Press Hardened Steels

1stGen AHSS, AHSS, Press Hardened Steels, Steel Grades

Introduction
PHS Grades with Tensile Strength Approximately 1500 MPa
Grades with Higher Ductility
PHS Grades Over 1500 MPa
Other Steels for Press Hardening Process
Stainless steels
Medium-Mn steels
Composite steels

Introduction
Press hardening steels are typically carbon-manganese-boron alloyed steels. They are also com
Press Hardening Steels (PHS)
Hot Press Forming Steels (HPF), a term more common in Asia
Boron Steel: although the name may also refer to other steels, in automotive industry boron ste
Hot Formed Steel (HF), a term more common in Europe.
The most common PHS grade is PHS1500. In Europe, this grade is commonly referred to as 22
As received, it has ferritic-pearlitic microstructure and a yield strength between 300-600 MPa de
The tensile strength of as received steel can be expected to be between 450 and 750 MPa.
Total elongation must be over a minimum of 12% (A80), but depending on coating type and thic
Thus, the grade can be cold formed to relatively complex geometries using certain methods and
When hardened, it has a minimum yield strength of 950 MPa and tensile strength typically arou
Figure 1.B-14  Some companies describe them with their yield and tensile strength levels, such
It is also common in Europe to see this steel as PHS950Y1300T, and thus aiming for a minimum
The PHS1500 name may also be used for the Zn-coated 20MnB8 or air hardenable 22MnSiB9-
The former is known as “direct forming with pre-cooling steel” and could be abbreviated as CR1
The latter grade is known as “multi-step hot forming steel” and could be abbreviated as, CR1500T-MS, P
Figure 1: Stress-Strain Curves of PHS1500 before and after quenching* (re-created after Citations U-9, O-8, B

In the last decade, several steel makers introduced grades with higher carbon levels, leading to

Lastly, there are higher energy absorbing, lower strength grades, which have improved ductility
Apart from these grades, other grades are suitable for press hardening. Several research groups and ste

Figure 2: Stress-strain curves of several PQS and PHS grades used in automotive industry, after hot stampin

PHS Grades with Tensile Strength Approximately

Hot stamping as we know it today was developed in 1970s in Sweden. The most used steel sin
The automotive use of this steel started in 1984 with door beams. Until 2001, the automotive us
Although some steel makers claim 22MnB5 as a standard material, it is not listed in any interna

Table 1: Chemical composition limits for 22MnB5 (listed in wt.%).S-64, V-9

VDA239-500, a draft material recommendation from Verband Der Automotbilindustrie E.V. (VD
For 22MnB5 to reach its high strength after quenching, it must be austenitized first. During heat

Figure 3: Continuous Cooling Transformation (CCT) curve for 22MnB5 (Published in Citation B-19, re-created

Once the parts are hot stamped and quenched over the critical cooling rate, they typically have a yield s
Once automotive parts are stamped, they are then joined to the car body in body shop. The fully assem
In Figure 4, press hardened 22MnB5 is shown in the red curve. In this particular example, the p
Figure 4: Bake hardening effect on press hardened 22MnB5. BH0 is shown since there is no cold deform

There are two modified versions of the 22MnB5 recently offered by several steel makers: 20Mn

Table 2: Chemical compositions of PHS grades with 1500 MPa tensile strength (all listed in wt.%).V-9

Both of these relatively recent grades are designed for Zn-based coatings and are designed for
20MnB8 has been designed for a “direct process with pre-cooling”. The main idea is to solidify the Zn co
22MnSiB9-5 has been developed for a transfer press process, named as “multi-step”. As quenc

Figure 5: Engineering stress-strain curves of 1500 MPa level grades (re-created after Citations B-18, G-29, K-
Figure 6: Critical cooling rates of 1500 MPa level press hardening steels (re-created after Citations K-22, H-3

Grades with Higher Ductility

Press hardened parts are extremely strong, but cannot absorb much energy. Thus, they are mo
450–600 MPa tensile strength level and >15% total elongation, listed as PQS450 and PQS550.
1000–1300 MPa tensile strength level and >5% total elongation, listed as PHS1000 and PHS12
Figure 7: Stress-strain curves of several PQS and PHS grades used in automotive industry, after hot stampin

Currently none of these grades are standardized. Most steel producers have their own nominat

Table 3: Summary of Higher Ductility grades. The terminology descriptions are not standardized. Higher Duc

PQS grades have been under development at least since 2002. In the earliest studies, PQS 12

Figure 8: Earliest energy absorbing hot stamped B-pillars: (A) Audi A4 (2008-2016) had a laser welded tailore

A 2012 studyK-25 showed that a laser welded tailored B-Pillar with 340 MPa yield strength HSL
Figure 9: Energy absorbing capacity of B-pillars increase significantly with soft zones or laser welded tail

PQS grades have been in use at latest since 2014. One of the earliest cars to announce using PQS450 wa
1. Fiat 500X: Patchwork supported, laser welded tailored rear side member with PQS450 in crush zones
2. Fiat Tipo (Hatchback and Station Wagon versions): similar rear side member with PQS450B-14,
3. Renault Scenic 3: laser welded tailored B-pillar with PQS550 in the lower sectionF-19,
4. Chrysler Pacifica: five-piece front door ring with PQS550 in the lower section of the B-Pillar areaT-29,
5. Chrysler Ram: six-piece front door ring with PQS550 in the lower section of the B-Pillar area.R-3

Figure 10: Use of laser welded tailored PQS-PHS grades in 2nd generation Volvo XC90 (re-created after C

Several car makers use PQS grades to facilitate joining of components. The B-Pillar of the 

Figure 11: Recent PQS applications: (a) 2018 Jaguar I-PACE uses a patchwork B-pillar with PQS450 master b
PHS Grades over 1500 MPa
The most commonly used press hardening steels have 1500 MPa tensile strength, but are not t

Figure 12: PHS grades over 1500 MPa tensile strength, compared with the common PHS1500 (re-created afte

Mazda Motor Corporation was the first vehicle manufacturer to use higher strength boron steels

Figure 13: Bumper beam reinforcements of Mazda CX-5 (SOP 2011) are the first automotive application
Figure 14: Performance comparison of bumper beams with PHS1500 and PHS1800.H-33

MBW 1900 is the commercial name for a press hardening steel with 1900 MPa tensile strength

Figure 15: Underbody of VW ID3 (part of MEB platform).L-31

USIBOR 2000 is the commercial name given to a steel grade similar to 37MnB4 with an AlSi co
HPF 2000, another commercial name, is used in a number of component-based examples, and
General Motors China, together with several still mills across the country, have developed two n
Table 4: Chemical compositions of higher strength PHS grades. “0” means it is known that there is no alloyi

Table 5: Mechanical properties of higher strength PHS grades. “~” is used for typical values; otherwise, min

Other Steels for Press Hardening Process

In recent years, many new steel grades are under evaluation for use with the press hardening p
1. Stainless steels
2. Medium-Mn steels
3. Composite steels

Stainless Steels
Studies of press hardening of stainless steels primarily focus on martensitic grades (i.e., AISI S
1. better corrosion resistanceM-37,
2. potentially higher heating rates (i.e., induction heating) F-30,
3. possibility of air hardening – allowing the multi-step process — as seen in Figure 17a 
4. high cold formability – allowing indirect process – as seen in Figure 17b.M-37
Disadvantages include (a) higher material cost, and (b) higher furnace temperature (up to aroun
Figure 16: Tensile strength and total elongation variation with temperature of (a) PHS1500 = 22MnB5M-38 an

Figure 17: (a) Critical cooling rate comparison of 22MnB5 and AISI SS410 (re-created after Citation H-42), (b)

Final mechanical properties of stainless steels after press hardening process are typically supe
Figure 18: Engineering Stress-Strain curves of press hardened stainless steels, compared with 22MnB5 (re-c

Table 6: Summary of mechanical properties of press hardenable stainless steel grades. Typical values are in

Medium-Mn Steels
Medium-Mn steels typically contain 3 to 12 weight-% manganese alloying.D-27, H-30
1. Austenitization temperature may be significantly lower than compared to 22MnB5, as indicate
2. Martensitic transformation can occur at low cooling rates. Simpler dies could be used with les
3. Some retained austenite may be present at the final part, which can enhance the elongation,

Figure 19: Effect of Mn content on equilibrium transformation temperatures (re-created after Citations H-30, 

The change in transformation temperatures with Mn-alloying was calculated using ThermoCalc
A study in the EU showed that if the maximum furnace temperature is 930 °C, which is common for 22M
Figure 20: Effect of maximum furnace set temperature (at the highest temperature furnace zone) on na

Lower heating temperature of medium-Mn steels may also help reducing the liquid-metal embrittlemen
Medium-Mn steels may have high yield-point elongation (YPE), with reports of more than 5% af
1. differences in the chemistry,
2. thermomechanical history of the sheet prior to hot stamping,
3. heating rate, heating temperature and soaking time, and
4. cooling rate.S-80
Figure 21: Engineering Stress-Strain curves of several press hardened medium-Mn steels, compared with 22

Table 7: Summary of mechanical properties of press hardenable Medium-Mn grades shown in Figure 18. Typ

Composite Steels
TriBond ® is the name given to a family of steel composites.T-32 Here, three slabs (one core material (6
The original design was optimized for hot stamping.B-14 The core material, where bending stra

Figure 22: Sample microsections of the conventional hot stamping grade PHS1500+AS, the high strength co
Total elongation of the composite steel is not improved, compared to PHS1500, as shown in Fig

Figure 23: Engineering Stress-Strain curves of core layer, outer layer and the composite steel (re-created

Table 8: Summary of composite steels and comparison with conventional PHS and PQS grades. Typical v
* Graphs in this article are for information purposes only. Production materials may have differe
steels. They are also commonly known as:

motive industry boron steel is typically used for PHS

mmonly referred to as 22MnB5 or 1.5528.

etween 300-600 MPa depending on the cold working.
n 450 and 750 MPa.
on coating type and thickness may well exceed 18% (A80), see Figure 1*.
sing certain methods and coatings.
e strength typically around 1300-1650 MPa,
sile strength levels, such as PHS950Y1500T.
hus aiming for a minimum tensile strength of 1300 MPa after quenching.
r hardenable 22MnSiB9-5 grades.
d be abbreviated as CR1500T-PS, PHS1500PS, PHSPS950Y1300T or similar.
eviated as, CR1500T-MS, PHS1500MS, PHSMS950Y1300T or similar.V-9
ed after Citations U-9, O-8, B-18).

carbon levels, leading to a tensile strength between 1800 MPa and 2000 MPa.  Hydrogen induced cracking (HIC)

h have improved ductility and bendability. These fall into two main groups: Press Quenched Steels (PQS) with approximate tens
ral research groups and steel makers have offered special stainless-steel grades and recently developed Medium-Mn steels for hot stampin

e industry, after hot stamping for full hardening* (re-created after Citations B-18, L-28, Z-7, Y-12, W-28, F-19, G-30).

pproximately 1500 MPa

The most used steel since then has been 22MnB5 with slight modifications. 22MnB5 means, approximately 0.22 wt-% C, appro
2001, the automotive use of hot stamped components was limited to door and bumper beams, made from uncoated 22MnB5
s not listed in any international or regional (i.e., European, Asian, or American) standard. Only a similar 20MnB5 is listed in EN 1

motbilindustrie E.V. (VDA), is an attempt to further standardize hot stamping materials. The document has not been published a
enitized first. During heating, ferrite begins to transform to austenite at “lower transformation temperature” known as Ac1. The te

d in Citation B-19, re-created after Citations M-25, V-10).

hey typically have a yield strength of 950-1200 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength between 1300 and 1700 MPa. Their hardness level is
body shop. The fully assembled body known as the Body-in-White (BIW) with doors and closures, is then moved to the paint shop. Once th
particular example, the proof strength was found to be approximately 1180 MPa. After processing through the standard 170 °C
nce there is no cold deformation pre-strain. (re-created after Citation  B-18).

eral steel makers: 20MnB8 and 22MnSiB9-5. Both grades have higher Mn and Si compared to 22MnB5, as shown in Table 2.

h (all listed in wt.%).V-9

ngs and are designed for different process routes. For these reasons, many existing hot stamping lines would require some mod
idea is to solidify the Zn coating before forming, eliminating the possibility that liquid zine fills in the micro-cracks on the formed base met
as “multi-step”. As quenched, the material has similar mechanical properties with 22MnB5 (Figure 5). As of 2020, there is at lea

after Citations B-18, G-29, K-22)
ted after Citations K-22, H-31, H-27)

nergy. Thus, they are mostly used where intrusion resistance is required. However, newer materials for hot stamping have been
s PQS450 and PQS550.
as PHS1000 and PHS1200.
e industry, after hot stamping for full hardening* (re-created after Citations B-18, Y-12).

have their own nomination and standard, as summarized in Table 3. There is a working document by German Association of A

ot standardized. Higher Ductility grade names are based on their properties and terminology is derived from a possible chemistry or OEM descr

earliest studies, PQS 1200 was planned.R-11  Between 2007 and 2009, three new cars were introduced in Europe, having imp

6) had a laser welded tailored blank with HSLA material; (B) VW Tiguan (2007-2015) and (C) Audi A5 Sportback (2009-2016) had soft zones in the

0 MPa yield strength HSLA and 22MnB5 had the best energy absorbing capacity in drop tower tests, compared to a tailored (pa
 zones or laser welded tailored blank with ductile material (re-created after Citation  K-25).

announce using PQS450 was VolvoXC90. There are six components (three right + three left), tailor welded blanks with PQS450, as shown F
with PQS450 in crush zonesD-23,
er with PQS450B-14,

on of the B-Pillar areaT-29, and

the B-Pillar area.R-3

vo XC90 (re-created after Citation L-29).

. The B-Pillar of the Jaguar I-PACE electric SUV is made of PQS450, with a PHS1500 patch that is spot welded before hot stam

-pillar with PQS450 master blank and PHS1500 patchB-21, (b) 2014 Mercedes C-Class has a number of PQS550 components that are not laser we
ile strength, but are not the only optionsR-11, with 4 levels between 1700 and 2000 MPa tensile strength available or in develop

on PHS1500 (re-created after Citations B-18, W-28, Z-7, L-30, L-28, B-14).

her strength boron steels, with the 2011 CX-5 using 1,800MPa tensile strength reinforcements in front and rear bumpers, Figur

rst automotive applications of higher strength boron steels.M-28

00 MPa tensile strength. An MBW 1900 B-pillar with correct properties can save 22% weight compared to DP 600 and yet may

37MnB4 with an AlSi coating. Final properties are expected only after paint baking cycle, and the parts made with this grade m
nt-based examples, and also in the Renault EOLAB concept car.L-28, R-12  An 1800 MPa grade is under development.
ry, have developed two new PHS grades: PHS 1700 (20MnCr) and PHS2000 (34MnBV). 20MnCr uses Cr alloying to improve h
known that there is no alloying element, while “-” means there is no information. “~” is used for typical values; otherwise, minimum or maximum

pical values; otherwise, minimum or maximum are given. Superscript PB means after paint bake cycle. The terminology descriptions are not sta

ocess
th the press hardening process. Few, if any, have reached mass production, and are instead in the research and development

nsitic grades (i.e., AISI SS400 series).M-36, H-42, B-40, M-37, F-30  As seen in Figure 16, martensitic stainless steels may hav

en in Figure 17a H-42,

temperature (up to around 1050-1150 °C).M-37, F-30  As of 2020, there are two commercially available stainless steel grades
PHS1500 = 22MnB5M-38 and (b) martensitic stainless steel.M-36

ated after Citation H-42), (b) Room temperature forming limit curve comparison of DP600 and modified AISI SS410 (re-created after Citation M-37

ocess are typically superior to 22MnB5, in terms of elongation and energy absorbing capacity. Figure 18 illustrates engineering
compared with 22MnB5 (re-created after Citations B-40, M-37, F-30, B-41).

grades. Typical values are indicated with “~”. (Table generated from Citations B-40, M-37, F-30.)

ng.D-27, H-30, S-80, R-16, K-35  Although these steels were originally designed for cold stamping applications, there are nume
d to 22MnB5, as indicated in Figure 19.H-30, S-80  Thus, using medium-Mn steels may save energy in heating process.
es could be used with less or no cooling channels. In some grades, air hardening may be possible. Thus, multi-step process co
enhance the elongation, through the TRIP effect. This, in turn, improves toughness significantly.S-80, B-14

reated after Citations H-30, B-14)

lated using ThermoCalc software.H-30  As seen in Figure 19, as Mn alloying is increased, austenitization temperatures are low
, which is common for 22MnB5, natural gas consumption will be around 32 m3/hr. In the study, two new medium-Mn steels were develop
rature furnace zone) on natural gas consumption (raw data from Citation  M-39)

liquid-metal embrittlement risk of Zn-coated blanks. It also may reduce oxidation and decarburization of uncoated blanks.S-80
ports of more than 5% after hot stamping. Mechanical properties may be sensitive to small changes in temperature profile. As s
Mn steels, compared with 22MnB5. See Table 7 for an explanation of each tested material (re-created after Citations S-80,L-37, W-30, L-38).

des shown in Figure 18. Typical values are indicated with “~”. Toughness is calculated as the area under the engineering stress-strain curve. Ite

slabs (one core material (60 to 80% of the thickness) and two cladding layers) are surface prepared, stacked on top of each other, and wel
erial, where bending strains are lower than the outer layers, is made from generic 22MnB5 (PHS1500). Outer layers are made w

00+AS, the high strength composite Tribond® 1400 and the high energy absorbing composite Tribond® 1200. The Tribond® 1200 microsection i
HS1500, as shown in Figure 23. The main advantage of the composite steels is their higher bendability, as seen in Table 8. Cra

composite steel (re-created after Citation  P-26).

S and PQS grades. Typical values are indicated with “~”. (Table re-created after Citation  B-14).
aterials may have different curves. Consult the Certified Mill Test Report and/or characterize your current material with an appro
cking (HIC) and weldability limit applications of PHS1800, PHS1900 and PHS2000, with studies underway to develop practices

S) with approximate tensile strength levels of 450 MPa and 550 MPa (noted as PQS450 and PQS550 in Figure 2) and higher d
m-Mn steels for hot stamping purposes. Also, one steel maker in Europe has developed a sandwich material by cladding PHS1500 with thin

ately 0.22 wt-% C, approximately (5/4) = 1.25% wt-% Mn, and B alloying.
rom uncoated 22MnB5, in the fully hardened condition. By the end of the 1990s, Type 1 aluminized coating was developed to a
 20MnB5 is listed in EN 10083-3.T-26, E-3  The acceptable range of chemical composition for 22MnB5 is given in Table 1.

has not been published as of early 2021. According to this draft standard, 22MnB5 may be delivered coated or uncoated, hot o
re” known as Ac1. The temperature at which the ferrite-to-austenite transformation is complete is called “upper transformation t

MPa. Their hardness level is typically between 470 and 510 HV, depending on the testing methods.B-14
to the paint shop. Once the car is coated and painted, the BIW passes through a furnace to cure the paint. The time and temperature for
ugh the standard 170 °C – 20 minutes bake hardening cycle, the proof strength increases to 1280 MPa (shown in the black curv
5, as shown in Table 2.

would require some modifications to accommodate these grades.

ks on the formed base metal surface, which in turn eliminates the risk of Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME). The chemistry is modified suc
s of 2020, there is at least one automotive part mass produced with this technology and is applied to a compact car in German
hot stamping have been developed which have higher elongation (ductility) compared to the most common 22MnB5. These m
German Association of Automotive Industry (Verband der Automobilindustrie, VDA), which only specifies one of the PQS grade

ble chemistry or OEM description. The properties listed here encompass those presented in multiple sources and may or may not be associated

ed in Europe, having improved “energy absorbing” capacity in their hot stamped components. VW Tiguan (2007-2016) and Aud

-2016) had soft zones in their B-pillars (re-created after Citations H-32, B-20, D-22).

mpared to a tailored (part with a ductile soft-zone) or a monolithic part, Figure 9. As HSLA is not designed for hot stamping, mo
s with PQS450, as shown Figure 10.L-29  Since then, many carmakers started to use PQS450 or PQS550 in their car bodies. These include:

ot welded before hot stamping, creating the patchwork blank shown in Figure 11A.B-21  Early PQS applications involved a lase

onents that are not laser welded to PHS1500.K-26 

th available or in development as shown in Figure 12. Hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) and weldability problems limit widespre

and rear bumpers, Figure 13. According to Mazda, the new material saved 4.8 kg per vehicle. The chemistry of the steel is Nb m
d to DP 600 and yet may cost 9% less than the original Dual-Phase design.H-34   Ford had also demonstrated that by using MB

s made with this grade may be brittle before paint bake.B-32  In June 2020, Chinese Great Wall Motors started using USIBOR
der development.P-22  Docol PHS 1800, a commercial grade approximating 30MnB5, has been in production, with Docol PHS
Cr alloying to improve hardenability and oxidation resistance. This grade can be hot formed without a coating. The furnace has
wise, minimum or maximum are given. The terminology descriptions are not standardized. PQS names are based on their properties and grade n

ogy descriptions are not standardized. PQS names are based on their properties and grade names are derived from a possible chemistry or OEM

earch and development phase. These grades include:

stainless steels may have higher formability at elevated temperatures, compared to PHS1500 (22MnB5). Other advantages of

e stainless steel grades specifically developed for press hardening process.

e-created after Citation M-37).

18 illustrates engineering stress-strain curves of the commercially available grades (1.6065 and 1.4064), and compares them w
 lications, there are numerous studies related to using them in the press hardening process as well.H-30  Several advantages o
n heating process.M-39 Lower heating temperature may also help reducing the liquid-metal embrittlement risk of Zn-coated blan
s, multi-step process could be employed.S-80, B-14
 on temperatures are lowered.H-30 For typical 22MnB5 stamping containing 1.1 to 1.5 % Mn, furnace temperature is typically se
um-Mn steels were developed, one with 3 wt.% Mn and the other with 5 wt% Mn. These grades had lower austenitization temperature, an
ted blanks.S-80
temperature profile. As seen in Figure 21, all studies with medium-Mn steel have a unique stress-strain curve after press harde
-80,L-37, W-30, L-38).

ering stress-strain curve. Items 4 and 5 also were annealed at different temperatures and therefore have different thermomechanical history. Not

top of each other, and welded around the edges. The stack is hot rolled to thickness. Cold rolling could also be applied. Initially, TriBond ®
Outer layers are made with PQS450. The stack is cold rolled, annealed and AlSi coated.Z-9 Two grades are developed, differi

ibond® 1200 microsection is experimental and is taken from Citation R-14. The other two images are renditions created by the author for explan
y, as seen in Table 8. Crashboxes, front and rear rails, seat crossmembers and similar components experience axial crush load
nt material with an appropriate test (such as a tensile, bending, hole expansion, or crash test) test to get the material data perta
way to develop practices which minimize or eliminate these limitations.

n Figure 2) and higher ductility PHS grades with approximate tensile strength levels of 1000 and 1200 MPa (shown as PHS100
ladding PHS1500 with thin PQS450 layers on both sides.

ating was developed to address scale formation. Since then, 22MnB5 + AlSi coating has been used extensively.B-14
 is given in Table 1.S-64, V-9

oated or uncoated, hot or cold rolled. Depending on these parameters, as-delivered mechanical properties may differ significan
d “upper transformation temperature,” abbreviated as Ac3. Both Ac1  and Ac3 are dependent on the heating rate and the exact c

time and temperature for this operation is called the paint bake cycle. Although the temperature and duration may be different from plan
(shown in the black curve). B-18  Most studies show a bake hardening increase of 100 MPa or more with press hardened 22M
chemistry is modified such that the phase transformations occur later than 22MnB5. The critical cooling rate of 20MnB8 is approximately
compact car in Germany. G-27  Although the critical cooling rate is listed as 5 °C/s, even at a cooling rate of 1 °C/s, hardness o
mmon 22MnB5. These materials can be used in parts where energy absorption is required. These higher energy absorbing, low
es one of the PQS grades. In the draft standard, VDA239-500, PQS450 is listed as CR500T-LA (Cold Rolled, 500 MPa Tensile

ay or may not be associated with any one specific commercial grade.Y-12, T-28, G-32

an (2007-2016) and Audi A5 Sportback (2009-2016) had soft zones in their B-pillars (Figure 8B and C). Intentionally reducing th

ned for hot stamping, most HSLA grades may have very high scatter in the final properties after hot stamping depending on the
ar bodies. These include:

plications involved a laser welded tailored blank with PHS 1500. Since 2014, Mercedes hot stamped PQS550 blanks not combin
y problems limit widespread use in automotive applications, with studies underway to develop practices which minimize or elimi

mistry of the steel is Nb modified 30MnB5.H-33, M-28  Figure 14 shows the comparison of bumper beams with PHS1500 and P
nstrated that by using MBW 1900 instead of PHS 1500, a further 15% weight could be saved.L-30  Since 2019, VW’s electric ve

s started using USIBOR 2000 in the Haval H6 SUV.V-12

duction, with Docol PHS 2000 in development.S-66  PHS-Ultraform 2000, a commercial name for a Zn (GI) coated blank
coating. The furnace has to be conditioned with N2  gas. The final part has high corrosion resistance, approximately 9% total el
their properties and grade names are derived from a possible chemistry or OEM description. The properties listed here encompass those presen

possible chemistry or OEM description. The properties listed here encompass those presented in multiple sources and may or may not be asso

5). Other advantages of stainless steels are:

), and compares them with the 22MnB5 and a duplex stainless steel (Austenite + Martensite after press hardening). These grad
 0  Several advantages of medium-Mn steels in press hardening are:
ent risk of Zn-coated blanks. It also may reduce oxidation and decarburization of uncoated blanks.S-80
emperature is typically set at 930 °C in mass production. The multi-step material 22MnSiB9-5 has slightly higher Mn levels (2.0
enitization temperature, and the maximum furnace set temperature could be reduced to 808 °C and 785 °C, respectively. Experimental da
curve after press hardening. This can be explained by:
rmomechanical history. Note that these grades are not commercially available.L-38, W-30, L-37, S-80

pplied. Initially, TriBond ® was designed for wear-resistant cladding and ductile core materials.
es are developed, differing by the thickness distribution between the layers, as shown in Figure 22.R-14

ed by the author for explanation purposes. (re-created after Citations R-14, R-15)

perience axial crush loading in the event of a crash. In axial crush, Tribond® 1200 saved 15% weight compared to DP780 (CR4
et the material data pertaining to your current stock.
MPa (shown as PHS1000 and PHS1200 in Figure 2).

tensively.B-14
ties may differ significantly. Steels for the  indirect process, for example, has to have a higher elongation to ensure cold formabi
ating rate and the exact chemical composition of the alloy in question. The upper transformation temperature for 22MnB5 is app

may be different from plant to plant, it is typically close to 170 °C for 20 minutes. Most automotive body components made from cold or h
ith press hardened 22MnB5 in industrial conditions.B-18, J-17, C-17
f 20MnB8 is approximately 10 °C/s. This allows the part to be transferred from the pre-cooling stage to the forming die. As press hardened
ate of 1 °C/s, hardness over 450HV can be achieved, as shown in Figure 6.H-27  This allows the material to be “air-hardenable
er energy absorbing, lower strength grades fall into two groups, as shown in Figure 7. Those at the lower strength level are com
Rolled, 500 MPa Tensile strength, Low Alloyed). Similarly, PQS550 is listed as CR600T-LA.V-9  Some OEMs may prefer to nam

Intentionally reducing the cooling rate in these soft zone areas produces microstructures having higher elongations

mping depending on the local cooling rate. Although the overall part may be cooled at an average 40 to 60 °C/s, at local spots
QS550 blanks not combined with PHS1500. Figure 11B shows such components on the Mercedes C-Class.K-26
which minimize or eliminate these limitations.

ms with PHS1500 and PHS1800. With the higher strength material, it was possible to save 12.5% weight with equal performan
ce 2019, VW’s electric vehicle ID.3 has two seat crossbeams made of MBW 1900 steel, as seen in Figure 15.L-31

(GI) coated blank, is suited for the indirect process.V-11

pproximately 9% total elongation (see Figure 12) and high bendability (see Table 4). 34MnBV on the other hand, has a thin AlS
ere encompass those presented in multiple sources and may or may not be associated with any one specific commercial grade.W-28, B-32, H-33,

and may or may not be associated with any one specific commercial grade.W-28, B-32, H-33, G-33, L-28, S-67, S-66, Y-12
s hardening). These grades may also have  bake hardening effect, abbreviated as BH0, as there will be no cold deformation.
tly higher Mn levels (2.0 to 2.4 %), so the furnace temperature could be reduced to 890 °C. As also indicated in Table 7, the fur
pectively. Experimental data shows that at 808 °C natural gas consumption was reduced to 19 m3/hr, and at 785 °C to 17 m3/hr.M-39   In
ompared to DP780 (CR440Y780T-DP). The bending loading mode effects B-pillars, bumper beams, rocker (sill) reinforcements
n to ensure cold formability.V-9 Figure 1 shows generic stress-strain curves, which may vary significantly depending on the coa
rature for 22MnB5 is approximately 835-890 °C.D-21, H-30Austenite transforms to other microstructures as the steel is cooled.

nents made from cold or hot formed steels and some aluminum grades may experience an increase in their yield strength after  paint bak
ing die. As press hardened, the material has approximately 1000-1050 MPa yield strength and 1500 MPa tensile strength. Once bake hard
rial to be “air-hardenable” and thus, can handle a transfer press operation (hence the name multi-step) in a servo press. This m
er strength level are commonly referred to as “Press Quenched Steels” (PQS). The products having higher strength in Figure 7
OEMs may prefer to name these grades with respect to their yield and tensile strength together, as listed in Table 3.

r elongations. In the Audi A4 (2008-2016) a total of three laser welded tailored blanks were hot stamped. The soft areas of the

o 60 °C/s, at local spots the cooling rate may be over 80 °C/s. PQS grades are developed to have stable mechanical properties
ght with equal performance.H-33
ure 15.L-31  The components are part of MEB platform (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten – modular electric-drive toolkit) and m

ther hand, has a thin AlSi coating (20g/m2 on each side). Compared with the typical thickness of AlSi coatings, thinner coatings
rcial grade.W-28, B-32, H-33, G-33, L-28, S-67, S-66, Y-12, B-33
no cold deformation.B-40, M-37, F-30
 icated in Table 7, the furnace temperature could be further lowered in hot forming of medium-Mn steels.
5 °C to 17 m3/hr.M-39   In Figure 20, experimental data is plotted with a curve fit. Based on this model, it was estimated that by using 22M
cker (sill) reinforcements, side impact door beams, and similar components during a crash. In this bending mode, Tribond® 140
tly depending on the coating and selected press hardening process.
es as the steel is cooled. The microstructures produced from this transformation depends on the cooling rate, as seen in the co

d strength after  paint baking.

e strength. Once bake hardened (170 °C, 20 minutes), yield strength may exceed 1100 MPa.K-22   This steel may be referred to as PHS950
in a servo press. This material is also available with Zn coating.B-15  This steel may be referred to as PHS950Y1300T-MS (Pr
gher strength in Figure 7 are press hardening steels since they contain boron and do increase in strength from the quenching op
ed in Table 3.

d. The soft areas of the A4 B-pillars were made of HX340LAD+AS (HSLA steel, with AlSi coating, as delivered, min yield streng

le mechanical properties after a conventional hot stamping process, in which high local cooling rates may be possible.
ectric-drive toolkit) and may be used in other VW Group EVs.

oatings, thinner coatings are preferred for bendability (see Table 5).W-28  More information about these oxidation resistant PH
stimated that by using 22MnSiB9-5, furnace gas consumption may be reduced by 15%.
ing mode, Tribond® 1400 saved 8 to 10% weight compared to regular PHS1500. Lightweighting cost with Tribond® 1400 was
g rate, as seen in the continuous-cooling-transformation (CCT) curve in Figure 3. Achieving the “fully hardened” condition in PH
y be referred to as PHS950Y1300T-PS (Press Hardening Steel with minimum 950 MPa yield, minimum 1300 MPa tensile strength, for Pre-c
PHS950Y1300T-MS (Press Hardening Steel with minimum 950 MPa yield, minimum 1300 MPa tensile strength, for 
th from the quenching operation. The properties listed are after the hot stamping process.
elivered, min yield strength = 340 MPa, tensile strength = 410-510 MPa) as shown in Figure 8A. After the hot stamping process

ay be possible. M-26, G-31, T-27 
e oxidation resistant PHS grades, as well as a 1200 MPa version intended for applications benefiting from enhanced crash ene
with Tribond® 1400 was calculated as €1.50/kgsaved. G-37, P-26
ardened” condition in PHS grades requires an almost fully martensitic microstructure. Avoiding transformation to other phases r
a tensile strength, for Pre-cooled Stamping).
strength, for Multi-Step process).
he hot stamping process, HX340LAD likely had a tensile strength between 490 and 560 MPa S-65, H-32, B-20, D-22
rom enhanced crash energy absorption, can be found in Citation L-60.
mation to other phases requires cooling rates exceeding a minimum threshold, called the “critical cooling rate,” which for 22MnB
32, B-20, D-22, putting it in the range of PQS450 (see Table 3). Note that there were not the only cars to have tailored hot stam
ng rate,” which for 22MnB5 is 27 °C/s. For energy absorbing applications, there are also  tailored parts with “soft zones”. In thes
o have tailored hot stamped components during that time.
with “soft zones”. In these soft zones, areas of interest will be intentionally made with other microstructures to ensure higher en
ures to ensure higher energy absorption.B-14
PHS Production Methods
Direct Process
Indirect Process
Hybrid Process
Pre-Cooled Direct Process
Multi-Step Process
Roll Form PHS
Form Fixture Hardening
Form Blow Hardening / Hot Gas Metal Forming
3DQ (3-Dimensional Hot Bending and Quenching)
Steel Tube Air Forming (STAF)
In its simplest explanation hot stamping consists of five operations: (1) blanking (or cutting-to-le
In most sources, hot stamping is explained with only two processes: Direct hot stamping (also k
1. Direct Process (Blanking > Heating > Forming > Quenching > Trimming)
2. Indirect Process (Blanking > Forming & Trimming > Heating > Quenching > Trimming)
3. Hybrid Process (Blanking > 1st Forming > Heating > 2nd Forming > Quenching > Trimming)
4. Pre-cooled Direct Process (Blanking > Heating > Pre-cooling > Forming > Quenching > Trim
5. Multi-Step Process (Blanking > Heating > Pre-cooling > Forming and Trimming > Air Quench
6. Form Fixture Hardening (Roll Forming > Cut-to-length > Heating > Bending forming > Quenc
7. Roll Form PHS (Roll Forming > Heating > Quenching > Cut-to-length > Trimming & piercing)
8. Form Blow Hardening / Hot gas metal forming (Cut-to-length tube or roll formed / welded pro
9. 3DQ (Cut-to-length tube > Local induction heating > 3-D Bending > Direct Water Quenching
10. STAF (Cut-to-length tube > Cold preforming > Heating > Pressure Forming > Quenching >
The video below explains some of these processes and how they are employed at 
Video Player
0:00
14:03

Direct Process
The most common process route in hot stamping is still the direct process (also known as press
The process is typically used for bare/uncoated steels or AlSi coated steels. Zn coated blanks
Figure 1: Summary of hot stamping processes. In direct process forming is done at state ❶, in indirect

Typical Al-Si coatings prevent scale formation and decarburization at elevated temperatures. Th
When using uncoated blanks, controlled atmosphere in the furnace helps avoid excessive deca
Formed parts must be trimmed and pierced to final geometry. In the direct process, the most common
The grades used with the direct process may be referred to as PHS950Y1500T-DS (Press Hard

Indirect Process
(Blanking > Forming & Trimming > Heating > Quenching > Surface Conditioning)
Typically used for galvanized blanks, indirect hot stamping, also known as form hardening, star
BMW 7 Series (2008-2015, codenamed F01) was the first car to have Zn-coated indirect hot sta
The indirect process cannot be applied to Al-Si coated blanks, as they have a hard but brittle intermetal

Hybrid (2-Step) Process

(Blanking > 1st Forming > Heating > 2nd Forming > Quenching > Trimming > Surface Co
In this process, as summarized in Figure 2, some of the forming occurs at the cold stage [
Figure 2: Summary of “hybrid process” where deformation is done both at cold and hot conditions.B-14

Pre-Cooled Direct Process

(Blanking > Heating > Pre-cooling > Forming > Quenching > Trimming > Surface conditio
A galvannealed (GA) coating primarily contains zinc and iron, and solidifies at temperatures bet

Figure 3: Temperature limit to ensure absence of Zn-rich liquid (re-created after Citations G-25 and G-26)
Figure 4: Crack depth reduces significantly if the forming is done at lower temperature (re-created after

In the pre-cooled direct process, the blank is heated above the austenitization temperature (app
The development of a “conversion-delayed” hot stamping grade (see PHS Grades with approximately 15
In the pre-cooled direct process, first the blank is heated to over 870-900 °C and soaked for at
Recently, several researchers have shown that pre-cooling may be used for drawing deeper pa

Multi-Step Process
(Blanking > Heating > Pre-cooling > Forming and Trimming > Air Quenching)
22MnSiB9-5 (see PHS Grades with approximately 1500 MPa TS) is a new steel grade develop

Roll Form PHS

(Roll Forming > Heating > Quenching > Cut-to-length > Trimming & piercing)
Also known as inline hardening, this process is used to make profiles with constant cross sectio

Figure 5: Roll form PHS: (a) steps of the lineH-28, (b) photo of the induction heated area.G-28
The heating is typically done with induction heating, see Figure 5b. In one of the installations, the first in
Recently, voestalpine developed a Zn-coated steel for roll forming applications. This process al

Form Fixture Hardening

(Roll Forming (or tube blank) > Cut-to-length > Heating > Bending & forming > Quenchin
The main difference between roll form PHS and form fixture hardening is the secondary “hot be
Figure 6: Form fixture hardening: (a) schematic of a lineK-23, (b) bumper beam of Ford Mustang (2004-2014)

Form fixture hardening parts have been used in low volume cars such as Porsche 911 or Bentle

Form Blow Hardening / Hot Gas Metal Forming

(Cut-to-length tube or roll formed and welded profile > Heating > Pressure forming > Que
In hot gas metal forming, the tube or roll formed closed profile is heated first and placed onto a
Fraunhofer IWU has developed a hot gas metal forming setup in which both forming and quenc

Figure 7: Blow forming and quenching with air: (a) change of pressure in the tube and temperature of th

In 2011, Spanish car maker SEAT published a study on form blow hardening process. In this study, they
1. 7.9kg weight reduction per car,
2. Sheet material utilization increased from 40 to 95%,
3. Number of components in the assembly on one side of the car reduced from 5 to 2, and the r
One advantage of this technology is the possibility to use the same die set for different wall thic
Since 2018, form blow hardening is being used in the Ford FocusB-16 and Jeep Wrangler.

3-Dimensional Hot Bending and Quenching (3DQ

(Cut-to-length tube > Local induction heating > 3-D Bending > Direct Water Quenching >
In the 3DQ process, a tubular profile with constant cross section is quickly heated by induction heaters.
Figure 8: Schematic of 3DQ system (re-created after Citation T-25)

In January 2013, Mazda announced that the ISOFIX connection in the rear seats of a Premacy

Figure 9: 3DQ applications: (a) Seat reinforcement of Mazda 5/PremacyM-24, (b) Acura NSX’s A-pillar.H-29

The technology has been used on uncoated blanks. In 2019, an academic study showed the feasibility o

Steel Tube Air Forming process (STAF)

(Cut-to-length tube > Cold bending > Heating > Press Forming > Pressure Forming > Que
Steel Tube Air Forming process (STAF) is a modified and enhanced version of hot gas metal fo
As seen in Figure 10, the parts made with the STAF process can have a flange area for further
Figure 10: The Steel Tube Air Forming process compared with other manufacturing approaches. STAF in

Figure 11: The STAF process may reduce part count, assembled weight, and manufacturing complexity c
blanking (or cutting-to-length), (2) forming, (3) heating, (4) cooling (quenching) and (5) trimming/piercing. Each process route lis
rect hot stamping (also known as Press Hardening) and indirect hot stamping (also known as Form Hardening). While this used

ching > Trimming)

Quenching > Trimming)
ing > Quenching > Trimming)
d Trimming > Air Quenching)
ending forming > Quenching > Trimming / piercing)
h > Trimming & piercing)
roll formed / welded profile > Heating > Pressure forming > Quenching > Piercing)
Direct Water Quenching > Piercing)
Forming > Quenching > Piercing)
mployed at Gestamp Automoción. Here, Paul Belanger, Director of Gestamp’s North American R&D Center, was interviewed b

ess (also known as press hardening).D-20 Here, previously cut blanks are heated typically in a roller hearth or a multi-chamber
eels. Zn coated blanks are not suitable for direct process, as pure Zn melts around 420 °C and GA (Zn-Fe) coatings around 53
ne at state ❶, in indirect process at ❷B-14

levated temperatures. The aluminum-rich coating contains 7% to 11 wt.% Si, and acts as a barrier to offer corrosion resistance
ps avoid excessive decarburization and scale formation. Surface scale locally changes the critical cooling rate, alters the metal
rocess, the most common trimming method is laser cutting. The capital expense and cycle times associated with laser trimming factor into
0Y1500T-DS (Press Hardening Steel with minimum 950 MPa yield, minimum 1500 MPa tensile strength, for Direct [Hot] Stampi

e Conditioning)
as form hardening, starts by cold forming the part (at ❶ in Figure 1) in a transfer press or a tandem transfer line. The direct pr
Zn-coated indirect hot stamped steel in its body-in-white.P-20  Zn-based coatings are favored for their cathodic protection. Zn-c
hard but brittle intermetallic layer which would crack during cold deformation.F-14

Trimming > Surface Conditioning)

s at the cold stage [ ❶ in Figure 1]. The semi-formed part then is heated in the furnace, significantly deformed to a final shape [
 ld and hot conditions.B-14

ming > Surface conditioning)

ifies at temperatures between 530 °C and 782 °C, depending on the zinc content, as shown in Figure 3. Liquid Metal Embrittlem

Citations G-25 and G-26)
mperature (re-created after Citation  H-26)

ization temperature (approximately 870-900 °C), and kept in the furnace for a minimum soaking time of 45 seconds. Once the
ades with approximately 1500 MPa TS), commonly known as 20MnB8, addresses these concerns. This steel has lower carbon (0.20%, as th
00 °C and soaked for at least 45 seconds. Then the blank is transferred to “pre-cooling stage” in less than 10 seconds. Precooli
ed for drawing deeper partsO-6 or to achieve better thickness distribution of the final part.G-24 Since formed parts are typically

Quenching)
new steel grade developed by Kobe SteelH-27 for a transfer press process, named as “multi-step”. This steel has higher Mn an

& piercing)
with constant cross sections and linear shapes. It is also possible to have closed profiles (tubes and similar) with this technology

ed area.G-28
the installations, the first induction coil operates at 25 kHz and the second at 200 kHz. The total heating power was approximately 700 kW
ications. This process also uses induction heating and water cooling. As the deformation is done at cold condition, the parts do

& forming > Quenching > Trimming / Piercing)

is the secondary “hot bending and forming” in the press. Here, cold roll formed profiles are cut-to-length and heated in a furnac
 f Ford Mustang (2004-2014) made by this process.L-26

as Porsche 911 or Bentley Mulsanne. In some cars, form fixture hardening was used to manufacture the A-pillar of the converti

al Forming
Pressure forming > Quenching > Piercing)
d first and placed onto a die set. The ends of the tube are sealed and pressurized gas or granular medium is forced inside the tu
both forming and quenching are done by compressed air. As shown in Figure 7a, the internal pressure can be increased to 70

ube and temperature of the tube, (b) simulation of heat transfer to the dies and cooling channels (recreated after Citation  N-16)

rocess. In this study, they replaced the A-pillar and cantrail assembly of the SEAT León (Mk2, SOP 2005) with one form blow hardened par

ced from 5 to 2, and the roof rail was eliminated.

set for different wall thickness tubes. By doing so, parts can be produced for different variants of a car (i.e., coupe and cabrio,
and Jeep Wrangler.B-17 In the Ford Focus, a tailor rolled tube with thicknesses between 1.0 and 1.8 mm is used in Europe, wh

enching (3DQ)
ect Water Quenching > Piercing)
ated by induction heaters. By using movable roller dies, the part is bent. As the material is fed, water is sprayed on the induction heated p
rear seats of a Premacy MPV (known as Mazda 5 in some markets) model was produced by this method, as shown in Figure 9

Acura NSX’s A-pillar.H-29

dy showed the feasibility of using Zn coated blanks in the 3DQ process.R-10

ressure Forming > Quenching > Piercing)

rsion of hot gas metal forming. In the STAF process, a metal tube is bent in a small press at room temperature. The preformed
a flange area for further welding/joining to other car body components. Some peripheral parts can be integrated into a single S
turing approaches. STAF integrates flange formation without the need for additional spot welding.F-42   HSS stands for High-Strength Stee

manufacturing complexity compared with other manufacturing approaches.F-41

g. Each process route listed below has a distinct order or type of these operations.
rdening). While this used to be accurate, there are currently at least 10 processes for part manufacturing:

enter, was interviewed by Kate Bachman, the Editor of STAMPING Journal®. Thanks are given to Paul and Kate, as well as 

earth or a multi-chamber furnace to over 900 °C to create a fully austenitic microstructure. Depending on the material handling s
-Fe) coatings around 530-780 °C. (see Figure 3)G-25 If forming is done with liquid Zn over the blank, microcracks may fill with
ffer corrosion resistance during service.F-14 In automotive industry, typical coating weights are AS150 (75 g/m2 coating on eac
ng rate, alters the metal flow and friction, and leads to premature tool wear. Without a controlled atmosphere, a surface conditio
h laser trimming factor into overall part cost calculations. In most plants, for every hot stamping line, there are 3 to 5 laser trimming machi
h, for Direct [Hot] Stamping).

ansfer line. The direct process is limited in that only one forming die can be used. However, the indirect process can accommod
cathodic protection. Zn-coated blanks may develop a thin oxide layer during heating, even if a protective atmosphere is used in

ormed to a final shape [ ❷ in Figure 1] and subsequently quenched in the same die. This process had found greater use in Eur
3. Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME) is not a concern if forming is done in the absence of liquid zinc.G-25  Hensen et al. conduc
 f 45 seconds. Once the blank leaves the furnace, it is first pre-cooled to approximately 500 °C and then formed. Typical 22MnB
lower carbon (0.20%, as the number 20 in 20MnB8 implies), but higher Mn (8/4 = 2%). . This chemistry modification slows the kinetics of t
an 10 seconds. Precooling must be done at a rate over 20 °C/s, until the blank is cooled to approximately 500 °C. Then the pa
rmed parts are typically removed from the press at approximately 200 °C, a pre-cooled part may require shorter time to quench

s steel has higher Mn and Si content, compared to typical 22MnB5. As quenched, the material has similar mechanical propertie

ilar) with this technology by adding a laser welding to the line (see Figure 5a). The process has been successfully used in many

was approximately 700 kW and the line can run as fast as 6 m/s. It was found that if lubrication, speed and bending radius can be optimize
d condition, the parts do not suffer from liquid metal embrittlement (LME).K-22

h and heated in a furnace. Heated profiles are then transferred to a press die, where sweep bending and/or further forming ope
 e A-pillar of the convertible (cabriolet) versions of high-volume cars, especially in Europe. Most of these applications involved u

um is forced inside the tubular blank. The forming forces are applied by the high pressure built inside the tube.C-16
e can be increased to 70 MPa (700 bars) in only 6 seconds. The tools are cooled with internal cooling channels, Figure 7b. The

er Citation  N-16)

e form blow hardened part. The results were summarized asO-7:

(i.e., coupe and cabrio, or North American spec. vs. emerging market spec.). This information applies to monolithic (i.e., same
mm is used in Europe, whereas in China it is a monolithic (same thickness everywhere) 1.6 mm thick tube.F-16

on the induction heated portion of the tube to quench and harden it. The schematic of the process and the material strength through the
od, as shown in Figure 9a.M-24  In 2016, Honda started production of the sports car NSX (known as Acura NSX in some marke

perature. The preformed tube is transferred to the main press, where it is heated to the critical temperature using electrical cond
ntegrated into a single STAF part, improving productivity and manufacturing cost. The continuous closed cross section is create
nds for High-Strength Steel and may refer to conventional HSS or Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS).
 l and Kate, as well as FMA, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association®, for permission to reproduce this video.

n the material handling system, transfer from the furnace to the press may take up 6 to 10 seconds.B-14  During this time, the
microcracks may fill with Zn and lower the fatigue strength of the final part significantly.K-20 A recently developed alloy minimize
(75 g/m2 coating on each side) or AS80 (40 g/m2 coating on each side).A-51 Refer to our page on Al-Si coatings
phere, a surface conditioning step like shot blasting may be required after forming to remove the scale.A-52  Varnish coatings
to 5 laser trimming machines.B-14

t process can accommodate multiple die stations, allowing for the production of more complicated geometries, even those with
e atmosphere is used in the furnace. This layer helps preventing evaporation of the Zn (pure Zn evaporates at 907 °C at 1 atm.

found greater use in Europe, especially for deep drawn parts such as transmission tunnels. To avoid scale formation in the furn
25  Hensen et al. conducted several studies heating galvannealed 22MnB5 blanks to 900 °C, but forming after a pre-cooling sta
n formed. Typical 22MnB5 cannot be formed at this temperature due to two reasons: (1) its formability would be reduced and (2
tion slows the kinetics of the phase transformation compared with 22MnB5 – the critical cooling rate of 20MnB8 is approximately 10 °C/s.
ely 500 °C. Then the part is transferred from the pre-cooling device to the press in less than 7 seconds. The forming is done in
e shorter time to quench, thus increasing the parts per minute.G-24

lar mechanical properties with 22MnB5. As of 2020, there is at least one automotive part mass produced with this technology a

uccessfully used in many car bodies. Typical uses are: cross members, roof bows, side impact door beams, bumpers (with no s

ing radius can be optimized, AlSi coated blanks could also be cold roll formed. However, they are not suitable for induction heating and m

nd/or further forming operations are completed. The parts are subsequently quenched in the same press die, similar to direct pr
e applications involved uncoated boron alloyed tubes (similar to 22MnB5). H-28  The 5th generation Ford Mustang (2004-2014)

he tube.C-16  It is also possible to end-feed material as in the case of (cold) tube hydroforming. After the deformation, the part i
hannels, Figure 7b. The parts produced with this technique have hardness values between 460 and 530 HV. Crashbox and cam

o monolithic (i.e., same thickness throughout the tube) and tailor rolled/welded tubes as well. F-16  In 2017, tubular parts are h

erial strength through the process is illustrated in Figure 8. It is also possible to replace the movable roller dies with an industrial robot to
cura NSX in some markets). This vehicle’s A-pillars were produced by 3DQ process, as shown in Figure 9b.H-29

ture using electrical conduction (Joule heating) by passing current through the tube. The first step creates the flanges where th
d cross section is created without the need for spot welding, improving stiffness and further reducing manufacturing costs. The
14  During this time, the blank may cool down to 700 °C.G-24 Forming is done immediately after the blanks are transferred on t
developed alloy minimizes these concerns, as explained in the “Pre-cooled Direct Process” section below.
Si coatings for more details.
. A-52  Varnish coatings may also be used with direct hot stamping.

metries, even those with undercuts. The part has almost the final shape exiting the cold forming press, where piercings and trim
rates at 907 °C at 1 atm. pressure), but must be removed before welding and painting. To achieve this, sandblasting, shot blast

cale formation in the furnace and hot forming, a special varnish-type coating is commonly used. The final part must be surface c
ng after a pre-cooling stage. As seen in Figure 4, the microcrack depth is significantly reduced when the forming starts at lower
would be reduced and (2) forming could not be completed before the start of martensite formation at approximately 420 °C).
8 is approximately 10 °C/s. This allows the part to be transferred from pre-cooling stage to the forming die.
. The forming is done in one hit in a hydraulic or servo-mechanical press, which can dwell at the bottom. The cooling rate after

ed with this technology and is applied to a compact car in Germany.G-27 Although critical cooling rate is listed as 2.5 °C/s, eve

ams, bumpers (with no sweep), front crash components and similar. G-28, H-28, F-16

r induction heating and may require a different process, such as form fixture hardening.K-23

ss die, similar to direct process. A typical line layout can be seen in Figure 6a. The secondary forming makes variable sections p
rd Mustang (2004-2014) had form fixture hardened bumper beams in the front and rear, as seen in Figure 6b.L-26

he deformation, the part is quenched either with water (form blow hardening) or by the air inside and the surface of the tool cavi
0 HV. Crashbox and camshafts are among the parts produced. L-27, N-16

2017, tubular parts are hot gas formed by using 1900 MPa PHS tubes for customer trials.F-17

with an industrial robot to bend and twist the tubular part.T-25

 e 9b.H-29

tes the flanges where the press closes on the partially air blow formed tube. In the second step, air pressure completes the pro
manufacturing costs. These factors combine to result in mass savings compared with conventional hot formed components, as i
anks are transferred on the die, and should be completed before the blank cools below 420 °C.G-24, K-18 The blanks are form
where piercings and trimming could also be completed. The formed parts are then heated in a special furnace and quenched in
sandblasting, shot blasting or dry-ice (CO2) blasting are typically used.F-14, F-15  The grades for indirect process may be refe

al part must be surface cleaned with a process like shot blasting before welding to remove the varnish coating.S-63
e forming starts at lower temperatures.H-26
pproximately 420 °C). K-22, V-8

m. The cooling rate after pre-cooling is advised to be over 40 °C/s. The final part may have zinc oxides and surface cleaning is r

is listed as 2.5 °C/s, even at a cooling rate of 1 °C/s, hardness over 450HV can be achieved.H-27 This critical cooling rate allow

makes variable sections possible, as seen in Figure 6b. As the parts are cold roll formed and furnace heated, uncoated, Zn-coa
ure 6b.L-26  The form fixture hardening process allows for use of AlSi coatings, since the steel goes through a furnace rather t

e surface of the tool cavity (hot gas metal forming). In the latter case, similar to direct process, a water-cooling channel system
ssure completes the process by forming the desired cross section and overall shape.
ormed components, as indicated in Figure 11.  F-18, F-41, F-42
-18 The blanks are formed in hot condition (state ❷ in Figure 1), and quenched in the same die to achieve the required proper
furnace and quenched in a second die set. B-14,K-21,F-15
rect process may be referred to as PHS950Y1500T-IS (Press Hardening Steel with minimum 950 MPa yield, minimum 1500 M

coating.S-63  Since the early 2010s, the process has been replaced by the direct process of Al-Si-coated blanks.N-15
and surface cleaning is required.K-22, V-8 The grade may be referred to as PHS950Y1500T-PS (Press Hardening Steel with m

critical cooling rate allows the material to be “air-hardenable” and thus, can handle a transfer press operation (hence the name

eated, uncoated, Zn-coated and AlSi-coated (with precautions not to crack AlSi) blanks may be used in this process.
rough a furnace rather than an induction hardening step. Special care must be taken in cold roll-forming process to ensure the

cooling channel system inside the die inserts are typically required. K-23
ieve the required properties. For 22MnB5 steel, if the quenching rate is over 27 °C/s, the part will transform to almost 100% ma
yield, minimum 1500 MPa tensile strength, for Indirect [Hot] Stamping).

ed blanks.N-15
s Hardening Steel with minimum 950 MPa yield, minimum 1500 MPa tensile strength, Pre-cooled and Stamped).

eration (hence the name multi-step) in a servo press. This material is available only with Zn coating and requires a pre-cooling s

this process. H-28, K-23

g process to ensure the AlSi coating is not damaged.K-23
form to almost 100% martensite. For productivity purposes, higher cooling rates are often realized.K-18 Typical cycle times for
d requires a pre-cooling step before the transfer press operation.B-15 The grade may be referred to as PHS950Y1500T-MS (P
8 Typical cycle times for a direct process with the 22MnB5 chemistry could be between 10 and 20 seconds, depending on the t
PHS950Y1500T-MS (Press Hardening Steel with minimum 950 MPa yield, minimum 1500 MPa tensile strength, for Multi-Step
onds, depending on the thickness.B-14 Global R&D efforts target improvements in cycle time.
e strength, for Multi-Step process).
PHS Tailored Products
Introduction
Laser Welded Tailored Blanks (Tailor Welded Blanks)
Tailor Rolled Blanks
Patchwork Blanks
Tailored Properties

Introduction
Some automotive components may require higher stiffness, strength, or energy absorbing capacity in a con
One method to achieve these characteristics is to spot weld separate reinforcement panels to the main com
A strategy for improving energy absorption in high-strength components involves joining a second part mad
Neither of these approaches are ideal in terms of manufacturing efficiency and product/process optimizatio
Tailored parts are the term given to those parts that may have zones with different thickness, chemistry, or
resulting in a reduced number of components, weight reduction, and/or lower costs. 
These goals are achieved through part consolidation and by reducing or in some cases even eliminating jo
In cold stamping operations, tailored parts (tailored products) are typically produced at the incoming coil or blank le
but are typically called “tailored blanks” or the specific process/product produced:
Laser Welded Tailored Blanks (LWTB, also known as Tailor Welded Blanks, or TWB) or Tailor Welded Coi
Tailor Rolled Blanks (TRB) or Tailor Rolled Coils (TRC),
Tailor Welded Tubes (TWT) or Tailor Rolled Tubes (TRT), or
Patchwork Blanks,
In press hardened components, a single component may be press hardened such that it has what are known as soft
or areas of lower hardness possessing increased ductility. The tailored processing of these multi-strength parts can b
Controlling the incoming blank temperature, (Tailored Heating, pre-process)
Controlling the quenching rate, (Tailored Quenching, during process)
Partially tempering (Tailored Tempering, post-process).
These are typically called tailored parts or tailor processed parts. Lastly it is also possible to combine two te

Laser Welded Tailored Blanks (Tailor Welded Blanks)

Laser Welded Tailored Blanks (LWTB) are blanks that are produced by laser butt welding of two or more sub-blanks,
In the industry, the terms Tailor Welded Blanks (TWB) and Laser Welded Blanks (LWB) are also used interchangably
Figure 1: Steps of making a press hardened laser welded tailored blank (re-created after Citations B-14 and A-8).

Laser welded tailored blanks consist of sub-blanks with:

Different thicknesses, allowing for use of thinner sheet steels in areas of the component having less rigorou
Different grades, optimizing the energy absorption and intrusion resistance characteristics in each area of t
A combination of both.
Laser welded tailored blanks with the same thickness and grade are used to create blanks having dimensio
Laser welded tailored blanks offer many paths to weight savings and cost reduction, including:
Reducing the number of parts in the subassembly, such as the need for reinforcements;
Reducing the number of required forming tools, welding fixtures, etc.; and
Improved raw material utilization by sub-blank nesting optimization (see Figure 1 and Figure 10c).
The weld area of press hardened laser welded blanks may not transform to martensite, and therefore may
This can be attributed to weld quality and quenching rate.B-47, W-3
Blanked edge geometry of the sub-blanks (notches, underfillings and weld seam pollution) affects weld quality.
Separating the blanking into two operations, rough blanking and precision blanking, may improve blanked edge geo

As seen in Figure 1, Aluminium-Silicon (AS) coated sub-blanks may require a secondary ablation operation
The AS coating is removed (ablated) near the weld edge, typically by using a laser.
When this AS coating is not removed and filler wire is not used, the aluminium from the coating may pollute
When welding two PHS1500 sub-blanks together, an aluminium-polluted weld may have significantly lower
A part made of such a blank will fail at the weld zone, both in quasi-static and dynamic conditions.E-8

Figure 2: Effect of ablation and filler wire on hardness distribution around the laser weld of equal thickness PHS1500

Another common type of laser welded tailored blank is where a press hardening steel (typically PHS1500)
Lower strength and higher ductility should be observed in the PQS.
Without ablation, a hardness drop is observed in AS coated welded blank, seen in Figure 3a.
In quasi-static tests, fracture was observed in the PQS base metal. In dynamic tests, the part failed at the w
When ablation is applied, a B-pillar with a PQS base absorbs more energy compared to the welded blank w
In uncoated and Zn-coated steels, ablation is not required since there is no concern about aluminium pollut
M-2 Figure 3b shows the hardness distribution in the weld seam of galvanized sub-blanks.

Figure 3: Hardness distribution in PHS-PQS laser welded blanks. 

a) AS coated sub-blanks with and without ablation (re-created after Citation E-8);
b) Galvanized sub-blanks without ablation (re-created after Citation M-2).
Note that the initial thicknesses of sub-blanks are different.

There are two methods of ablation.  Full ablation removes the AS coating and the interdiffusion layer (IDL)
In contrast, partial ablation removes only the AS coating, but the IDL remains intact.
Full ablation may result in oxidation and decarburization in the weld seam.E-8, W-3

In addition to weld pollution, the hardness drop in the weld seam could also be caused by the local quench
When a welded blank is made using sub-blanks with different thicknesses, misalignment (Δx in Figure 4a)
Misalignment greater than 2 mm could cause over 30% hardness drop, from approximately 500 HV to less
high-C content could reduce the critical cooling rate, as shown in the Figure 4b.
In a particular example using a filler wire containing 0.3% C presented in this image, the critical cooling rate
reduced to approximately 13 °C/s. Due to the high-C content, a 20% increase in the weld seam hardness m

Figure 4: a) Misalignment of the blank in the die could cause lower quenching rate in the weld seam (re-created after Cita
b) A high-carbon filler wire may reduce the critical cooling rate (re-created after Citation E-8).

The fourth generation Audi A4 (2008-2016 also known as B8) contained some of the earliest applications o
The car had five components made of blanks with tailored properties: tunnel reinforcement, left/right B-pilla
and left/right rear rails, as shown in Figure 5. As PQS grades were not commercially available at that time,
High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steels were used for energy absorbing applications. As delivered, HX340L
Press hardened parts and their final mechanical properties are shown in Figure 5.S-65

Figure 5: PHS applications in Audi A4 (2008-2016).

The car had a total of three different components and five parts using laser welded tailored blanks
(figure and table re-created using data and images from Citations S-65, D-11, V-21, W-5, and S-13).

In Citation K-25, using a laser welded tailored blank resulted in the highest energy absorbing capacity of a B-pillar re
In this study, PHS1500 (22MnB5) was laser welded to a HC340LA (uncoated HSLA steel with minimum 340 MPa inco
Such a welded blank could absorb 3.3 kJ energy without fracture, whereas a monolithic (same thickness, same hardn
PHS1500 failed at 2.3 kJ (see Figure 6). PHS1500 with soft zones (see the Tailored Properties section below)
passed a 2.3 kJ test but failed at 3.3 kJ.
Figure 6: Energy absorbing capacity of B-pillars increase significantly with soft zones or laser-welded ductile material

Conventional High-Strength Steels are not designed for hot stamping process.
HSLA 340 and 410 MPa grades (minimum yield strength, as delivered) and CMn440 steel (Carbon-manga
strength at delivery) may be softer than their as-delivered condition when heated over austenitization temp
Furthermore, if the local cooling rate is over 60 to 80 °C/s, a significant increase in hardness (see Figure 7)
and sharp decrease in elongation may be observed.D-22, T-27

Figure 7: Vickers hardness variation of several cold stamping steels after austenitization and at different cooling rate

Development of PQS grades started around 2007, targeting consistent mechanical properties over a wide r
Currently, typical laser welded blank applications of PQS450 and PQS550 in the automotive industry includ
One such car with LWTB components is the 2nd generation Volvo XC90 (2014-Present).
The car has a total of 152 kg hot stamped parts, with approximately 132 kg of PHS1500 and 20 kg PQS450
BIW (excluding doors and closures), respectively. The XC90 has a total of six hot stamped welded blanks (
as seen in Figure 8.L-29, L-8  More details about welded blanks with PQS450 and PQS550 are presented
Grades with Higher Ductility Section within our article on PQS Grades.
Figure 8: Use of laser welded PQS-PHS grades in the 2nd generation Volvo XC90 (re-created after Citation L-29).

Recently PHS1000 and PHS1200 grades have been developed.

The yield and tensile strength of these grades increase with hot stamping, and as such are considered pres
More details about these grades are presented in the Grades with Higher Ductility Section within our article
Renault conducted an experimental study in 2021 to replace PHS1500-PQS550 laser welded tailored blank
As seen in Figure 9, the new materials can absorb the same amount of energy with less intrusion.
At the same level of intrusion, the energy absorbing capacity improves by 30%.B-62

Figure 9: Stroke vs. energy curves of representative sub-assemblies, emulating B-pillar (re-created after Citation B-6

Laser welded tailored blanks may also be used to create larger blanks that may not be otherwise possible o
M-4  Door rings represent one such application for hot stamping, as introduced by ArcelorMittal in 2010.A-1
A prototype door ring was produced in 2012, using four sub-blanks, including one PQS550, as shown Figu
The part measured approximately 1500 mm long and 1250 mm high.
B-63, T-1  May 2013 saw the first application of a hot stamped door ring with the introduction of the 3rd gen
The vehicle used a two sub-blank LWB door ring, both PHS1500, with thicknesses of 1.2 mm and 1.6 mm
Through sub-blank nesting optimization, material utilization was improved to 63%. Details can be seen in F
Figure 10: Door rings.  a) one of the earliest concepts from 2010T-1; 
b) the first mass produced door ring of the 2013 Acura MDX; 
c) sub-blank nesting to improve the material utilization.M-46

For door ring manufacturing, a higher tonnage press with larger bolster area may be required, as well as a wider furn
In most hot stamping lines, typically two or four parts are formed and quenched in one stroke (known as 2-out or 4-
and reduce the total cost per piece. Due to the large size and additional requirements, door ring manufacturing is ty
However, as the part itself replaces four components (A and B pillars, hinge pillar and rocker reinforcement),
it can be as cost effective as a 4-out hot stamping operation.W-6

Although not common, the Acura TLX (1st generation 2015-2021) and Hyundai Santa Fe (since 2018, 4th g
utilize single piece (not from a welded blank) door rings with 1.4 mm and 1.1 mm thicknesses respectively.
B-14, H-4  The 2nd generation Acura TLX (2021-present) has the door-ring of the 1st generation model as

Since its inception, laser welded door rings have been used in several Honda / Acura models.
The number of sub-blanks was increased to 4 with the 2nd generation Honda Ridgeline (2017-present).
This was the first door ring application in a pick-up truck.
B-52  The Chrysler Pacifica started production in 2017 with 5 sub-blanks, as shown in Figure 11a, including
T-19  The 5th generation RAM 1500 pick-up truck, which debuted in 2018, has a six sub-blank door ring, a
R-3  In 2018, Acura RDX became the first car to have inner and outer door rings made of PHS1500 laser w
As seen in Figures 11c and 11d, five and four sub-blanks were used respectively for the inner and outer do
This design further allowed downgauging and lightweighting.R-26

Figure 11: Laser welded door ring applications:

(a) Chrysler Pacifica (SOP 2017) has five sub-blanks (recreated after Citation T-19);
(b) RAM 1500 (SOP 2018) has six sub-blanks (re-created after Citation R-3); 
Acura RDX was the first car to have two door rings: (c) inner and (d) outer,
both with four sub-blanks of PHS1500 (re-created after R-26).

Currently, the European Standard for Laser Welded Tailored Blanks (LWTB), EN 10359D-2, covers only LWTBs for col
This standard will be expanded to include press hardened laser welded blanks, with an expected release in 2023.
Tailor Rolled Blanks
Tailor Rolled Blanks (TRB) or variable thickness rolled blanks (VTRB) are produced by a secondary cold ro
possibly coated coil. In this secondary cold rolling, the roll gap is adjusted during the process so that the th
shown in the left image of Figure 12. TRBs can be an alternative to “same material-different thickness” wel
B-14 Contrary to an LWB, thickness changes are not abrupt, but instead are continuous.
Thus, TRBs do not have stress concentration due to the notch effect.
Problems associated with weld quality in welded blanks (pollution, geometry, quenching rate, etc.) do not a

Tailor rolled blanks are typically named by their thicknesses from head-to-tail, and symmetrical sections wit
For example, the B-pillars of previous generation Ford Focus (2011-2018),
as shown in the right image of Figure 12, has five thicknesses in nine zones.
This blank would be named as: 1.35-2.30-2.10-2.40-2.70.
The process starts with a 2.70 mm thick coil, and thickness reductions up to 50% would be completed durin
The typical slope in the Thickness Transition Zones (TTZ) are 1:100, meaning 1 mm change in thickness w
Different slopes could also be utilized.Q-7, H-8

Figure 12: Left image: Principle of tailor rolling process (re-created after Citation Z-5); 
Right image: thickness profile and nesting of a B-pillar in a tailor rolled coil (re-created after Citation Q-7).

The tailor rolling process squeezes and thins any coating, and possibly damages the coating as well.
T-4  For this reason, TRBs are typically used in dry areas. Because of similar reasons, in AS coated TRB applications,
AS150 (75 g/m2 on each side, Al-Si coating) is preferred instead of thinner coatings such as AS80.
One of the first press hardened TRB applications was the B-pillar reinforcement of the BMW X5 (2nd gene
The application saved 4 kg/car, compared to a monolithic press hardened part.P-1  Other applications inclu
MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten, translating from German to “Modular Transversal Toolkit) platform cars –
VW Group cars with transverse engine orientation, since 2012S-107, front crossmember of MLB Evo (Mod
from German to “Modular Longitudinal Matrix) platform cars – covering Audi vehicles with longitudinal engin
and roof crossmember of the 10th generation Honda Accord (2017-present).M-7  Many other OEMs use ta
with a more detailed list presented in Citation B-14.
Figure 13: Several TRB applications in recent vehicles (re-created after Citations H-44, P-1, S-107, and M-7).

Patchwork Blanks
In a patchwork blank, one or more “patch blanks” (reinforcements) are overlapped with a “master blank” an
The spot-welded blanks are then heated in a furnace and hot stamped as a single piece in one stroke.
The final part will have increased thickness in the areas of interest.
A patchwork blank may reduce the need for post-forming assemblies of reinforcements, as seen in Figure 1
Since the spot welds are also austenitized and quenched, their hardness distribution is typically better than
spot welding after hot stamping, as shown clearly in Figure 15.B-20, U-12, N-3

Figure 14: Master blank and patch geometries of a sample B-pillar:

(a) before, and (b) after spot welding, (c) after hot stamping (re-created after Citations B-14 and L-52).
Figure 15: Hardness distribution in a spot weld, comparing when spot welding is done before or after press hardening,  (R

Patchwork blanks allow for the possibility of reducing the number of forming tools and the associated fixed
Stamping and post-process joining costs may be reduced as well, leading to a variable cost reduction. 
Depending on how the part is engineered, a weight savings may be achieved. 
These benefits come at the expense of the additional blanking operation to create the patch blanks, and th

Optimizing the initial geometry of the patch blank helps reduce these costs. 
One approach is to use a one-step inverse simulation in the early planning / feasibility phase.
In this method, the initial outline is estimated based on deformation theory of plasticity, requiring only relati
(in the order of a few minutes using a modern PC), with low accuracy (up to 3 mm deviation is common).
A trim optimization method is recommended during the design phase of the patch blank blanking dies.
In this method, an incremental solver is used with an initially assumed blank outline.
Typically, the result of one-step solution is used for the first iteration.
The software then compares the outline of the patch after forming and calculates the differences with the d
Then the initial geometry is modified accordingly, and another forming simulation is carried out.
These iterations continue until the deviation is less than the set tolerances.
For example, in a B-pillar patch optimization, ±0.25 mm deviation may be achieved in two to three iteration

Reducing the number of spot welds also reduces the cost of the patch blank.
Minimizing the number of spot welds may also reduce the cycle time in welding stations.
In some cases, it may also affect the number of spot-welding stations — thus, the initial fixed cost.
However, severe wrinkles may form if using an insufficient number of spot welds.
Using finite element analysis may assist in finding the optimum number of spot welds for formability.
A-19  In some cases, although the part could be hot formed with a smaller number of spot welds
without any problems, more spot welds are applied for crash performance.U-12

Some of the earliest patchwork PHS applications were used in the B-pillars of 3rd generation Volvo V70 (2
In the Volvo V70, a total of 46 spot welds were used to create the patchwork blank.
Both blanks were uncoated PHS1500, with a 1.4 mm thick master blank and a 2.0 mm thick patch.L-53 
In the Fiat 500, the master blank was 2 mm thick, supported by a 1 mm thick patch, both AS coated, as see
Z-13  In recent years, patchwork PHS blanks have been used in more car bodies, including but not limited
generation Volvo XC90 (2014-Present)L-29, rear rail of the Fiat 500X (2014-Present)M-45, B-pillar of the O
B-pillar of the 2nd generation Range Rover EvoqueF-1, and several Subaru models.U-12, A-73

In the rear rail of the Fiat 500X, the master blank is laser welded with 1.5 mm PHS1500 and 1.6 mm PQS4
The patch blank is a 1.5 mm thick PHS1500.M-45  A similar design with different thicknesses was also use
For the Opel Astra, the master blank is a 1.3 mm thick PHS1500 with soft zones (see the Tailored Properti
The patch is a TRB with 1.00-1.95-1.00 thickness distribution.K-8

Figure 16: Sample automotive applications of patchwork PHS:

B-pillar reinforcements of (a) 2007 Volvo V70 (re-crated after Citation N-4),
(b)  2007 Fiat 500 (re-created after Citation Z-13);
and (c) rear rail of 2015 Fiat Tipo/Egea (Citation T-43, recreated after Citation B-14).

Jaguar I-PACE is an aluminium-intensive electric SUV making its debut in 2018. In this car, the B-pillar rein
Contrary to most earlier applications, the master blank is a PQS450, which could be joined easily to the res
The patch is PHS1500, which improves the side impact and roof crush performance.B-21  In 2018, a globa
showed the possibility of using PHS2000 master blank and patch for a rear bumper beam.N-6

Improvements in patchwork blank technology includes the weld type and quality.
Conventional resistance spot welding has been used in making patchwork blanks.
There are studies on using remote laser welding for this purpose as well. In one study, joining a patchwork
was completed in 35 seconds using 2.2 kW laser power, and in 23 seconds using 2.8 kW.L-54 
Another study showed that when laser welding is used with AS-coated blanks,
weld strength is reduced by approximately 40% compared to uncoated blanks.G-1

“Overlap patch blanks” are a sub-set of patchwork blanks.

As seen in Figure 17a, instead of a master and patch blanks, two (or more) sub-blanks are spot welded ove
to create a blank like a laser welded tailored blank. The technology was initially applied in cold stamped com
P-4   Recently an international tier 1 supplier developed door rings and floor panels made from overlap pat
As seen in Figure 17 b and c, a door ring can be created using 5 sub-blanks, including one PQS (shown in
Figure 17: Overlap patch blanks:
(a) schematic of a B-pillar blank (re-created after B-75), (b) door ring concept from outer view, and (c) inne

Tailored Properties
Tailored properties is a term used for the technology to make a part with hard and soft zones.
Hard zones are nearly 100% martensitic, whereas soft zones have a lower percentage of martensite.
This type of part may be called a “multi-strength part”. In Europe, the term “tailored tempering” may be use
In this article, tailored tempering describes a part which was press hardened as a whole and later locally so

Soft zones may be used for several reasons:

To improve crashworthiness: Local areas with higher ductility aid in crash energy absorption.
An example B-pillar is shown in Figure 6. This type of usage is very common in B-pillars, front rails, and rea
The first application for this purpose was realized in the B-pillar of the first-generation VW Tiguan (2007-20
The technology is also used in rear rails. Both applications are shown in Figure 18.
The technology is also used in rear rails of 10th generation Honda Civic (2015-present)C-22, and 10th gen
In this particular application, shown in Figure 19, soft zones were designed such that the rear frame would
and absorb the crash energy efficiently.C-22, M-7, K-52  Tailored parts are used for improved energy abso
numerous models from Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes and others.B-14

Figure 18: Rear rail assembly of Honda Civic (10th gen., 2015-Present):
(a) Isometric view of the assembly, (b) bottom view of the frame, during rear crash condition (re-created after Cita
A similar design was also employed in Honda Accord.M-7
Figure 19: Example uses of soft zones for improved energy absorption:
(a) first application was in 1st generation (2007-2018) VW Tiguan’s B-pillars (re-created after Citations V-22 and M-8),
(b) a more recent application in 2013 Ford Escape’s rear rails (known as Ford Kuga in EU, sold between 2013 and 2019) (r

To improve weld/joint strength: 

When base metal hardness is over 350 HV, the heat affected zone (HAZ) in the spot weld may be the wea
B-20  Several other studies have proven the hardness drop and early fractures around spot weld of fully ha
When flanges are induction tempered (see the Tailored Tempering discussion below, a B-pillar assembly m
more energy than a fully hardened B-pillar.H-61, F-2  In multi-material mix cars, such as the 2nd generation
“soft flanges” can be used for mechanical joining the PHS B-pillar reinforcement to aluminium components.
Hemming of aluminium, around the PHS, can also be used to join the components.H-62

Figure 20: When spot welding is done on a soft zone: (a) hardness distribution would not have a soft HAZ, and (b) early fr

For secondary bending operations: Tailored tempering (softening areas of interest after a fully hardened press harde
To facilitate trimming/piercing: Although not very common, local soft zones may reduce the force/energy requireme
There are three methods to create the soft zones leading to tailored properties:B-14
Tailored heating during austenitization of the blank (typically achieved in the furnace),
Tailored quenching after austenitization (can be achieved in tempering stations or in the forming die),
Tailored tempering after fully hardening a part (after the press hardening process).
1)      Tailored Heating (Pre-Process)
In tailored heating, areas of interest (the soft zones) are not fully austenitized. The critical heating temperature has b
Figure 21: Effect of blank heating temperature on hardness and converted tensile strength of PHS1500 (re-created a

There are several methods to achieve tailored heating. In the direct process, where an undeformed blank is being he
Using a divided furnace,
Masking soft zones in furnace,
Heating by segmented contact plates, and
Conduction heating with controlled current flow.
A divided roller hearth furnace may have gas or electric heating for the first half of its length, ensuring a uni

Figure 22: Divided furnace concept (simplified with two zones): (a) temperature setting in the furnace affects the tempera

As heating of the blank in furnace is mostly achieved by radiation, an insulating mask may reduce the local

Figure 23: (a) Using masking for tailored heating (re-created after Citations B-14 and N-3); (b) an example mask and blank

Although not commonly used for mass production, it was proven that contact plates may be used in tailored
Figure 24: Tailored heating in contact plate heating: (a) right after the heating before the discharge, (b) a tailor heate

Two different strategies were developed to generate tailored heat blanks using conductive heating while en
In the indirect hot stamping process, the parts are formed prior to heating. Thus, it is not practical to apply a

Figure 25: Tailored heating of galvanized PHS1500 in the indirect process: (a) Blank temperature evolution in hard an

Tailored heating technologies are beneficial for their energy efficiency, as the soft zones are heated to lower temper

2)      Tailored Quenching

In tailored quenching methods, the whole blank is austenitized in the furnace and the cooling rate is contro
Intermediate pre-cooling, where a secondary furnace is employed where the temperature of hard zones is
In-die cooling, where a fully austenitized blank with uniform temperature distribution is placed on the tool, b
Intermediate Pre-Cooling
Complete coating diffusion does not occur in AS-coated blanks subjected to tailored heating profiles. To ensure the f
Figure 26: Simplest pre-cooling technology: extending the soft zones out of the furnace. (a) Schematic of extending out o

Intermediate pre-cooling can also be done in a divided furnace. In this case, contrary to Figure 22a, the uniform hea
Most of the tailored heating strategies discussed so far are suitable only for larger soft zone areas, but not

Figure 27: Tailored B-pillar evolution: (a) monolithic, (b) two-zones tailored, (c) three-zones tailored, (d) soft flanges, (e) s

To address these challenges, several intermediate cooling systems have been developed. AP&T uses mul

Figure 28: Time-temperature evolution in the TemperBox®.K-41

Similar technologies have been developed by other furnace makers: Schwartz has developed a thermal pri
In-Die Tailored Cooling
In this process, the blanks are fully austenitized in the furnace, but the cooling rate is locally adjusted. Area
Heated die inserts,
Die relief method, or
Local die inserts with high thermal conductivity.
If a segment of the die is heated, sections of the blank in contact with this area have a smaller temperature gradient
In the automotive industry, heated die inserts are used typically between 300 °C and 550 °C. Typically elec

Figure 29: Tailored parts with heated die inserts: (a) Simulation model with cooling channels in hard zones and heati

This process has been applied as early as 2009 (if not earlier) in  the Audi A5 Sportback.B-20
Another method to get lower cooling rates is to reduce the contact pressure or introduce an air gap betwee

Figure 30: (a) Thermal contact conductance is less than 0.3 kW/m2°K, once there is an air gap (own work, raw data from C

Use of insulated die inserts is another method to obtain tailored cooling.  These reduce the heat flow from the blank
Figure 31: Insulating inserts: (a) experimental die set at TU Graz, (b) hardness distribution of the first part, (c) hardness d

3)      Tailored Tempering (Post-Process Annealing)

The last method for obtaining tailored properties is to produce soft zones by annealing a fully hardened par
With this approach, however, final properties of soft zones may vary significantly depending on the tempera
BMW has been using induction annealed B-pillars in their 3-Series Sedan/Touring (2011-2019) and X5 SU

Figure 32: Post-process tailored annealing can be done by: (a) inductionH-61, and/or (b) laser.B-71
 bsorbing capacity in a confined local area.
ent panels to the main component.
joining a second part made from a more ductile but lower strength material. 
oduct/process optimization.
nt thickness, chemistry, or heat treatment,

cases even eliminating joining operations.

the incoming coil or blank level,

WB) or Tailor Welded Coils (TWC – not common in press hardening),

has what are known as soft zones,

se multi-strength parts can be achieved byB-14:

possible to combine two techniques, that is, making a tailored part using a tailored blank.

ded Blanks)
of two or more sub-blanks, as shown in Figure 1.
re also used interchangably.M-46
 tions B-14 and A-8).

ponent having less rigorous loading requirements. Using thinner sheets saves weight.
cteristics in each area of the same part (such as an automotive B-pillar, see Figure 6b).

te blanks having dimensions larger than mill rolling or processing capabilities.

on, including:

and Figure 10c).

ensite, and therefore may show a significant reduction in the hardness.

n) affects weld quality.

improve blanked edge geometry and the resulting weld quality.M-46

condary ablation operation.

m the coating may pollute the weld.

ay have significantly lower hardness, as shown in Figure 2.
namic conditions.E-8

of equal thickness PHS1500+AS150 (re-created after Citation  E-8).

steel (typically PHS1500) is welded to a press quenched steel (PQS 450 or 550).

n Figure 3a.
 sts, the part failed at the weld zone.
ared to the welded blank without ablation.E-8   
ern about aluminium pollution in the weld.A-68, 

interdiffusion layer (IDL) in their entirety. 

aused by the local quenching rate.

gnment (Δx in Figure 4a) may lower the quenching rate.
roximately 500 HV to less than 350 HV.B-47 A filler wire with

ge, the critical cooling rate was

he weld seam hardness may be possible,E-8 as indicated in Figure 2.

d seam (re-created after Citation B-47); 

 the earliest applications of press hardened laser welded tailored blanks.
forcement, left/right B-pillar reinforcements,
ally available at that time, 
ons. As delivered, HX340LAD + AS, had a minimum 340 MPa yield strength.

bing capacity of a B-pillar reinforcement.

with minimum 340 MPa incoming yield strength).
(same thickness, same hardness all around)
ties section below)
aser-welded ductile material (re-created after Citation  K-25).

440 steel (Carbon-manganese alloyed, minimum 440 MPa tensile

over austenitization temperature and slowly cooled at 15 °C/s cooling rate.
n hardness (see Figure 7)

and at different cooling rates (re-created using data from Citation  D-22).

al properties over a wide range of cooling rates.

automotive industry include B-pillars, front rails, and rear rails.

S1500 and 20 kg PQS450, comprising 33% and 5% of the

stamped welded blanks (three left and three right),
d PQS550 are presented in the 
ted after Citation L-29).

such are considered press hardening steels. Y-12, G-30 

y Section within our article on PQS Grades.
aser welded tailored blanks with those made from a PHS2000-PHS1000 combination.
th less intrusion.

e-created after Citation B-62).

ot be otherwise possible or economically feasible.

y ArcelorMittal in 2010.A-17 
PQS550, as shown Figure 10a.

introduction of the 3rd generation Acura MDX, running from 2013-2020.

es of 1.2 mm and 1.6 mm.
. Details can be seen in Figures 10b and 10c.M-46
uired, as well as a wider furnace and heavier capacity transfer systems.
troke (known as 2-out or 4-out) to improve productivity
oor ring manufacturing is typically 1-out.
cker reinforcement),

anta Fe (since 2018, 4th generation)

thicknesses respectively. 
e 1st generation model as a carryover.L-61

cura models.
geline (2017-present).

wn in Figure 11a, including PQS550 for crash energy absorption.

six sub-blank door ring, as seen in Figure 11b.
made of PHS1500 laser welded blanks.
for the inner and outer door rings, all PHS1500.

2, covers only LWTBs for cold stamping materials.

xpected release in 2023.
ed by a secondary cold rolling of an already cold rolled and
the process so that the thickness can be varied (tailored) locally,
al-different thickness” welded blanks.

nching rate, etc.) do not apply to TRBs since welding the blank is not necessary.H-7

d symmetrical sections with same thicknesses are written once.

would be completed during the tailor rolling process.

mm change in thickness would require a 100 mm long TTZ.

Citation Q-7).

S coated TRB applications,

of the BMW X5 (2nd generation, 2006-2013).

1  Other applications include: heel piece of
al Toolkit) platform cars – covering many
member of MLB Evo (Modularer Längsbaukasten, translating
cles with longitudinal engine orientation, since 2015H-44, 
Many other OEMs use tailor rolled blanks,
S-107, and M-7).

d with a “master blank” and spot welded.

e piece in one stroke.

ments, as seen in Figure 14.

ion is typically better than

B-14 and L-52).
 e or after press hardening,  (Re-created after Citations B-14 and U-12)

and the associated fixed costs.

riable cost reduction. 

e the patch blanks, and the pre-process welding stations.U-12, T-42

bility phase.
sticity, requiring only relatively short CPU-times
m deviation is common).
h blank blanking dies.

the differences with the desired geometry.

is carried out.

ed in two to three iterations.W-8, Z-12, S-108

e initial fixed cost.

elds for formability.

er of spot welds

 generation Volvo V70 (2007-2016) and Fiat 500 (2007-present).

0 mm thick patch.L-53 
ch, both AS coated, as seen in Figure 16a.
, including but not limited to several parts in the 2nd 
ent)M-45, B-pillar of the Opel Astra K (2015-Present)K-8,
els.U-12, A-73

S1500 and 1.6 mm PQS450 sub-blanks.

thicknesses was also used in Fiat Tipo/Egea, as shown in Figure 16b.B-14 
(see the Tailored Properties discussion below).
 n this car, the B-pillar reinforcement is made up of a patchwork blank.
be joined easily to the rest of the body by mechanical joining.
nce.B-21  In 2018, a global Tier 1 supplier
er beam.N-6

study, joining a patchwork blank with approximately 50 welds

2.8 kW.L-54 

lanks are spot welded over an “overlap region”

pplied in cold stamped components.
ls made from overlap patch blanks that were press hardened.
uding one PQS (shown in green).G-3
m outer view, and (c) inner view.G-3

d soft zones.
ntage of martensite.
ed tempering” may be used to denote a part with tailored properties.
whole and later locally softened to modify properties in specific areas.

gy absorption.
-pillars, front rails, and rear rails, as shown in Figure 8.
tion VW Tiguan (2007-2018).S-13  

esent)C-22, and 10th generation Honda Accord (2017-present).

that the rear frame would deform in a pre-defined manner
for improved energy absorption in

dition (re-created after Citation K-52).

 Citations V-22 and M-8),
old between 2013 and 2019) (re-created after Citation M-59).

pot weld may be the weakest point of an assembly.

ound spot weld of fully hardened parts, as summarized in Figure 20.
low, a B-pillar assembly may absorb 30%
uch as the 2nd generation Audi Q7 (2015-present),
o aluminium components.

ve a soft HAZ, and (b) early fractures at spot welds are not observed (re-created after Citations B-14, H-61, and B-64).

a fully hardened press hardening process) may be used in bumper beams, where a secondary bending may be required to form an inner fl
the force/energy requirements and improve the cutting tool life if hard trimming will be used.L-55

forming die),

al heating temperature has been reported as 750 °C by several researchers. When heated below 750 °C and hot stamped, the part has a te
 th of PHS1500 (re-created after Citation  K-53).

ndeformed blank is being heated, there were four main methods proposed:

f its length, ensuring a uniform temperature distribution during heating. In the second half of the furnace length (soaking zone),

e furnace affects the temperature distribution in the soft and hard zones; (b) in the tailored soaking area, up to 32 zones may be realized (re-crea

mask may reduce the local temperature in the soft zones. Ceramic insulators or machined steel blocks may be used for masking

) an example mask and blank from Citation K-54.

es may be used in tailored heating. Blanks are isolated from the environment during contact plate heating, significantly reducing
e discharge, (b) a tailor heated blank with dimensions and approximate temperatures (re-created after Citation  S-109).

onductive heating while ensuring no current passes through the targeted soft zones.M-60  These approaches are applicable on
t is not practical to apply any of the earlier strategies to get a cold zone in the part. For such components, soft zones are gener

perature evolution in hard and soft zones, in a roller hearth furnace using absorption mass in the soft zone; (b) hardness distribution and ap

are heated to lower temperatures. The technology may be applied to uncoated and Zn-coated blanks; however, AS-coated blanks are at r

the cooling rate is controlled such that the soft zones cannot develop high percentages of martensite. This can be achieved by
perature of hard zones is maintained, but soft zones are allowed to cool.
on is placed on the tool, but the part is cooled at different cooling rates through several process routes.

ting profiles. To ensure the full coating diffusion and uniformity of the coating all around the blank, the blanks must be fully austenitized. O
Schematic of extending out of furnace (not to scale, from Citation B-55), (b) B-pillars made by this technology.A-74

Figure 22a, the uniform heating temperature is set over 885 °C. The soft zone area is then set to a lower temperature and thus pre-cooled
r soft zone areas, but not for small areas. Intermediate pre-cooling by extending out of furnace and pre-cooling using a divided

ailored, (d) soft flanges, (e) soft spots (re-created after Citations A-74, B-68, P-3).

eveloped. AP&T uses multi-layer furnaces, with an addition of a TemperBox®. The blanks are austenitized in the multi-layer fur

s developed a thermal printer which can be a stand-alone unit or installed at the end of a roller hearth furnace.L-56

e is locally adjusted. Areas with a local cooling rate over 27 °C/s are expected to transform to nearly 100% martensite. In soft z
maller temperature gradient (ΔT), leading to reduced heat flow and lower cooling rates. In addition, sometimes this phenomenon occurs u
and 550 °C. Typically electric cartridge heaters are used, Figure 29a. If the inserts are heated over 420 °C (the martensite start

nels in hard zones and heating in soft zones, (b) phase transformation may continue in soft zones.B-70

ortback.B-20 The car had a three-zone B-pillar, similar to the sketch in Figure 27c. Since then, several complicated geometries
roduce an air gap between the blank and the die. As seen in Figure 30a, as the contact is lost, thermal contact conductance (

p (own work, raw data from Citations O-14 and M-62); (b) schematic of a conventional press hardening die, (c) introducing air gap to obtain soft

the heat flow from the blank to the die. Typical hot forming tool steels have a heat conductivity of 27-32 W/m2°K. When ceramic insulator
 the first part, (c) hardness distribution after a few cycles (re-created after Citations B-14 and K-55).

aling a fully hardened part. This can be done by induction or laser, as seen in Figure 32. Post-process annealing is relatively si
depending on the temperature-time curves. Several studies have shown yield strength may spread from 450 MPa to 1300 MPa
g (2011-2019) and X5 SUV (2013-2018)R-27, and possibly other vehicles. Volvo has studied the technology with induction ann
equired to form an inner flange.L-40

stamped, the part has a tensile strength of approximately 600 MPa and over 15% total elongation. As seen in Figure 21, mechanical prope
e length (soaking zone), there may be several electric heating zones across the furnace width direction that can be set to differe

nes may be realized (re-created after Citations B-14, E-12, and O-13).

may be used for masking purposes. Areas that are not masked will be heated above the austenitization temperature, whereas t

ng, significantly reducing oxidation on uncoated blanks. Fraunhofer IWU in Chemnitz, Germany, has developed a lab-scale con
 aches are applicable only to rectangular blanks. Researchers in Hanover University improved the technology to heat non-recta
nts, soft zones are generated by using machined steel blocks known as absorption masses, which have high heat capacity to ab

ardness distribution and approximate tensile strength in hard and soft zones (re-created after Citation  K-53).

, AS-coated blanks are at risk for incomplete coating diffusion in the soft zones. For these reasons, similar technologies (excluding conducti

This can be achieved by two main process routes:

must be fully austenitized. One of the earliest approaches kept the hard zones in the roller hearth furnace, while extending the soft zones o
ature and thus pre-cooled. The rear rails of the 2013 Ford Escape shown in Figure 19b are produced with this technique.M-59
-cooling using a divided furnace strategy can only produce a two-zone tailored part, such as in Figure 27b. Since 2011, there h

zed in the multi-layer furnace. Before being fed into the press, the blanks are first moved into another layer (the TemperBox®) w

urnace.L-56  EBNER has developed their PACC module, which can be integrated to a roller hearth furnace and cools the area

00% martensite. In soft zones, cooling rates should be lower than this critical number. The cooling rate is a function of the therm
this phenomenon occurs unintentionally if the dies are not cooled efficiently and hot spots are observed.B-14
°C (the martensite start temperature for 22MnB5), no martensite formation occurs while the blank is in contact with the dies. F

complicated geometries have been realized in an industrial scale with “heated die insert” technology. In 2015, the 10th generat
contact conductance (hc, the amount of heat passing through the unit area of blank to the tool) is reduced significantly. For ex

ucing air gap to obtain soft flanges.C-4

K. When ceramic insulators with less than 6 W/m2°K conductivity are used (Figure 31a), the inserts will heat over 200 °C after a few stroke
annealing is relatively simple to implement, as the blank is heated and quenched uniformly in press hardening line. Annealing i
m 450 MPa to 1300 MPa, and tensile strength between 550 and 1350 MPa.  In addition, geometric distortion may also occur, si
ology with induction annealing, Figure 32a.H-61  Benteler has been using induction annealing for secondary bending of bumpe
gure 21, mechanical properties will stay relatively constant with heating temperatures between 650 and 750 °C. Above this critical heating
that can be set to different temperatures. To simplify the schematic, Figure 22 shows a two-zone divided furnace. In the soakin

temperature, whereas the masked areas will be at lower temperatures.N-3  Figure 23 shows a schematic of the process. In ad

eveloped a lab-scale contact plate heater that can generate soft zones. In the hard zones (those heated over 900 °C), the heat
nology to heat non-rectangular blanks with tailored temperature distribution. In a sample (non-rectangular) B-pillar blank, tempe
e high heat capacity to absorb the heat from the blank. As seen in Figure 25, correctly sized absorption masses keep the soft zo

ologies (excluding conduction heating) also are used in a secondary heating device after the furnace.O-13   These techniques are listed in

extending the soft zones out of the furnace. This technology produced a part with two zones only, with a linear transition zone (Figure 26)
chnique.M-59
27b. Since 2011, there has been an interest in producing three-zone tailored parts. By 2015, the Audi Q7 employed a three zon

ayer (the TemperBox®) where re-heating is done with masking. Masked areas cool below 700 °C, whereas the unmasked area

nace and cools the areas of interest by contact cooling.O-13

is a function of the thermal contact conductance (see Figure 30a) and the temperature gradient (ΔT) between the tool surface a
 contact with the dies. For productivity purposes, sheets should stay in the dies as short as possible. After industrial quenching

n 2015, the 10th generation Honda Civic was equipped with complicated rear rails, shown in Figure 18. These components are
uced significantly. For example, at 5 MPa contact pressure, hc is equal to 1.5 kW/m2°K. As soon as the contact is lost, the value

er 200 °C after a few strokes. In the meantime, tool steel temperature is around 60 °C, as they can dissipate more heat energy. The strengt
rdening line. Annealing is added as a follow-up operation, which adds cost, but gives flexibility. The number of soft zones, their
ortion may also occur, since the heating and cooling is done in a local area.  Finally, surface and coating conditions may chang
ndary bending of bumper beams.L-40  Gestamp evaluated laser tempering on prototype parts, Figure 32b.B-71
. Above this critical heating temperature, hardness (almost directly proportional with tensile strength) may increase significantly.K-53
ed furnace. In the soaking zone, five-zone furnaces were already available as early as 2011. By 2018, furnaces with 32 zones

atic of the process. In addition to masking duty, the inlay should have enough heat capacity to absorb the heat from the blank.

d over 900 °C), the heating rate may be as high as 300 °C/s. The heater and a sample blank are shown in Figure 24.
lar) B-pillar blank, temperature was kept at 950 °C in the heated zones and approximately at 700 °C in the soft zones. Significa
masses keep the soft zones below 750 °C. When quenched, these areas have approximately 500 MPa tensile strength, over 2

se techniques are listed in the Intermediate Pre-Cooling section below.

transition zone (Figure 26). AS-coating is fully developed for weldability and e-coat adhesion. Tailored properties are reproducible. For thi
Q7 employed a three zone B-pillar with soft flanges for joining purposes. Soft spot weld areas are also under development.

reas the unmasked areas are re-heated to 930 °C. The cycle time varies between 30 and 70 seconds, depending on the thickn

etween the tool surface and the blank. Thus, lower cooling rates can be achieved by B-14, M-61:
fter industrial quenching times (10-15 seconds), soft zones may still have phase transformation during air cooling in the exit con

These components are also made with heated inserts.C-22  Also debuting in 2015, the Audi Q7 was equipped with B-pillar rein
contact is lost, the value is less than 0.3 kW/m2°K.B-70  A Schematic showing an “air gap” design for soft flanges is presented

re heat energy. The strength in the soft zones may be as low as 650 MPa, corresponding to approximately 200 HV hardness.K-55   The me
mber of soft zones, their geometries and mechanical properties can be varied during the project timeline. Soft zones could be a
ng conditions may change, affecting weldability, corrosion resistance and/or e-coat adhesion.L-40, M-61, B-72
ease significantly.K-53
furnaces with 32 zones were industrially used to make parts for several German OEMs. H-47, E-12, O-13

he heat from the blank. When steel inlays (masks) are used, they should be thicker than the blank to have the necessary heat

n in Figure 24.S-109, G-48
the soft zones. Significant temperature drops were observed in the proximity of electrodes, resulting in non-uniform heating.
a tensile strength, over 20% total elongation (A50) and over 150° bending angle according to VDA bending test. The tailored pa

s are reproducible. For this furnace-extending method, no extra investment is necessary other than automation programming.L-56
nder development. H-62, A-74, B-68

depending on the thickness of the blanks (Figure 28). For continuous production, one TemperBox® supports five-chamber furn
air cooling in the exit conveyor. This may cause distortion in the final part. One simulation study found that 80 seconds of air co

quipped with B-pillar reinforcements with soft band and soft flanges (similar to Figure 27d).H-62  As of 2021, heated dies appe
soft flanges is presented in Figure 30c and compared with a conventional die in Figure 30b.C-4

V hardness.K-55   The method may not be feasible for mass production, as the first few parts will not have the same strength/elongation
e. Soft zones could be adjusted for different cars/variants that share the same component but require different soft zones.
ave the necessary heat capacity. Stainless steels could be used to avoid scaling of the steel inlay. B-65, B-66
 non-uniform heating. B-67  Neither of the techniques are used in mass production for tailored parts.
ding test. The tailored parts have narrow transition zones, and are spot weldable, both in hard and soft zones. The technology i

n programming.L-56
pports five-chamber furnaces. K-41
hat 80 seconds of air cooling was needed to transform all the austenite into other phases. B-14, M-61, B-69, B-70

2021, heated dies appear to be one of the most common process routes to create tailored parts.

same strength/elongation level until a “steady-state” is achieved, shown in Figure 31b and 31c. In real production conditions, the producti
different soft zones. B-14, G-48, J-22
zones. The technology is used in the B-pillar reinforcements of several BMW models. M-2, K-53, R-27  
 B-69, B-70

on conditions, the production may be halted for maintenance, safety, or work hours reasons.
Tekan Baja yang Dikeraskan
1stGen AHSS, AHSS, Tekan Hardened Steels, Steel Grades

pengantar
Nilai PHS dengan Kekuatan Tarik Sekitar 1500 MPa
Nilai dengan Daktilitas Lebih Tinggi
Nilai PHS Lebih Dari 1500 MPa
Baja Lainnya untuk Proses Pengerasan Tekan
Baja tahan karat
Baja Mn sedang
Baja komposit
pengantar
Baja pengerasan tekan biasanya adalah baja paduan karbon-mangan-boron. Mereka juga biasa dikenal

Baja Pengerasan Tekan (PHS)

Hot Press Forming Steels (HPF), istilah yang lebih umum di Asia
Baja Boron: meskipun namanya juga dapat merujuk pada baja lain, dalam industri otomotif baja boron b
Hot Formed Steel (HF), istilah yang lebih umum di Eropa.
Nilai PHS yang paling umum adalah PHS1500. Di Eropa, grade ini biasa disebut sebagai 22MnB5 atau 1,5
Seperti yang diterima, ia memiliki mikrostruktur feritik-pearlitik dan kekuatan luluh antara 300-600 MPa
Kekuatan tarik dari baja yang diterima dapat diharapkan antara 450 dan 750 MPa.
Perpanjangan total harus lebih dari minimal 12% (A80), tetapi tergantung pada jenis lapisan dan keteba
Dengan demikian, grade dapat dibentuk dingin untuk geometri yang relatif kompleks menggunakan me
Ketika dikeraskan, ia memiliki kekuatan luluh minimum 950 MPa dan kekuatan tarik biasanya sekitar 13
Beberapa perusahaan menggambarkannya dengan tingkat luluh dan kekuatan tariknya, seperti PHS950
Juga umum di Eropa untuk melihat baja ini sebagai PHS950Y1300T, dan dengan demikian bertujuan unt
kekuatan tarik minimum 1300 MPa setelah pendinginan.

Nama PHS1500 juga dapat digunakan untuk grade 20MnB8 berlapis Zn atau 22MnSiB9-5 yang dapat dik
Yang pertama dikenal sebagai "pembentukan langsung dengan baja pra-pendinginan" dan dapat disingk
atau yang serupa. Kelas terakhir dikenal sebagai "baja pembentuk panas multi-langkah" dan dapat disin
CR1500T-MS, PHS1500MS, PHSMS950Y1300T atau serupa.V-9
Gambar 1: Kurva Tegangan-Regang PHS1500 sebelum dan sesudah pendinginan* (dibuat kembali setela

Dalam dekade terakhir, beberapa pembuat baja memperkenalkan grade dengan tingkat karbon yang le

Terakhir, ada penyerapan energi yang lebih tinggi, nilai kekuatan yang lebih rendah, yang telah meningk

Terlepas dari nilai ini, nilai lain cocok untuk pengerasan tekan. Beberapa kelompok penelitian dan pemb

Gambar 2: Kurva tegangan-regangan dari beberapa nilai PQS dan PHS yang digunakan dalam industri ot

Nilai PHS dengan Kekuatan Tarik Sekitar 1500 MPa

Hot stamping seperti yang kita kenal sekarang dikembangkan pada tahun 1970-an di Swedia. Baja yang

Penggunaan otomotif baja ini dimulai pada tahun 1984 dengan balok pintu. Sampai tahun 2001, penggu

Meskipun beberapa pembuat baja mengklaim 22MnB5 sebagai bahan standar, itu tidak terdaftar dalam

Tabel 1: Batas komposisi kimia untuk 22MnB5 (tercantum dalam% berat).S-64, V-9
Mereka juga biasa dikenal sebagai:

ustri otomotif baja boron biasanya digunakan untuk PHS

t sebagai 22MnB5 atau 1,5528.

luluh antara 300-600 MPa tergantung pada pengerjaan dingin.

da jenis lapisan dan ketebalan mungkin melebihi 18% (A80), lihat Gambar 1*.
ompleks menggunakan metode dan pelapis tertentu.
n tarik biasanya sekitar 1300-1650 MPa, Gambar 1.B-14
n tariknya, seperti PHS950Y1500T.
an demikian bertujuan untuk

22MnSiB9-5 yang dapat dikeraskan dengan udara.

dinginan" dan dapat disingkat sebagai CR1500T-PS, PHS1500PS, PHSPS950Y1300T
ti-langkah" dan dapat disingkat sebagai,
nan* (dibuat kembali setelah Kutipan U-9, O-8, B-18).

gan tingkat karbon yang lebih tinggi, yang menghasilkan kekuatan tarik antara 1800 MPa dan 2000 MPa. Hidrogen induced cracking (HIC) d

endah, yang telah meningkatkan keuletan dan kelenturan. Ini terbagi dalam dua kelompok utama: Press Quenched Steels (PQS) dengan tin

mpok penelitian dan pembuat baja telah menawarkan mutu baja tahan karat khusus dan baru-baru ini mengembangkan baja Medium-Mn

gunakan dalam industri otomotif, setelah hot stamping untuk pengerasan penuh* (dibuat kembali setelah Kutipan B-18, L-28, Z-7, Y-12, W

70-an di Swedia. Baja yang paling banyak digunakan sejak saat itu adalah 22MnB5 dengan sedikit modifikasi. 22MnB5 berarti, kira-kira 0,22

ampai tahun 2001, penggunaan komponen hot stamped di otomotif terbatas pada balok pintu dan bumper, terbuat dari 22MnB5 yang tid

r, itu tidak terdaftar dalam standar internasional atau regional (yaitu, Eropa, Asia, atau Amerika). Hanya 20MnB5 serupa yang tercantum d
en induced cracking (HIC) dan aplikasi batas kemampuan las PHS1800, PHS1900 dan PHS2000, dengan studi yang sedang berlangsung untu

hed Steels (PQS) dengan tingkat kekuatan tarik perkiraan 450 MPa dan 550 MPa (dicatat sebagai PQS450 dan PQS550 pada Gambar 2) dan

bangkan baja Medium-Mn untuk keperluan hot stamping. Juga, satu pembuat baja di Eropa telah mengembangkan bahan sandwich deng

pan B-18, L-28, Z-7, Y-12, W-28 , F-19, G-30).

MnB5 berarti, kira-kira 0,22 berat-% C, kira-kira (5/4) = 1,25% berat-% Mn, dan paduan B.

buat dari 22MnB5 yang tidak dilapisi, dalam kondisi mengeras sepenuhnya. Pada akhir 1990-an, lapisan aluminized Tipe 1 dikembangkan u

5 serupa yang tercantum dalam EN 10083-3.T-26, E-3 Kisaran komposisi kimia yang dapat diterima untuk 22MnB5 diberikan pada Tabel 1.
 g sedang berlangsung untuk mengembangkan praktik yang meminimalkan atau menghilangkan keterbatasan ini.

QS550 pada Gambar 2) dan nilai PHS daktilitas yang lebih tinggi dengan tingkat kekuatan tarik perkiraan 1000 dan 1200 MPa ( ditunjukkan

gkan bahan sandwich dengan melapisi PHS1500 dengan lapisan tipis PQS450 di kedua sisi.

zed Tipe 1 dikembangkan untuk mengatasi pembentukan kerak. Sejak itu, pelapisan 22MnB5 + AlSi telah digunakan secara luas.B-14

B5 diberikan pada Tabel 1.S-64, V-9

n 1200 MPa ( ditunjukkan sebagai PHS1000 dan PHS1200 pada Gambar 2).

akan secara luas.B-14