A Review of the Physical Metallurgy related to the Hot Press Forming of Advanced High Strength Steel

The automotive industry requirements for vehicle weight reduction, weight containment, improved part functionality and passenger safety have resulted in the increased use of steel grades with a fully martensitic microstructure. These steel grades are essential to improve the anti-intrusion resistance of automotive body parts and the related passenger safety during car collisions. Standard advanced high strength steel (AHSS) grades are notoriously difficult to be press formed; they are characterized by elastic springback, poor stretch flangeability and low hole expansion ratios. Hot press forming has therefore received much attention recently as an alternative technology to produce AHSS automotive parts. In this contribution, the physical metallurgy principles of the hot press forming process are reviewed. The effect of composition on CCT curves of standard CMnB hot press forming steels is discussed taking the deformation during press forming into account. Furthermore,the effect of the static strain ageing processes occurring during the paint baking cycle on the in-service mechanical properties of press hardened steel will be presented. The influence of temperate and strain rate on the flow stress during press forming and the final room temperature mechanical properties will be discuss ed. Moreover, the issues related to coatings on B-alloyed CMn hot press forming steel will be critically reviewed. In particular the combined effects of thermal cycle and deformation on the degradation of the Al-10%Si coating will be discussed in detail. Finally, the properties of both Al-based and Zn-based coating systems are compared, and the possibility of the formation of a diffusion barrier during press forming is discussed.