Crash resistance of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) developed by ArcelorMittal for the automotive market is evaluated at laboratory scale with two types of tests:
– Bending impact resistance test à to characterize steel grades for parts dedicated to anti-intrusion (B-pillars, door beam…).
– Axial impact resistance test à to characterize steel grades for parts dedicated to energy absorption (crash boxes, rails…).
Within the framework of FormPlanet project, the following five materials were tested by ArcelorMittal in order to assess their crash performance and compare the results with those obtained by the test-site COMTES FHT.
It consists of a three-point bending test using a drop test tower and top hat cross-section pieces. The velocity of falling impactor of 370 kg is 8 m/s. Input energy is in large excess. For this reason, the punch stroke is limited at 120 mm thanks to 4 steel stopping tubes.
Experimental device for bending impact resistance test in AMMR
Axial impact resistance test
This test uses a pneumatic catapult to launch a 470kg mass at 16m/s on a hat cross-section part with closure plate. The crush is limited at 150mm.
Experimental device for axial impact resistance test in AMMR
Comparison with COMTES FHT results
The development of these studies has permitted to validate the lab-scale methodologies optimized in the frame of the Formplanet project to characterise crash performance of steel grades for automotive parts.
Arcelor Mittal
Arcelor Mittal Maizieres Research – ArcelorMittal Maizieres Research is the biggest research center of the ArcelorMittal steel manufacturing group. Dedicated to R&D on steel the center participates to the project through its Automotive Product Center, in charge of validating the novel techniques to product crash behaviour in AHSS grades for automotive parts.
