Launching DP780 Light Wall Tube at ArcelorMittal Dofasco

摘要

Advanced high strength steel (AHSS) tubes become more favorable to automotive applications in order to reduce vehicle weight and increase the safety features. However it is quite challenging to make AHSS light wall ERW tube due to strip edge buckling. ArcelorMittal Dofasco successfully launched DP780 (dual phase) light wall welded tube for an automotive customer. This paper presents details of DP780 tube forming behavior and lessons learned from making AHSS tube. Different forming strategies were explored and compared by using FEA modeling. The time required to successfully launch this tube was reduced to 3 months by the use of COPRA FEA modeling. Production runs confirmed the FEA model results. Good tube, meeting all specifications, was successfully made in the first mill run. The results of this work were validated by large volume industrial production.