Improving lightweight materials processing for automotive by using intercritical annealing

Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.

^* Corresponding author : pdbasoeki@atmajaya.ac.id

Abstract

“Fat men cannot run as fast as thin men, but we build most of our vehicles as though deadweight fat increased speed…. I cannot imagine where the delusion that weight means strength came from….” - Henry Ford. Fuel efficiency and safety innovations are the most important consumer consideration purchasing a car. Lightweight material contributes for increasing car efficiency as steel development for automotive material leads to “Formable-Weldable High Strength Steel” that possesses high strength without sacrificing its ductility and weld ability. During this research study indicates the difficulties in production of automotive materials through TRIP steel, as challenged by a Dual Phase Steel produced from an ordinary commercial C-Mn steel through an ”Intercritical Annealing” route. Intercritical annealing had done at 740°C with variations in soaking time are followed by fast cooling in water. The Ferrite that surrounded by Martensite caused a significant impact to increase the strength of Dual Phase Steel, from 523.36 MPa to 1 GPa, with TEL 0.25 and UEL value of 0.2. By increasing the strength of Dual Phase Steel will impact the lightweight of the body frame of the car. With the higher the strength of Dual Phase Steel then the body of the car will improve lightweight.