Product Code: ICA10_1002

Laser Welding Applied to Advanced High Strength Steels for Automotive Applications
Authors:
Rosa Arias, Aimen Technology Centre; O Porrino Spain
Alvaro Prada, Aimen Technology Centre; O PorriO
Eva Vaamonde C, Aimen Technology Centre; O PorriO Spain
Ambroise VandewynckLe, Aimen Technology Centre; O PorriO
David Gutierrez, Ctm Technology Centre; Manresa Spain
Antoni Lara, Ctm Technology Centre; Manresa Spain
Michel GarcA, Gestamp R & D - Autotech Engineering; Sant Esteve Sesrovires ( Barcelona) Spain
Presented at ICALEO 2010

The use of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) in the car industry is permitting to improve vehicle safety while reducing structural weight. This is possible thanks to their very high mechanical properties. Nowadays, steels with tensile strength up to 800MPa are widely spread in industrial applications. However the use of AHSS for cold stamping with tensile strength between 1000MPa and 1500MPa is not so extended. Furthermore, when used, these steels are usually joined to other parts by resistance spot welding, the most established joining process in car industry.

The work presented is focused on laser welding of dual phase and martensitic steels with tensile strength between 600MPa and 1500MPa. The aim of this work was to acquire the knowledge needed when designing new components of AHSS including laser seams. The geometries studied were butt joints, overlap joints and TWB joints with sheet thickness between 1mm and 2mm. Aspects such as microstructure, hardness, mechanical strength, fatigue strength and forming behavior will be presented.