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Traditionally, high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel is used for automotive vehicle weight reduction in the North American automotive industry. Dual phase (DP) high strength steel has gained great attention because it provides a combination of high strength and good formability. The main advantage of DP steel is the high ratio of tensile strength to yield strength, which provides more flexibility in stamping and higher energy absorption in a component crush event. This study compares the performances of DP and HSLA steel grades in stamping processes and component crush events, as shown in a typical automotive unibody inner rail. Simulation results show that DP steel offers more uniform strain distribution, improved formability, and better crush performance than conventional HSLA steel.

Continuing pressure to reduce mass and cost of vehicles is driving the development of new high strength steel products with improved combinations of strength and formability. Galvanized, cold rolled dual phase steel products are new alternatives to conventional high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel for strength limited applications in vehicles. These steels have higher tensile strengths than HSLA products with nearly equivalent formability. This paper compares the performance of HSLA and dual phase sheet steel products in a series of drop tower tests. Samples were prepared by stamping the steel sheets into typical rail-type parts using a production-intent die process. The parts were sectioned, and subsequently fabricated into hat-shaped assemblies that were then dynamically crushed by a drop weight. The experiments were designed such that the entire energy input by the drop weight was absorbed by the samples.