formed by local control of a stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece.

3. A stamping process for making the piece according to claim 1, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece are formed by a local control of a stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece, the stamping process comprising the steps of:

heating a pre-formed piece to a temperature range suitable for obtaining an austenitic stage, then stamping the pre-formed piece in a stamping tool suitable for defining different temperatures in different areas of a stamped piece, including one of local recesses formed in the stamping tool or by local heating of the stamping tool.

4. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the body of the piece has a mechanical strength above 1400 MPa, whereas the areas of lower mechanical strength have a mechanical strength lower than 1100 MPa.

5. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece further comprises at least one additional area of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece, such that the piece has areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece respectively arranged on the one side and the other side of the longitudinal central plane (PM) and formed in longitudinally identical locations along a length of the piece.

6. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece comprises a bottom of the piece and two flanges separated from the bottom by walls and the piece comprises an area of lower mechanical strength defined during a stamping process and having a varying width perpendicular to a cross-section of the piece.

7. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece are delimited by areas with rectilinear edges.

8. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece are delimited by areas with curved edges.

9. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece comprises at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece distributed thereon and having variations in identical width along an entire length of the piece.

10. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece comprises at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece distributed thereon and having variations in width alternatively in opposite directions, along an entire length of the piece.

11. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength are defined on the walls of the piece.

12. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece comprises a bottom and two side flanges separated from the bottom by walls, a section of the piece being defined by two reference axes (A-A), one substantially orthogonal to the bottom of the piece and the other substantially parallel to at least one flange, and the piece comprising an area of lower mechanical strength defined during a stamping of the piece and which extends over at least one of the walls, asymmetrically with respect to the two reference axes.

13. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength extend at least partially into transition areas between walls and a bottom of the piece, and/or flanges or part of the bottom of the piece and/or the flanges.

14. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece comprises at least one portion on which the at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece, are respectively arranged on one side and the other side of the longitudinal central section (PM) of the piece and alternatively located in locations separated longitudinally along the length of the piece and, at least one portion on which at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece, are respectively arranged on one side and the other of a longitudinal central section (PM) of the piece and located facing in the same places along the length of the piece.

15. The piece according to claim 1, wherein the piece is a side-rail.

16. A metal piece, particularly for the production of an automobile vehicle, comprising:

at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than a body of the piece, respectively arranged on one side and another side of a longitudinal central section (PM) of the piece and alternatively located in locations separated longitudinally along the length of the piece, and without the areas being adjoined;

wherein the body of the piece has a mechanical strength of above 1400 MPa and the areas of lower mechanical strength have a mechanical strength of below 1100 MPa.

17. The piece according to claim 16, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength are formed by local control of a stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece.

18. A method for making the piece according to claim 16, wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece are formed by local control of a stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece, comprising the steps of:

heating the piece to a temperature range suitable for obtaining an austenitic stage, then stamping this piece in a stamping tool suitable for defining different temperatures in different areas of the stamped piece, including local recesses formed in the stamping tool or by local heating of the stamping tool.

19. The piece according to claim 16, further comprising at least one additional area of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece, such that the piece has areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece respectively arranged on the one side and the other side of the longitudinal central plane (PM) formed in longitudinally identical locations along the length of the piece.

20. A metal piece, particularly for the production of an automobile vehicle, comprising:

at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than a body of the piece, respectively arranged on one side and another side of a longitudinal central section (PM) of the piece and alternatively located in locations separated longitudinally along the length of the piece, and without the areas being adjoined;

wherein the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece are formed by a local control of a stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece.