Methodology for the Analysis of the Process Behaviour of Advanced High Strength Steels in Bending and Shearing Operations

In the automotive sector the application of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) for structural and safety relevant components plays an important role. Typical manufacturing processes concerning these parts are bending and cutting operations. However, the forming and cutting potential of these steel grades is different compared to conventional steels, as the process behaviour is changing. For an improved workpiece quality the fundamental knowledge of the damage and failure mechanisms is essential. This study presents a methodology for the analysis of AHSS in bending and out-of-plane shearing operations. Two micro alloyed high strength steels are investigated within this work. First results are presented concerning material characterisation by tensile tests, the material performance in air bending tests and the development of a modular punching tool. The study is closed by summarizing the damage behaviour along the process chain considering both bending and cutting. This shows the applicability of the presented methodology for analysing the process behaviour with respect to occurring failure.