Application of Simulation Tools in the Development Chain of Hot-Formed Ultra High Strength Structure Components in Automotive Lightweight Construction

The use of ultra high strength steels increases in order to meet the conflict between light weight construction and increasing demand on crash stability in the design of car body structures. Due to their limited formability the hot forming technology is an effective alternative. In this process, complex shaped parts are formed at high temperature in one step and subsequently hardened in the same tool. The prediction of feasibility and resulting thickness distribution is a new challenge for the forming simulation that can be met with the help of the thermo-mechanical coupled forming simulation. Additionally the calculated part properties such as thickness distribution and material properties can be transferred to a subsequent crash simulation.