Potential of inverted process-chain development to improve crash box performance

Currently, components, processes and materials are mainly developed independently. However, to exploit the full potential of modern materials in component design, integrative development work is necessary. Component performance-based requirements and corresponding local material properties must be taken into account. In this work, a component-driven approach and therefore an inverted process chain is presented and demonstrated on the performance of a crash box, produced from DP600 steel. This is aimed to increase the energy absorption of the crash box without losing progressive buckling behavior. The finite element simulations were carried out on the crash box. It was shown that the crash box corners play an important role in the crash box performance, and required material properties for improving the crash box performance were derived based on the simulations. Heat treatment strategies were afterward developed and experimentally validated to fulfill these requirements. Then different local heat-treatment processes were applied to the corners of the crash boxes and tested experimentally. The experiments results validate the potential of the inverted process chain to improve the components performance. Furthermore, in this paper, optimal material properties were extracted for crash box strengthening, which lead to high energy absorption and a low peak force of it.

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Generation of Smart Structures on the Basis of In Situ Configuration of Shape Memory Alloys

Advances in Science and Technology ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/ast.59.184 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 59 ◽

pp. 184-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sven Langbein ◽

Edwald G. Welp

Keyword(s):

Heat Treatment ◽

Shape Memory Alloys ◽

Shape Memory ◽

Shape Memory Effect ◽

Memory Effect ◽

Local Heat ◽

Local Material ◽

Local Material Properties ◽

Study Offer

An outstanding feature of shape memory alloys (SMAs) is their potential to produce different functional effects like thermal shape memory or superelasticity in one component. The purpose of the present study is to find a way to create a universal component with properties adjustable for various applications solely by modifying the local material properties. We refer to this process as in-situ configuration. The basis of in-situ configuration of the materials’ properties is generated by first deactivating the shape memory effect in the whole element and then local activation of the shape memory effect by use of local heat treatment. The NiTi-elements presented in this study offer various options, since they do not feature perceptible thermal shape memory or superelasticity due to a high dislocation density. Instead, to achieve a specific local function, the elements are subjected to in-situ heat treatment carried out by a local resistive heating element. There is a need to adjust the duration and intensity of the heat input in order to obtain different functional properties.

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Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Al-Based FGM Crash Box Fabricated by Heat Treatment Process

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.465-466.647 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 465-466 ◽

pp. 647-651 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Saifulnizan Jamian ◽

Mohammad Rusydi Zainal Abidin

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Mechanical Properties ◽

Heat Treatment ◽

Temperature Distribution ◽

Material Properties ◽

Interpolation Method ◽

Functionally Graded ◽

Local Material ◽

Local Material Properties

In this paper, mechanical properties of Al functionally graded materials (FGMs) crash box fabricated by heat treatment is predicted based on temperature distribution and experimental data. The Al FGM crash box is fabricated by applying different temperature at the both ends of a square hollow Al column for 4 hours. Due to the gradient in heat treatment temperature along the height of the Al column, the microstructure is locally varied so that a certain variation of local material properties is achieved. The determination of material properties at any point along the height of Al FGM crash box experimentally is uneasy. The Lagrange interpolation method is proposed to predict the variation of local material properties at any point along the height of Al FGM crash box for further work such as simulation of impact on the crash box. The determination of mechanical properties is successfully predicted using the available experimental data and the temperature distribution obtained in simulation.

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Functionally Graded High-Alloy CrMnNi TRIP Steel Produced by Local Heat Treatment Using High-Energy Electron Beam

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A ◽

10.1007/s11661-015-3017-y ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 123-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D. Heinze ◽

A. Buchwalder ◽

A. Jung ◽

A. Weidner ◽

C. Segel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Treatment ◽

Electron Beam ◽

Trip Steel ◽

Local Heat ◽

High Energy ◽

Functionally Graded ◽

Energy Electron ◽

High Energy Electron ◽

High Alloy ◽

Local Heat Treatment

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Numerical and experimental investigations for distortion-reduced laser heat treatment of aluminum

Production Engineering ◽

10.1007/s11740-021-01029-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nikolaos Rigas ◽

Marion Merklein

Keyword(s):

Heat Treatment ◽

Material Flow ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

High Strength ◽

Local Heat ◽

Experimental Investigations ◽

Heat Treated ◽

Local Softening ◽

Materials Used ◽

Automated Handling

AbstractIn the field of mobility, increased safety and emission requirements lead to steadily rising demands on materials used and their performance. Over the last decades, 5000 and 6000 series aluminum alloys have become more and more attractive as lightweight material due to their beneficial weight to strength ratio. The 7000 series offers extended lightweight potential due to its high strength. Until now, this class of alloys has not been widely used in mass production due to its limited corrosion resistance and poor forming behavior. By using so-called Tailor Heat Treated Blanks, it is possible to set increased forming limits of previously locally heat treated components. The reason for the enhanced formability is the local softening, with the resulting improved material flow and the reduced critical forming stresses of the sheet metal before the forming operation. Despite these advantages, the use of previously heat treated materials has been very limited so far. For example, the distortion that occurs during local heat treatment reduces geometrical accuracy and thus automated handling. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is the investigation of tailored heat treatment strategies, permitting a distortion-reduced local short-term heat treatment. For this purpose, the distortion behavior is represented and quantified both numerically and experimentally. The generated knowledge is then transferred to a large volume component and characterized.

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