Estimation of Final Shape of Hot-Stamped Parts by Coupling CAE between Forming and Phase Transformation.

A hot-stamping method was established for manufacturing high-strength automotive parts with good shape fixability. The hot-stamping method has recently been applied to high-performance parts with tailored properties. CAE is indispensable for the design of such parts. To design hot-stamped parts, the forming simulation must be coupled with thermal analysis to consider the effect of temperature on formability. The final shape does not need to be predicted because of its good fixability. However, for high-performance parts with tailored properties, predicting the effect of phase transformations on the final shape is important. A CAE method that considers the phase transformation effects was developed to predict the final shape of the hot-stamped parts. The accuracy of the final shape calculation utilizing the CAE method is also investigated. Hotstamping experiments were conducted to obtain parts of different shapes via cooling control, and a CAE analysis of the final shape for each experimental condition was conducted. It was clarified that the final shape varied by changing the cooling process and that the results of CAE, including phase transformation, agreed with the tendency for shape change in the cross-section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]