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Ultra high strength steels have contributed to weight reduction in automobiles. However, due to the poor formability of these materials, it is difficult to manufacture automotive parts with complex shapes using conventional sheet metal forming techniques such as deep drawing, bulging, and stretch flange forming. In this study, a bend-forming technology which enables forming of complex shapes with ultra high strength steel sheets is investigated. The target part was a front side member extension (FSM EXT) of a white body. The part has a dogleg shape and must provide adequate crashworthiness. The basic structure of the FSM EXT produced by this bend-forming technology was proposed. A bend-forming process consisting of three stages was proposed from the standpoint of commercial production. FSM EXT prototypes showed excellent crashworthiness in FEM simulations and crash tests.

Electric-motor-driven vehicles have attractive performance attributes not only for environmental solutions but also for vehicle motion control. An electric motor offers significant advantages such as fast torque response, accurate estimation of torque output and the possibility of distributing motors independently in each wheel. These advantages effectively contribute to advanced motion control. In this study, two feedback controllers were constructed for skid prevention during vehicle acceleration. A model-following controller was used to consider the influence of back electromotive force and a slip ratio controller was used to consider the interaction between traction wheels.

New type of IF high strength steel (HSS) has been developed by hybridizing the grain refinement and the supplemental solid-solution hardening. Grain refinement was achieved by the fine distribution of carbide under the appropriate combination of the higher carbon content near 60ppm and niobium. Although the grain refinement is an effective method to improve the toughness of steel, this method has not been taken into consideration in view of formability. While this steel has the fine grain structure, yield ratio is decreased due to the unique carbide distribution, and r-value is improved by the favorable texture formation. As the result, it has been clarified that a new type of 440MPa grade grain-refined IF-HSS improved the press-formability and exhibited a superior secondary work-embrittlement to the conventional IF-HSS.

A new 5xxx-series aluminum alloy, which was designed to have an excellent paint-bake-hardenability with practically no room-temperature aging, has been developed for automobile body sheets. The alloy contains 2∼3%Mg with additional amounts of Cu and Si. Yield strength in the as-shipped condition is very low, 80∼100MPa, but it can be increased by as much as about 60MPa through 2% stretch and paint-bake at 170°C. Such an excellent response to paint-bake was revealed to result from Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatskii(GPB) zone formation and enhanced by the optimum addition of Si. Density of vacancies in the alloy was reduced through a special annealing process to suppress room-temperature aging. Press-forming for fender outer and engine hood inner panels was done, and the alloy was demonstrated to have formability superior to 6xxx-series alloys and Al-4.5%Mg alloys, due to the reduced initial yield strength which also suppressed susceptibility to spring back.