New Microalloyed Steels for Forgings

摘要

Microalloyed steels for forging applications have been newly developed in order to increase strength and toughness properties which thereby give the possibility for light weight constructions. The properties of these steels are set up by a controlled cooling directly from the forging heat without an additional heat treatment. This aim can be achieved on the one hand by a further development of precipitation hardening ferritic pearlitic steels (AFP-steel) due to an extended use of microalloying elements (AFP-M steel) and on the other hand by microalloyed steels which employ a bainitic microstructure (HDB steel). To adjust the targeted microstructure the temperature control has to be assured down to approx. 500 ℃ for the AFP-M steels and down to approx. 300 ℃ for the HDB steels.