A Study on Hot Stamping of Tailor Welded Blanks

CSME 2022/10
Volume 43 No.5 : 431-440

A Study on Hot Stamping of Tailor Welded Blanks

Chien-Hsing Lee^a, Ching-Hua Hung^a, Ping-Kun Lee^b, Cheng- Kai ChiuHuang^b and Fuh-Kuo Chen^c
^aDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University,Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan, ROC
^bIron & Steel Research & Development Department, China Steel Corporation,No. 1, Chung Kang Rd., Kaohsiung 81233, Taiwan, ROC
^cDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University,No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC

Abstract: The automotive industry is constantly seeking toreduce the weight of vehicles without compromisingsafety. Effectively resisting side crashes requires thatthe B-pillars in automobiles possess high energyabsorption capacity in their base area while retainingthe martensitic structure to prevent deformation in theupper area. This has led to the development of tailorwelded blanks (TWBs), in which a single automobilestructural panel possesses a variety of mechanicalproperties. This study involved a series of experimentson the hot stamping of tailor welded blanks, includingU-hat-shaped specimens and half-section B-pillars. Inexperiments, three-point bending tests revealed thatthe energy absorption capacity of the TWB test pieceswas directly proportional to the strength of the constituentmaterials. It was also determined that it is possibleto fabricate low-weight TWBs comprising highstrengthand low-strength materials to guide structuralparts' resistance and deformation behavior to achievethe characteristics required for crashworthiness.

Keywords: hot stamping, tailor welded blank, U- hatshaped specimen, three-point bending test, half-section B-pillar, energy absorption

Download PDF

*Corresponding author; e-mail:

TOP