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Sheet hydro-forming was applied to hydro-form a door outer panel using different steel grades. The effect of mechanical properties and the forming conditions on panel properties such as thickness profile and cross-sectional shape accuracy were investigated by both experimental sheet hydro-forming and FEM forming analysis. 590MPa T.S. steel grade was successfully formed with improved dent resistance compared to the conventional 340MPa T.S. steel grade. On the other hand, the results of the FEM forming process analysis showed that the pre-forming conditions were important in controlling the fracture formation during forming and to improve dent resistance, which successfully led to the best forming condition.

Hydromechanical sheet forming (AHU®) is an innovative production process with interesting applications, possibilities and potential for the cost-effective manufacture of automobile body parts, particularly with regard to the use of new and improved steels. The targeted, component-specific use of hydro-mechanical sheet forming in automobile construction promises to deliver outstanding results from both a technological and economic point of view.

Newly developed cold and hot rolled TRIP and multiphase steels produced by Thyssen Krupp Stahl possess great potential for use in body-in-white applications. Strength levels range from 500 MPa for the ferritic-bainitic steels to 600 - 800 MPa for dual phase (DP) and TRIP steels to up to 1,000 MPa and more for the complex phase (CP) and TMS steels. At the same time the formability of these steels is considerably better than that of conventional steels. In addition they lead to improved component behavior in terms of crash and dent resistance and to reductions in component weight. As a guide to the use of multiphase steels, this paper presents formability data and discusses use of the steels in try-out and series production.