Specification
[Document Type] Specification
[Title of the Invention] TAILORED BLANK FOR HOT STAMPING, HOT
STAMPED MEMBER, AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING SAME
[Technical Field of the Invention]
[0001]
The present invention relates to a tailored blank for hot stamping which is
obtained by welding multiple steel sheets and is offered for hot stamping (also called
hot pressing or diequenching; however, herein, referred to as hot stamping), and a
method for manufacturing the same. In addition, the present invention relates to a hot
stamped member obtained by performing hot stamping on the tailored blank for hot
stamping, and a method for manufacturing the same.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-074222, filed on
March 28, 2012 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-093812, filed on April 17,
2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[Related Art]
[0002]
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for reducing the weight
of an automobile frame for the puipose of decreasing the emission amount of CO2 gas
from the viewpoint of global environmental protection, and accordingly, there have
been active studies regarding the application of a high-strength steel sheet to
automobile members. Furthermore, the required strength of steel is also gradually
increasing.
However, the high strengthening of a steel sheet leads to an increase in the
pressing force required for pressing, and an increase in the size of a facility is
accompanied by an increase in facility costs. Furthermore, it is pointed out that, in a
- 1 -
case in which a higher strength is provided to a steel sheet, the difficulty of forming
resulting from the high strengthening of the steel sheet may cause problems with the
costs for altering a die, the costs for reducing the wear of the die, and the degradation
of productivity due to restriking for improving the shape-fixing property, which lead to
an increase in costs.
[0003]
Hot stamping is attracting attention as one of the methods for solving the
above-described problems. Hot stamping refers to a technique in which a steel sheet
is heated to a high temperature, and is pressed in a high-temperature range.
Particularly, hot stamping is a technique in which a steel sheet is pressed in a
temperature range of Ax$ point or higher, the steel sheet is rapidly cooled through heat
transfer using a die (pressing die), and phase transformation such as martensite
transformation or bainite transformation is caused in the steel sheet stmcture under the
application of a pressing pressure, whereby a pressed product having a high strength
and an excellent shape-fixing property can be manufactured.
[0004]
On the other hand, to improve the yield and productivity of a pressed product,
a tailored blank is used as a material for pressing for automobile members and the like.
The tailored blank refers to a material for pressing obtained by joining the
edge surfaces of multiple steel sheets through laser welding or the like in accordance
with the intended use. The use of the tailored blank enables the unrestricted change
in the sheet thickness or the strength in a single product. As a result, the fiinctionality
of the product improves, and the number of members can be reduced.
[0005]
Meanwhile, for the majority of members requiring corrosion resistance such
- 2 -
as automobile members, a zinc-based plated steel sheet is used. However, in a case in
which a blank (material for pressing) is hot-stamped, the blank is heated to a
temperature in a range of 700°C to 1000°C. This temperature is close to the boiling
point of zinc, or is higher than the boiling point of zinc. Therefore, when hot
stamping is performed on the zinc-based plated steel sheet, there is a case in which a
portion of the plated layer on the surface is melted or evaporated during heating for the
hot stamping. Therefore, as a blank for hot stamping, it is desirable to use a steel
sheet covered with an Al-based plate having a higher boiling point than the zinc-based
plate, that is, a so-called aluminum-plated steel sheet from the viewpoint of
suppressing the melting or evaporating of the plated layer.
However, in Patent Document 1, it is pointed out that, in a case in which butt
welding is performed on an aluminum plate, aluminum, which is a plated coat, moves
into the weld metal, segregates, forms an intermetalhc region, serves as a starting point
of fracture, and degrades the deformability of a joined portion.
Patent Document 1 also discloses that welding is performed after the removal
of the plated layer in a portion to be welded in order to solve the above-described
problem.
[Prior Art Document]
[Patent Document]
[0006]
[Patent Document 1] Published Japanese Translation No. 2009-534529 of
the PCT International Publication
[Disclosure of the Invention]
[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
[0007]
- 3 -
According to the method disclosed by Patent Document 1, it is possible to
suppress the movement and concentration of aluminum into the weld metal from the
plated coat, and it is possible to suppress adverse effects caused by the movement and
concentration of aluminum. However, a steel sheet obtained using the method
disclosed by Patent Document 1 does not have a plated layer in a portion to be welded,
and therefore there is a problem of the occurrence of the decarburization or oxidization
of the weld metal during hot stamping or a problem of a member obtained through hot
stamping having poor corrosion resistance. In addition, a new step for removing the
plated layer in a portion to be welded is required, and therefore the degradation of
productivity or an increase in the costs is caused.
[0008]
The invention has been made in consideration of the above-described
techniques of the related art, and an object of the invention is to provide a tailored
blank for hot stamping enabling the ensuring of a sufficient joint strength after hot
stamping, and a method for manufacturing the same. In addition, another object of
the invention is to provide a hot-stamped member obtained using the tailored blank for
hot stamping and a method for manufacturing the same.
[Means for Solving the Problem]
[0009]
The present inventors conducted studies to omit the process for removing the
plated layer in a portion to be welded, which is proposed in Patent Document 1. That
is, intensive studies were conducted to put into practical use a tailored blank for hot
stamping obtained by performing butt welding on the plated layer in a portion to be
welded in an aluminum-plated steel sheet without removing the plated layer, which is
difficult to perform in Patent Document 1.
- 4 -
As a result, the inventors newly found that, when the movement and
concentration of aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat are accelerated
instead of preventing the movement and concentration of aluminum into the weld
metal from the plated coat as proposed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to form an
aluminum layer on the surface of the weld metal. In addition, it was newly found that,
when the aluminum layer is formed on the surface of the weld metal by accelerating
the movement and concentration of aluminum into the weld metal, it is possible to
solve the problem of the occurrence of the decarburization or oxidization of the weld
metal during hot stamping or the problem of the member obtained through hot
stamping having poor corrosion resistance.
On the other hand, a new problem was also found that, when the movement
and concentration of aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat are
excessively accelerated, it is difficult to ensure a sufficient joint strength in the hotstamped
aluminum-plated steel sheet.
The above-described fact was found to result not from the formation of the
intermetallic region as described in Patent Document 1 but from the fact that the
movement and concentration of aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat
during welding increases the AC3 point of the weld metal to a high temperature, and
thus it becomes difficult to increase the strength by hardening the weld metal in a hot
stamping process or the fact that, in some cases, the strength is weakened due to
tempering.
[0010]
Accordingly, the inventors conducted studies to ensure a sufficient joint
strength in a hot-stamped member after hot stamping even when the weld metal is not
sufficiently quenched in the hot stamping process or the weld metal is tempered in the
- 5 -
hot stamping process. As a result, the inventors reached a new idea of increasing the
strength of the weld metal in advance before the hot stamping process instead of
achieving the high strengthening of the weld metal by quenching in the hot stamping
process.
In addition, the inventors found that, when the movement and concentration
of aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat are controlled within an
appropriate range, and the AC3 point of the weld metal is set to a predetermined
temperature or lower, it is possible to quench the weld metal during a cooling process
in a butt welding process that is a process before hot stamping, and thus it becomes
possible to increase the strength of the weld metal. That is, it was found that, even
when the weld metal is not quenched in the hot stamping process or the weld metal is
tempered in the hot stamping process, it is possible to ensure a sufficient joint strength
in a hot-stamped member after hot stamping.
Furthermore, the inventors found that increasing the hardenability of the weld
metal enables the acceleration of the quenching during the cooling process in the butt
welding process that is a process before hot stamping, setting the Aci point of the weld
metal to a predetermined temperature or lower enables the use of quenching in the hot
stamping process, and setting the minimum thickness of the weld metal to a
predetermined value or more enables the ensuring of a higher joint strength after hot
stamping.
Moreover, the inventors found that specifying the shape of the weld metal
enables a more reliable contact between the vicinity of a welded portion in a tailored
blank for hot stamping and a die, and thus it is possible to more reliably quench the
vicinity of the welded portion in the tailored blank for hot stamping through the heat
transfer of the die.
- 6 -
Furthermore, the inventors found that increasing the oxygen content in the
weld metal enables the improvement of the toughness of the weld metal.
The present invention has been made based on the above-described new
findings, and the essences thereof are as described below.
[0011]
(1) That is, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a tailored blank for hot stamping including a welded portion formed by buttwelding
a first aluminum-plated steel sheet and a second aluminum-plated steel sheet,
in which an average Al concentration of a weld metal in the welded portion is 0.3
mass% to 1.5 mass%, in the following formula (1), an AC3 point of the weld metal
defined in unit °C is 1250°C or lower, and furthermore, an aluminum layer formed
during the butt-welding is present on a surface of the welded portion,
[Expression 1]
A c 3 ^ 9 1 0 - 2 3 0 X C 0 - 5 - l 5 . 2 X N 1 + 4 4 . T X S i + 1 0 4
X V + 3 1 . SXMo + 1 3 . 1 X W - 3 O X M n - 1 1 XC r - 2 OXCu
+ 7 0 0 X P + 40 0XA1 + 12 0XAS + 4 0 0 X T I • • • Formula(1)
Here, C, Ni, Si, V, Mo, W, Mn, Cr, Cu, P, Al, As, and Ti in the formula
represent amounts of individual elements in the weld metal in mass%, and elements
not contained are considered to have an amount of zero in computation.
[0012]
(2) in the tailored blank for hot stamping according to the above-described (1),
furthermore, in the following formula (2), AIM defined in unit second may be 0.5
seconds or longer.
[Expression 2]
- 7 -
I A J V . S+5xAl Mn Cu Ni Mo Crx(l-0.16x*fCr) .,/) , J
10.6 C + + — +— + — + — + s H-Aff -4.8>
[ 24 6 15 12 6 8 . J J
Here, C, Si, Al, Mn, Cu, Ni, Mo, and Cr in the formula represent the amounts
of individual elements in the weld metal in mass%, elements not contained are
considered to have an amount of zero in computation, and AH in the formula represents
a numeric value defined as described below in accordance with the amount of B in
mass% and fN when the fN is set to (0.02-N)/0.02 using the amount of N in the weld
metal in mass%.
WhenB<0.0001,AH=0,
When 0.0001) xtr) Af
Atn* = exp-U0.6 C + —--+—4 + _ + .—+ i t+AH -4.i
it 24 6 15 12 6 8 .J
• • • FttirabCQ
Here, C, Si, AI, Mn, Cu, Ni, Mo, and Cr in the formula represent amounts of
individual elements in the weld metal in mass%, and elements not contained are
considered to have an amount of zero in computation. In addition, AH in the formula
represents a numeric value defined as described below in accordance with the amount
of B in mass% and fN when the fN is set to (0.02-N)/0.02 using the amount of N in the
weld metal in mass%.
WhenB<0.0001,AH=0,
When 0.00010m2$xNixC-0M090xMn2-0m55QxSi2
+ 0.010207 x Cr2 + 0.36074 xMo2 - 0.0030705 x M2)
• * * Formula (3)
Here, the respective element symbols (C, Si, Ni, V, Al, W, Cu, B, S, P, Mn, Cr,
and Mo) represent the amounts (mass%) of the elements in the weld metal, and
elements not contained are considered to have an amount of zero in computation.
Since a lower Aci point is more advantageous for the quenching in the hot
- 21 -
stamping process, the lower limit of the Aci point is not particularly specified.
[0039]
(Shape of the weld metal)
In butt-welding performed with the shear-cut edge surfaces of a steel sheets
(aluminum-plated steel sheet) brought face-to-face each other, it is normal to weld the
edge surface with a weld bead having a surface in a state of being concave (locally
necked) with respect to the steel sheet surface in consideration of the cutting precision
of the edge surface. In this case, the thickness of the thinnest portion of the weld
metal of the tailored blank according to the embodiment is preferably set to be 80% or
more of the sheet thickness of the butt-welded aluminum-plated steel sheet. Then, it
is possible to increase the strength of a welded joint section (the thinner sheet thickness
in a case in which the sheet thicknesses are different). The thickness of the thinnest
portion of the weld metal is more preferably set to be 90% or more of the sheet
thickness (the thinner sheet thickness in a case in which the sheet thicknesses are
different) of the butt-welded aluminum-plated steel sheet. The thickness of the
thinnest portion of the weld metal in the embodiment refers to the thickness of the
thinnest portion of the portions that are fully made of the weld metal in the sheet
thickness direction in the steel sheet.
To increase the thickness of the weld metal, for example, the locally-necked
portion may be filled using a filler metal such as a filler wire. However, in a case in
which the thickness of the weld metal is increased by performing the butt welding on
the edge surface of the steel sheet using a filler metal such as a filler wire for the
purpose of improving the joint strength, the maximum height of the surface of the weld
metal is preferably set to 300 um or shorter from an extended line of the surface (the
thicker surface in a case in which the sheet thicknesses are different) of the butt-welded
- 22 -
aluminum-plated steel sheet. Then, it is possible to more reliably bring the vicinity of
the welded portion in the tailored blank for hot stamping and a die into contact with
each other during hot stamping. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably perform the
quenching of the vicinity of the welded portion in the tailored blank for hot stamping
through the heat transfer of the die.
[0040]
(The oxygen content of the weld metal)
The oxygen content in the weld metal for the tailored blank according to the
embodiment is preferably set to 50 ppm or more higher than the average oxygen
content in the steel sheet that is a base material for plating of the butt-welded
aluminum-plated steel sheet. Then, while the detailed mechanism is not clear, the
block size of martensite in the weld metal becomes small, and the toughness of the
weld metal improves. To increase the oxygen content of the weld metal, it is possible
to use, for example, a metal cored wire in welding. In a case in which the metal cored
wire is used, the oxygen content varies depending on the supply amount of the metal
cored wire, and therefore the metal cored wire may be supplied in an amount in
accordance with the intended oxygen content. The upper limit of the difference
between the oxygen content in the weld metal and the average oxygen content of the
steel sheet that is the base material for plating for the butt-welded aluminum-plated
steel sheet is not particularly limited, but is preferably set to 300 ppm or less from the
viewpoint of suppressing the formation of an coarse oxide.
[0041]
(Aluminum-plated steel sheet)
The aluminum-plated steel sheet used for the tailored blank according to the
embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, as the aluminum-plated steel
- 23 -
sheet offered for the butt welding to obtain the tailored blank according to the
embodiment, steel sheets of the same kind may be used, but steel sheets having
different characteristics such as strength may be used for the puipose of providing
different characteristics to individual portions.
In a case in which the aluminum-plated steel sheet is applied to a portion in
which the improvement of the mechanical characteristics by the quenching of hot
stamping is required, an aluminum-plated steel sheet including as the base material, for
example, a steel sheet having a chemical composition containing by mass% C: 0.15%
to 0.25%, Si: 0.1% to 0.35%, Mn: 0.8% to 1.8%, Cr: 0.01% to 0.5%, B: 0.1% or less
(including 0%) with a remainder of Fe and impurities or a steel sheet having a
chemical composition further containing one or more of Ti, Nb, and Mo on the basis of
the above-described chemical composition may be used.
It is not necessary to particularly specify the strength of the aluminum-plated
steel sheet to be butt-welded, which is used for the tailored blank according to the
embodiment, from the viewpoint of the strength after hot stamping. However, when
the workability such as blanking before butt welding is taken into account, the tensile
strength before hot stamping is preferably in a range of 270 MPa to 590 MPa.
The range of the sheet thickness of the aluminum-plated steel sheet to be buttwelded,
which is used for the tailored blank according to the embodiment, is, for
example, 0.8 mm to 4.0 mm, and is preferably 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm.
[0042] '
The aluminum-plated layer in the aluminum-plated steel sheet prevents the
corrosion of the steel sheet, and prevents the generation of a scale (an oxide of iron)
generated by the oxidization of the surface of the steel sheet heated to a high
temperature during the hot stamping of the steel sheet. Since the aluminum-plated
- 24 -
layer has a higher boiling point and the like than a plated coat of an organic material or
plated coats of other metallic materials (for example, Zn-based material), when formed
using a hot stamping method, it becomes possible to process the aluminum-plated layer
at a high temperature. Therefore, the above-described characteristic is advantageous
from the viewpoint of the quenching of the welding material in the hot stamping
process. From the above-described viewpoint, it is preferable to form the aluminumplated
layer on both surfaces of the steel sheet.
The aluminum-plated layer may be formed on the surface of the steel sheet
using, for example, a hot dip coating method. Any plated layers may be used as long
as the plated layer contains a main component of Al. There is no particular limitation
regarding components other than AL For example, the plated layer may contain 3
mass% to 15 mass% of Si. When the Si content is set to 3 mass% or more, it is
possible to control an alloy layer generated during the coating of a hot dip coating
metal. On the other hand, when the Si content is set to 15% or less, it is possible to
ensure favorable workability and corrosion resistance in the plated layer.
[0043]
2. Method for manufacturing a tailored blank for hot stamping
(The method for adjusting the chemical composition of the weld metal)
As described above, in the tailored blank for hot stamping obtained by buttwelding
an aluminum-plated steel sheet without removing the plated layer in a portion
to be welded, a AC3 point of the weld metal becomes high due to the movement and
concentration of aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat during the butt
welding. As a result, there is a case in which it becomes difficult to increase the
strength by quenching the weld metal in the hot stamping process, or the strength is
decreased due to tempering.
- 25 -
Therefore, in the method for manufacturing a tailored blank according to the
embodiment, welding is performed after the conditions are adjusted so that the average
Al concentration of the weld metal is in a range of 0.3 mass% to 1.5 mass%, and the
AC3 point (°C) of the weld metal defined by the above-described formula (1) is 1250°C
or lower (welding condition-determining process: SI). In this case, since it becomes
possible to increase the strength of the weld metal in advance by quenching during the
cooling process in the butt welding process that is a process before hot stamping, it is
possible to ensure a sufficient joint strength after hot stamping even when the weld
metal is not quenched in the hot stamping process, or the weld metal is tempered in the
hot stamping process.
Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a tailor blank according to the
embodiment, an aluminum layer derived from the aluminum-plated layer in the
aluminum-plated steel sheet to be welded is formed on the surface of the weld metal
(welding process: S2).
[0044]
Here, the average Al concentration of the weld metal can be computed by
computing the Al content incorporated into the weld metal from the plated layer using
the widths of the weld beads and the thicknesses of the plated layers on the front and
back of the aluminum-plated layer, the groove intervals, and the like, estimating the Al
content incorporated from the steel sheet, which is a base material for plating, or the Al
content incorporated from a filler metal in a case in which the filler metal is used, and
using the above-described values and the cross-sectional area of the weld metal. That
is, the average Al concentration can be estimated from the chemical composition of the
aluminum-plated steel sheet, the coating weight, the sheet thickness, the groove
intervals, the chemical composition of the filler metal, and the like. Therefore, it is
- 26 -
possible to control the average AI concentration of the weld metal by determining the
welding conditions in consideration of the above-described facts.
For example, to set the average Al concentration of the weld metal to 1.5
mass% or less without using a filler metal, it is possible to use a steel sheet having a
sheet thickness in a range of 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm in a case in which a double-sided
aluminum-plated steel sheet having a coating weight of 40/40 gr/m is butt-welded
with groove intervals of 0.2 mm or 0.4 mm. In addition, it is possible to use a steel
sheet having a sheet thickness in a range of 1.4 mm to 4.0 mm in a case in which a
double-sided aluminum-plated steel sheet having a coating weight of 80/80 gr/m is
butt-welded with groove intervals of 0.2 mm or 0.4 mm. It is preferable to set the
sheet thickness of the aluminum-plated steel sheet to 3.0 mm or less in a case in which
a double-sided aluminum-plated steel sheet having a coating weight of 80/80 gr/m is
butt-welded with groove intervals of 0.2 mm or 0.4 mm.
In a case in which the coating weight of the plate is great, depending on the
sheet thickness of the steel sheet as well, there is a case in which it is difficult to set the
average Al concentration of the weld metal to 1.5 mass% or less. In such a case, it is
preferable to form gaps in the butt portion of the steel sheet and dilute Al by filling the
gaps with the weld metal using a filler metal such as a filler wire during welding.
Then, the amount of the weld metal increases, and it is possible to set the Al
concentration of the weld metal to 1.5 mass% or less. Apowder-form filler metal or a
wire-form filler metal can be used; however, from the viewpoint of the yield, it is
suitable to supply the filler metal in the wire-form filler metal, that is, a filler wire.
[0045]
The AC3 point (°C) of the weld metal defined by the above-described formula
(1), AtM (seconds) defined by the above-described formula (2), and the Acj point (°C)
- 27 -
of the weld metal defined by the above-described formula (3) can also be estimated
using the same method as the control of the average Al concentration. When welding
is performed under welding conditions in which the chemical composition of the
aluminum-plated steel sheet, the coating weight, the sheet thickness, the groove
intervals, the chemical composition of the filler metal, and the like are adjusted based
on the above-described estimation, it is possible to easily set the AC3 point (°C) to
1250°C or lower, ATM (seconds) to 0.5 seconds or longer, and the Aci point (°C) to
860°C or lower.
Specifically, it is preferable to estimate the filler metal components and the
filler metal supply amount in the following order, and to experimentally confirm the
filler metal components and the filler metal supply amount using the estimated
components and the estimated supply amount.
(i) First, the weld bead shape is estimated from the sheet thickness, groove
intervals, and welding heat input amount of the aluminum-plated steel sheet to be
welded. The melting widths of the plated layer are obtained from the estimated
widths of the weld beads on the front and back of the steel sheet, and the Al content
weld-penetrated from the plated layer into the weld metal forming the weld bead is
estimated based on the melting width and the plate thickness. In addition, an amount
of the weld metal content is obtained from the estimated weld bead shape, and the
components of the weld metal are estimated from the components (chemical
components) of the aluminum-plated steel sheet to be welded, the composition of the
filler wire to be used, and the Al content weld-penetrated into the weld metal.
(ii) Next, the estimated components of the weld metal are investigated, and
whether or not the components are suitable for the above-described conditions (the
average Al concentration, the AC3 point, and the like) is determined. In a case in
- 28 -
which the components are not suitable, the composition of the filler wire is changed,
and then whether or not the components are suitable for the above-described conditions
is determined.
(iii) In a case in which the components become suitable for the abovedescribed
conditions by the change of the composition of the filler wire, the filler wire
is changed to a wire having the new components. In a case in which the components
are not suitable for the above-described conditions even after the change of the
composition of the filler wire, the amount of the weld metal content is increased by
changing the groove intervals. In addition, the components of the weld metal after
the change of the groove intervals are estimated in the order of the above-described (i),
and whether or not the weld metal is suitable for the above-described conditions is
determined.
[0046]
Thus far, a case in which the components or supply amount of the filler wire
are adjusted with attention paid to the components of the weld metal has been
described, but the components or supply amount of the filler wire can be adjusted by,
regarding the relationship between the hardness of the base metal steel sheet and the
hardness of the weld metal as well, estimating whether or not the relationship between
the hardness of the base metal steel sheet and the hardness of the weld metal satisfies
the below-described conditions using a method for estimating the hardness Hv (BM) of
the steel sheet and the hardness Hv (WM) of the weld metal after hot stamping.
As described above, the use of the filler metal enables the adjustment of the
AC3 point (°C), AtM (seconds), and the Aci point (°C) not only by diluting Al but also
by adjusting the chemical composition, the supply amount, or the like. Furthermore,
the use of the filler metal also enables the improvement of the joint strength by
- 29 -
increasing the thickness of the weld metal or the control of the shape. As described
above, the thickness of the thinnest portion of the weld metal for the tailored blank
according to the embodiment is preferably set to be 80% or more of the sheet thickness
(the thinner sheet thickness in a case in which the sheet thicknesses are different) of the
butt-welded aluminum-plated steel sheet. Therefore, an increase in the thickness of
the weld metal using the filler metal is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the
joint strength. However, the maximum height of the surface of the weld metal is
preferably set to 300 urn or shorter from an extended line of the surface (the thicker
surface in a case in which the sheet thicknesses are different) of the butt-welded
aluminum-plated steel sheet since the vicinity of the welded portion in the tailored
blank for hot stamping is more reliably quenched.
From the viewpoint of increasing the hardenability of the weld metal, it is
advantageous to supply carbon (C) or an element increasing the hardenability from the
filler metal to the weld metal. However, a solid wire having a high content of C or an
alloy element is difficult to manufacture, and therefore a cored wire having a steel
outer coat filled with carbon powder or metal powder (also called a metal cored wire
since it does not contain a flux) is preferably used as the filler metal for the ease of use.
Since the metal cored wire is filled with carbon powder or metal powder, the use of the
metal cored wire facilitates the supply of C and the like to the weld metal. When
welding is performed using the cored wire containing carbon powder, and the C
content in the weld metal is made to be greater than the C content of the base metal, it
is possible to make the hardness of the weld metal higher than the hardness of the base
metal. A hot-stamped member including the above-described weld metal is
preferable since, even when the hot-stamped member is significantly deformed due to
an impact or the like, the joint portion does not preferentially fracture, and therefore a
- 30 -
more sufficient joint strength can be ensured.
In the metal cored wire, metal powder having a great specific surface area
such as iron powder is used. Since oxygen is adsorbed onto the surface of the metal
powder, it is possible to increase the oxygen content in the weld metal by performing
welding using the metal cored wire. As described above, the oxygen content in the
weld metal is preferably set to 50 ppm or more higher than the average oxygen content
in the steel sheet that is a base material for plating of the butt-welded aluminum-plated
steel sheet. The detailed mechanism is not clear, but an increase in the oxygen
content in the weld metal decreases the block size of martensite in the weld metal, and
the toughness of the weld metal improves. Since the oxygen content varies
depending on the supply amount of the metal cored wire, it is possible to set the
oxygen content in the weld metal to 50 ppm or more higher than the average oxygen
content in the steel sheet that is a base material for plating of the butt-welded
aluminum-plated steel sheet by adjusting the supply amount of the metal cored wire in
accordance with the intended oxygen content.
[0047]
(Welding method)
As described above, in the tailored blank for hot stamping obtained by buttwelding
an aluminum-plated steel sheet without removing a plated layer in a portion to
be welded, the AC3 point of the weld metal is made to reach a high temperature by
moving and concentrating aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat during
welding, and it becomes difficult to increase the strength by quenching the weld metal
in the hot stamping process. However, when the strength of the weld metal is
increased in advance by quenching during the cooling process in the butt welding
process that is a process before hot stamping, it is possible to ensure a sufficient joint
- 31 -
strength after hot stamping even when the weld metal is not quenched in the hot
stamping process or the weld metal is tempered in the hot stamping process.
Therefore, the welding method being used is preferably a welding method in which the
weld penetration width of the steel sheet is small, and the cooling rate after welding is
fast. Examples of welding methods capable of the above-described welding include
welding methods in which the energy density is high, and a heat source capable of
intensively heating a narrow region is used such as laser welding, plasma welding, and
electron beam welding. Among the above-described welding methods, the laser
welding method is most suitable. In the laser welding method, there is no particular
limitation regarding the type and the like of a laser oscillator, and welding may be
performed with a laser output in accordance with the sheet thickness of a steel sheet
being used. At this time, it is also possible to supply the filler wire and perform
welding as described above.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the method for manufacturing the abovedescribed
tailored blank for hot stamping.
[0048]
3. Hot-stamped member
(The hardness of the weld metal after hot stamping)
A hot-stamped member according to the embodiment can be obtained by
performing hot stamping on the tailored blank for hot stamping according to the
embodiment. In a case in which the hot-stamped member is assembled into an
automobile as a structural member, the hot-stamped member is required to remain
unfractured at the weld bead even when significantly deformed by an impact, and to
exhibit favorable deformability, energy-absorbing characteristics, and proof stress.
To satisfy the above-described requirements, the strength of the welded
- 32 -
portion in the hot-stamped member is required to be higher than the strengths of any
portions in the hot-stamped well-butted aluminum-plated steel sheet.
That is, to satisfy what has been described above, in the hot-stamped member,
the product of the hardness Hv (WM) of the weld metal after hot stamping and the
thickness t (WM) of the thinnest portion of the weld metal is required to be greater
than any one of the product of the hardness Hvl (BM) and the sheet thickness tl (BM)
of one butt-welded aluminum-plated steel sheet after hot stamping and the product of
the hardness Hv2 (BM) and the sheet thickness t2 (BM) of the other butt-welded
aluminum-plated steel sheet after hot stamping, that is, is required to satisfy
Hv (WM)xt (WM)>min{Hvl (BM)xtl (BM), Hv2 (BM)xt2 (BM)}.
Here, the hardness of the weld metal is the average of three measured values
of Vickers hardness obtained by removing the maximum value and the minimum value
from values measured at five points on the bead cross-section of the central portion in
the sheet thickness direction, and the hardness of the steel sheet is the average of
Vickers hardness values measured at three points on the cross-section in the same
manner. In addition, the above-described min{ } represents a function returning the
minimum value out of arguments.
When the AC3 point of the weld metal is increased due to the movement and
concentration of aluminum into the weld metal from the plated coat, there is a case in
which the weld metal does not transform in to austenite during heating in hot stamping,
and is tempered and softened. In such as a case as well, it is possible to satisfy Hv
(WM)xt (WM)>min{Hvl (BM)xtl (BM), Hv2 (BM)xt2 (BM)} by selecting the
combination of a steel sheet to be welded, welding conditions, and the like. Then, the
hot-stamped member exhibits sufficient functions as a structural member of an
automobile.
- 33 -
[0049]
The manufacturing conditions for manufacturing the tailored blank for hot
stamping, in which a hot-stamped member satisfying the above-described conditions
can be obtained, can be experimentally obtained by performing hot stamping on a
tailored blank for hot stamping produced for test purposes, and repeating the
verification of the obtained hot-stamped member. Furthermore, it is also possible to
estimate whether or not the tailored blank satisfies the above-described conditions by
estimating the hardness Hv (BM) of the hot-stamped steel sheet and the hardness Hv
(WM) of the weld metal.
For example, first, the C content of the weld metal is estimated from a variety
of conditions such as the chemical composition, sheet thickness, and welding
conditions of a steel sheet to be butt-welded, and the chemical composition of a filler
wire in a case in which the filler wire is used. Next, the hardness Hv (M) when the
weld metal is martensite is calculated from the following formula (4) using the
estimated C content. Next, the calculated hardness is subtracted by 100. Then, the
lower limit of the hardness of the weld metal can be estimated.
[0050]
[Expression 10]
Hv (M) = 8 8 4 x c x (1 = 0. 3xc? ) +294- • -Formula(4)
Here, 100 is a numeric value experimentally obtained. Aluminum is
incorporated into the weld metal from the plated layer in the aluminum-plated steel
sheet, and thus the Aci point and the AC3 point of the weld metal increase. Therefore,
depending on the heating conditions or the average Al concentration in the weld metal
during the hot stamping process, the weld metal does not fully transform into austenite,
and turns into a two-phase region in the hot stamping process, or does not austenite-
- 34 -
transform at all, and is simply tempered. Here, the weld metal is softened the most in
a case in which the weld metal does not austenite-transform, and is simply tempered,
but it was experimentally confirmed that the hardness (degree of softening) is, at most,
approximately Hv (M)-100. Therefore, the lower limit of the hardness of the weld
metal can be obtained using Hv (M)-100.
In addition, regarding the hot-stamped steel sheet, a lower one of the value of
Hv (M) calculated from the formula (2) and the value calculated from
{1650x(C+f(B))+10xSi+80x(Mn+Cr+V+2xMo+2xNb+Cu/2+Ni/4)+Ni/4} using the
element contents (mass%) of the steel sheet is employed as the estimated value of Hv
(BM).
Here, f(B) is a value determined by the B content, and, in the case of the B
content>0.0004 mass%, f(B)-0.03, and in the case of the B content<0.0004 mass%,
f(B)=0.
It is possible to estimate the possibility of the assembly of a steel sheet
configuring the tailored blank by determining whether or not the above-described
conditions are satisfied based on the estimated value of the hardness obtained in the
above-described manner, the sheet thickness of the steel sheet to be butt-welded, and
the minimum thickness of the weld metal.
[0051]
4. Method for manufacturing a hot-stamped member
A method for manufacturing a hot-stamped member according to the
embodiment includes a hot stamping process (S3) for performing hot stamping on the
above-described tailored blank according to the embodiment, and, after the hot
stamping process, the product of the hardness of the weld metal and the thinnest
portion of the weld metal is set to be greater than the product of the hardness and the
- 35 -
sheet thickness of any one aluminum-plated steel sheet to be welded. The hot
stamping conditions may follow an ordinary method. That is, in a case in which
quenching is performed in the hot stamping process, it is normal to heat an aluminumplated
steel sheet, which is the subject, to a temperature of the AC3 point or higher (for
example, approximately 900°C), and then perform hot stamping. In a case in which
the quenched structure is made into a complex structure, the heating temperature may
be set in a range of the Aci point to the AC3 point.
From the viewpoint of reliably performing the quenching of the tailored blank
for hot stamping, it is preferable to use a direct water-cooling die in which the steel
sheet is cooled by spraying cooling water from the die as a die for hot stamping.
FIG. 3 shows an example of the above-described method for manufacturing a
hot-stamped member.
[Example 1]
[0052]
To obtain a tailored blank having different strengths in some parts after hot
stamping, a steel sheet 1 (Steel Type HS) having a tensile strength which reached 1470
MPa or mote after hot stamping and steel sheets 2 (Steel Types 270, 440, and 590)
having tensile strengths before hot stamping of 270 MPa, 440 MPa, and 590 MPa were
prepared. The sheet thicknesses of the steel sheets were set in a range of 1.0 mm to
1.8 mm.
To individually prepare the average aluminum concentrations in the weld
metal, a steel sheet having an aluminum plate coated on only one surface in an amount
of 20 gr/m , and steel sheets having aluminum plates coated on both surfaces in an
O O O
amount of 20 gr/m per surface, 40 gr/m per surface, and 80 gr/m per surface were
produced for test purposes by coating aluminum plates to the outer surfaces of the steel
- 36 -
sheets having no aluminum plate.
The steel sheets were brought face-to-face each other as shear-cut, and were
welded using fiber laser. The light collection spot diameter of the laser was set to 0.6
mm. Shielding during the welding was performed using a shield nozzle (with an
inner diameter of 6 mm) having the same axis as the laser beam with the standoff (the
distance between the nozzle tip and the steel sheet surface) set to 10 mm under a
condition of the Ar gas flow rate of 20 Hters/min. The welding rate was maintained at
4 m/min, and the laser output was adjusted in a range of 2 kW to 4 kW in accordance
with the sheet thickness.
The aluminum (Al) average concentration in the weld metal was analyzed and
obtained using the weld metal sampled after an Al-concentrated layer on the surface
was polished and removed after the laser welding. In addition, the cross-section
observation of the welded portion and the measurement of the bead thickness were
performed to check the qualities of the welded portion after the laser welding.
Subsequent to the laser welding, hot stamping was performed on the obtained
tailored blank (blank material). The hot stamping was performed by heating the
blank material to 900°C through furnace heating, and inserting the blank material into
a die, and a planar sheet was prepared.
To check the quenched state by the hot stamping, the hardness of the base
metal portion after the hot stamping and the hardness of the weld bead portion were
measured. In addition, the observation of the oxidization status of the weld bead
surfaces during the hot stamping and a tensile test in which a load was applied
orthogonally to the weld bead were performed as the performance evaluations of the
hot-stamped members in which the strength was individually provided in some parts.
The tensile test was performed in accordance with JIS 2241: 2011.
- 37 -
As a result of the tensile test, it was determined that a sufficient joint strength
is obtained in a case in which the hot-stamped member was not fractured at the weld
metal and but fractured at the base metal. However, in a case in which the hotstamped
member fractured at the base metal portion at a strength significantly lower
than the original strength of the base metal, it was determined that a sufficient joint
strength could not be obtained.
The used steel sheets and the results of a variety of measurements performed
after the welding and the hot stamping are described in Tables 1 and 2.
[0053]
The results of the tests performed on Nos. 1 to 15 could be evaluated as
described below.
In a case in which a steel sheet for hot stamping including no plate and the
steel sheet of Steel Type 270 including no plate were butt-welded, and then hot
stamped, the average aluminum concentration in the weld metal was low, the
aluminum layer on the weld bead surface was not observed, and thick oxide film was
formed on the weld bead. The oxide film was partially peeled off when touched.
Therefore, it was not possible to obtain the adhesiveness of a coat even when coating
was performed in the above-described state (No. 1). In addition, the same test was
performed on the steel sheet having a plate coated only on one surface in an amount of
20 gr/m . As a result, as expected, the average aluminum concentration in the weld
metal was low, the aluminum layer on the weld bead surface was not clear, and a thick
oxide film was formed on the weld bead surface in the hot stamping process (No. 2).
Therefore, as a result of selecting a variety of plate coating weight or sheet
thicknesses of the steel sheets, and performing tests in which the average aluminum
concentrations in the weld metal are individually prepared, it was confirmed that, when
- 38 -
the average aluminum concentration in the weld metal was 0.3 mass% or more, in the
hot stamping process, it was possible to avoid the formation of a thick oxide film (Nos.
3 to 5, 9,11, 12, and 14). In the above-described steel sheets, Al-concentrated layers
were formed so as to cover the weld bead surfaces due to aluminum in the plates. It
is considered that the Al-concentrated layers formed a dense oxide film on the weld
bead surface during the hot stamping in synchronization with the selective oxidization
of aluminum melted into the weld metal, and suppressed the formation of a thick oxide
film.
On the other hand, when the average aluminum concentration in the weld
metal became too high, the hardenability of the weld metal was lost, and the hotstamped
member fractured at the weld metal in the tensile test after the hot stamping
(No. 7). When the plate coating weight became great, or the steel sheet thickness
became thin, and thus the average Al concentration in the weld metal became high, at
the heating temperature in the hot stamping process, the metallographic structure could
not fully transform into austenite, and the weld metal was not sufficiently quenched.
In addition, it could be confirmed that, when the AC3 point defined by the abovedescribed
formula (1) was higher than 1250°C, austenite was not generated during the
cooling process after the laser welding, and the weld metal was not quenched.
Therefore, the product of the hardness of the weld metal and the thickness of the
thinnest portion in the weld metal became smaller than the product of the hardness of
the low-strength-side base metal and the sheet thickness, the hot-stamped member
fractured at the weld metal in the tensile test after the hot stamping (Nos. 6, 7, and 13).
In addition, when the thickness of the weld metal became too small compared
with the sheet thickness of the base metal steel sheet, the strength of the welded joint
portion was decreased, and the hot-stamped member fractured at the weld metal in the
- 39 -
tensile test after the hot stamping (No. 13).
In addition, Nos. 9 and 10 are examples in which the thickness of the weld
metal was adjusted by supplying a solid wire (YGW12) having a diameter of 0.9 mm
during the welding to ensure the thickness of the weld metal. The feeding speeds
were set to two types, that is, the same as the welding rate and double the welding rate.
At the feeding speed that was the same as the welding rate, fracture occurred at the
base metal, and a favorable joint could be obtained (No. 9); however, when the feeding
speed was set to double the welding rate, the bead became high, the base metal in the
vicinity of the weld bead was not quenched, fracture occurred at a low strength
compared with the strength of the base metal (No. 10).
- 40 -
[Example 2]
[0056]
To obtain a tailored blank having different strengths in some parts after hot
stamping, a steel sheet (Steel Type HS) having a tensile strength which reached 1470
MPa or more by hot stamping and a steel sheet (Steel Type 590) having a tensile
strength before hot stamping of 590 MPa were joined through laser welding or plasma
welding. The sheet thicknesses of the used steel sheets were set in a range of 1.0 mm
to 1.8 mm.
At this time, to individually prepare the average aluminum concentrations in
the weld metal, in addition to a steel sheet having no aluminum plate, steel sheets
having aluminum plates coated on both surfaces in an amount of 40 gr/m per surface
and 80 gr/m per surface were produced.
The steel sheets were brought face-to-face each other as shear-cut, the
groove intervals between the steel sheets were adjusted, and then the steel sheets were
welded using fiber laser while supplying a filler metal during the welding.
A laser beam having a focal distance of 300 mm and a light collection optical
system having a light collection spot diameter of 0.6 mm were used, and the defocus
distance was set to 18 mm. Shielding during the welding was performed using a
shield nozzle (with an inner diameter of 6 mm) having the same axis as the laser beam.
with the standoff (the distance between the nozzle tip and the steel sheet surface) set to
10 mm under a condition of the Ar gas flow rate of 3 0 liters/min. The welding rate
and the processing point output were maintained at 4 m/min and 4.5 kW, and the
supply rate of the filler metal was adjusted in accordance with the sheet thickness and
the intervals of the grooves so as to be approximately the same as the sheet thickness.
During butt welding, the groove intervals between the sheets were changed
- 45 -
from 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm, a wire having a diameter of 1.2 mm was supplied as the filler
metal, welding was performed, and the components of the weld metal were adjusted.
As the filler metal, four filler wires, that is, a metal core wire SX-1LD
manufactured by Nippon Steel & Sumikin Welding Co., Ltd., a solid wire YGW12, a
solid wire Filler-A (C: 0.45%, Si: 0.8%, Mn: 1.5%, P: 0.015%, and S: 0.011%) which
was produced at that time for test purposes, and a metal cored wire Filler-B (C: 0.6%,
Si: 0.8%, Mn: 6.0%, P: 0.01%, and S: 0.009%) produced for test purposes were used.
After laser welding, the Al-concentrated layer on the surface was ground and
removed, and the average aluminum concentration in the weld metal was analyzed and
obtained using the sampled weld metal. In addition, to check the qualities of the
welded portion after the laser welding, the cross-section observation of the welded
portion and the measurement of the bead thickness were performed.
After the welding, the obtained tailored blank (blank material) was hotstamped.
The hot stamping was performed by heating the blank material to 900°C
through furnace heating, and inserting the blank material into a die, and a planar sheet
was prepared. After the hot stamping, to check the quenched state by the hot
stamping, the hardness of the low-strength-side base metal portion after the hot
stamping and the hardness of the weld bead portion were measured. In addition, a
tensile test in which a load was applied orthogonally to the weld bead was performed
as the performance evaluations of the hot-stamped members in which the strength was
individually provided in some parts, and a Charpy impact test was performed to
investigate the toughness of the welded portion. In the impact test, the notch location
in a notch test specimen was set in the center of the weld metal. The tensile test was
performed in accordance with JIS 2241: 2011, and the Charpy impact test was
performed in accordance with JIS Z2242: 2005.
- 46 -
The used steel sheets and the results of a variety of measurements performed
after the welding and the hot stamping are described in Tables 3 and 4.
[0057]
The results of the tests performed on Nos. 101 to 121 could be evaluated as
described below.
When the plate coating weight was great, or the sheet thickness of the steel
sheet was thin, the average aluminum concentration in the weld metal became too high.
In a case in which the average aluminum concentration in the weld metal reached 1.5
mass% or more, the hardenability of the weld metal was lost, and the hot-stamped
member fractured at the weld metal in the tensile test (No. 101).
Even in a case in which the average aluminum concentration was suppressed
at less than 1.5 mass%, when the intervals of the grooves were narrow, an increase in
the C content in the weld metal by a flux cored wire was small, and there was a case in
which the AC3 point became high. Therefore, at the heating temperature in the hot
stamping process, the metallographic structure could not fully transform into austenite,
and there was a case in which the weld metal was not sufficiently quenched. It
became clear that, when the AC3 point became higher, the weld metal was not
quenched in laser welding as well. According to tests, when the AC3 point defined by
the above-described formula (1) was higher than 1250°C, the weld metal did not
transform into austenite even during the cooling process after the laser welding, and
the weld metal was not quenched. Therefore, it was confirmed that the hardness of
the weld metal became low compared with the hardness of the base metal, and the hotstamped
member fractured at the weld metal in the tensile test after the hot stamping.
Inaddition, it was also confirmed in the impact test that cracks propagated in the weld
metal and the hot-stamped member fractured at the weld metal (Nos. 102, 112, 115,
- 47 -
and 118).
Therefore, the groove intervals between the steel sheet were set to be great,
and welding was performed by supplying a flux cored wire SX-1LD having a great C
content and a great Mn content. As a result, it was possible to increase the C content
in the weld metal and to decrease the average concentration of AI, and therefore the
weld metal was quenched, the hardness of the weld metal became high compared with
the hardness of the base metal, and it could be confirmed that the hot-stamped member
fractured at the low-strength-side base metal in the tensile test after the hot stamping.
In addition, since the toughness of the weld metal was also sufficient in the impact test,
cracks propagated through the base metal, and the hot-stamped member fractured at
the base metal (Nos. 103 to 106, 109, 113, 114, 116, 117, and 120).
However, when the thickness of the weld metal was too thin compared with
the sheet thickness of the base metal steel sheet, the strength of the welded joint
portion decreased, and the hot-stamped member fractured at the weld metal after hot
stamping (No. 107). When the supply amount of SX-1LD was excessively increased
to prevent the fracture at the weld metal, the thickness of the weld metal became too
thick, the contact between the steel sheet and the die in the vicinity of the welded
portion became poor during the hot stamping, the low-strength-side base metal was not
quenched, and the joint fractured at a lower strength than the strength of the base metal
(No. 108).
Next, the effects of the solid wire YGW12, the solid wire Filler-A produced
for test purposes, in which the C content and the Mn content were increased and,
the metal cored wire Filler-B produced for test purposes in which the C content and the
Mn content were increased so as to be greater than those of SX-1LD, were
investigated.
- 48 -
As a result of performing welding by supplying YGW 12, the AtM value
became shorter than 0.5 seconds, and the weld metal was not sufficiently quenched
during the hot stamping. Therefore, the hardness of the weld metal became low
compared with the hardness of the base metal, and the hot-stamped member fractured
at the weld metal in the tensile test after the hot stamping (No. 110).
As a result of performing welding while supplying the solid wire Filler-A
produced for test purposes, it was possible to increase the C content in the weld metal
and decrease the average concentration of Al. Therefore, the weld metal was
quenched, and the hardness of the weld metal became high compared with the hardness
of the base metal. As a result, the hot-stamped member fractured at the low-strengthside
base metal in the tensile test after the hot stamping. However, in the solid wire,
the oxygen content in the weld metal is at approximately 40 ppm more than the
average value of the base metal, and the toughness of the weld metal became low, and
therefore, in the impact test, cracks propagated in the weld metal, and the hot-stamped
member fractured at the weld metal (No. 111).
As a result of performing welding using the metal cored wire Filler-B
produced for test purposes, in spite of the conditions under which a great content of Al
was incoiporated into the weld metal (the groove intervals of the steel sheet were small,
the sheet thickness of the steel sheet was thin, and the plate thickness was also thick),
the weld metal was quenched, and the hardness of the weld metal became high
compared with the hardness of the base metal. As a result, it could be confirmed that
the hot-stamped member fractured at the low-strength-side base metal in the tensile test
after the hot stamping. In addition, since the metal cored wire was used as the filler
metal, oxygen was incorporated in the weld metal, the toughness of the weld metal
became sufficient, and cracks propagated through the base metal, and the hot-stamped
- 49 -
member fractured at the base metal in the impact test (No. 119).
As a result of performing welding by supplying SX-1LD using plasma
welding instead of laser welding as the welding method, the weld bead width became
as wide as 2 mm or more, and therefore a great Al content was supplied from the steel
sheet plated layer to the weld metal, and the estimated value of the AC3 point was
above 1250°C irrespective of the sufficient groove intervals. As a result, the
metallographic structure did not transform into austenite during the cooling process
after the laser welding, and the weld metal was not quenched. Therefore, the
hardness of the weld metal became small compared with the hardness of the base metal,
and it was confirmed that the hot-stamped member fractured at the weld metal in the
tensile test after the hot stamping (No. 112). However, since the same plasma
welding also decreased the average aluminum concentration of the weld metal, as a
result of performing welding by setting the sheet thickness of the steel sheet to be as
thick as 1.8 mm, setting the plate coating weight to 40 gr/m , and supplying SX-1LD,
the estimated value of the AC3 point was below 1250°C, and the weld metal was
quenched during the cooling process after the laser welding. In addition, since it was
possible to set the thickness of the weld metal in the sheet thickness direction to be
equal to or greater than the sheet thickness of the base metal using the wire, the value
of "the sheet thicknessxfiardness of the weld metal" surely became equal to or greater
than the value of "the sheet thicknessxhardness of the base metal", and it was
confirmed that the hot-stamped member fractured at the base metal after the hot
stamping in the tensile test. Furthermore, it was confirmed that, since the metal cored
wire was used, in the impact test as well, cracks propagated through the base metal,
and the hot-stamped member fractured at the base metal (No. 121).
- 50 -
[Industrial Applicability]
[0060]
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tailored blank
for hot stamping having a high joint strength after hot stamping even when an
aluminum-plated steel sheet is butt-welded without removing a plated layer in a
portion to be welded.
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hotstamped
member having a high joint strength after hot stamping even when a tailored
blank for hot stamping obtained by performing butt welding on an aluminum-plated
steel sheet without removing a plated layer in a portion to be welded is used.
Furthermore, since the surfaces of the weld beads after welding are covered with
aluminum, it is possible to solve the problem of the occurrence of the decarburization
or oxidization of the weld metal during hot stamping or the problem of a member
obtained by hot stamping having poor corrosion resistance after hot stamping.
- 55 -
[Document Type] CLAIMS
[Claim 1]
A tailored blank for hot stamping comprising:
a welded portion formed by butt-welding a first aluminum-plated steel sheet
and a second aluminum-plated steel sheet,
wherein an average Al concentration of a weld metal in the welded portion is
0.3 mass%to 1.5 mass%, in the following formula (1), an AC3 point of the weld metal
defined in unit °C is 1250°C or lower, and
furthermore, an aluminum layer formed during the butt-welding is present on
a surface of the welded portion,
[Expression 1]
Ac 3=9 1 0~2 3 0XC°- S-1 5. 2XNI+44. 7XSI+104
XV+31. BXMo+13, 1XW-3OXMn-11XCr-20XCu
+ 700XP + 4 00XAl + 120XAs + 400XTi • ' * Formuia(l)
where, C, Ni, Si, V, Mo, W, Mn, Cr, Cu, P, Ai, As, and Ti in the formula
represent amounts of individual elements in the weld metal in mass%, and elements
not contained are considered to have an amount of zero in computation.
[Claim 2]
The tailored blank for hot stamping according to Claim 1,
wherein, furthermore, in the following formula (2), AtM defined in unit second
is 0.5 seconds or longer,
[Expression 2]
j i A * i ^ . t f + 5x/fJ Mn Cu Ni Mo Oxfl-O.iexVol AJ*
AtM =exp<10.6 C+- + •— + —-+ — 4 .— + v f+AH
M *' I 24 6 15 12 6 8 , ,
-4.8
Foiling. (2)
- 56 -
where, C, Si, Al, Mn, Cu, Ni, Mo, and Cr in the formula represent amounts of
individual elements in the weld metal in mass%, elements not contained are considered
to have an amount of zero in computation, and AH in the formula represents a numeric
value defined as described below in accordance with the amount of B in mass% and fN
when the fN is set to (0.02-N)/0.02 using the amount of N in the weld metal in mass%,
whenB<0.0001,AH=0,
when 0.0001 +0.060014 xM?xC--0.096628£>xC
+ 0.050625 xCrx Si + 0.39802 x Mo x C - 0.34782 xMoxMn + 0.40986 xMox Si
- 0.12959 x AfoxCr-0.048128 xMxC-0.01090 xiW«2-0.03550 x 5 / 2
+ 0.010207 xC/, 2 + 0.36074 x Mo2 - 0.0030705 x Ni2 )
• • * Formula (3)
where, C, Si, Ni, V, Al, W, Cu, B, S, P, Mn, Cr, and Mo in the formula
represent amounts, in mass%, of individual elements in the weld metal, and elements
- 60 -
not contained are considered to have an amount of zero in computation.
[Claim 10]
The method for manufacturing a tailored blank for hot stamping according to
any one of Claims 7 to 9,
wherein, furthermore, when determining the welding conditions, the welding
conditions are determined so that, when a thickness of a thinnest portion of the weld
metal is represented by t in unit mm, a sheet thickness of the first aluminum-plated
steel sheet is represented by tl in unit mm, and a sheet thickness of the second
aluminum-plated steel sheet is represented by t2 in unit mm,
in a case in which the tl is equal to the t2, the t is 80% or more of the t l ; and
in a case in which the tl is different from the t2, the t is 80% or more of smaller of the
tl and the t2.
[Claim 11]
The method for manufacturing a tailored blank for hot stamping according to
any one of Claims 7 to 10, furthermore, when determining the welding conditions,
wherein the welding conditions are determined so that, in a case in which the
ti that is the sheet thickness of the first aluminum-plated steel sheet is equal to the t2
that is the sheet thickness of the second aluminum-plated steel sheet, a maximum
height of the weld metal is 300 um or shorter from an extended line of a surface of the
first aluminum-plated steel sheet; and in a case in which the tl is different from the t2,
a maximum height of the weld metal is 300 um or shorter from an extended line of a
surface of thicker of the first aluminum-plated steel sheet and the second aluminumplated
steel sheet.
[Claim 12]
The method for manufacturing a tailored blank for hot stamping according to
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any one of Claims 7 to 11,
wherein, when determining the welding conditions, the welding conditions are
determined so that an oxygen content in the weld metal is 50 ppm or more higher than
an average oxygen content in a steel sheet that is a base material for plating of the first
aluminum-plated steel sheet and the second aluminum-plated steel sheet.
[Claim 13]
The method for manufacturing a tailored blank for hot stamping according to
any one of Claims 7 to 12,
wherein the butt welding is any one of laser welding, electron beam welding,
and plasma welding.
[Claim 14]
The method for manufacturing a tailored blank for hot stamping according to
any one of Claims 7 to 13,
wherein the butt welding is laser welding performed while supplying a filler
wire.
[Claim 15]
A hot-stamped member obtained by performing hot stamping on the tailored
blank for hot stamping according to any one of Claims 1 to 6,
wherein a product of a hardness of the weld metal and a thickness of a
thinnest portion of the weld metal is greater than both a product of a hardness of the
first aluminum-plated steel sheet and a sheet thickness of the first aluminum-plated
steel sheet and a product of a hardness of the second aluminum-plated steel sheet and a
sheet thickness of the aluminum-plated steel sheet.
[Claim 16]
A method for manufacturing a hot-stamped member including performing hot
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stamping on the tailored blank for hot stamping according to any one of Claims 1 to 6,
wherein, after the hot stamping, a product of a hardness of the weld metal and
a thickness of a thinnest portion of the weld metal is set to be greater than both a
product of a hardness of the first aluminum-plated steel sheet and a sheet thickness of
the first aluminum-plated steel sheet and a product of a hardness of the second
aluminum-plated steel sheet and a sheet thickness of the aluminum-plated steel sheet.