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³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ Corporation

³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ’s Wall Bending and Restrike Method Selected for Production
of Vital Structure Part Supplied to Major Automakers in Japan
-New method suppresses springback
when forming ultra-high-strength steel-

³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ Corporation announced today that its Wall Bending and Restrike method has been selected by Japanese auto parts maker Kyoho Machine Works, Ltd. to suppress springback, or a part returning to its original shape, when pressing 1180MPa-grade ultra-high-strength steel. The company will use ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ’s proprietary method to produce rocker inners, a key structural component used in vehicles manufactured and sold in Japan by major automakers.

 

³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ’s new method is a long-sought solution for suppressing springback when press-forming ultra-high-strength steel. Springback can be minimized by reducing the residual stress in steel sheet during press forming, or by applying a counter-stress to offset stress that causes springback. The Wall Bending and Restrike method optimizes the shape of the steel in the beginning of the multi-stage press-forming process and applies stress to suppress springback.

 

Kyoho Machine Works will deploy the forming method in a new die it will use to mass-produce rocker inners (photo), a key structural component located at the bottom of a vehicle doorway. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ and Kyoho Machine Works jointly developed the die, which is specially designed for use with the Wall Bending and Restrike method.

 

³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ supplies ultra-high-strength steel sheet used by automakers to produce lightweight vehicles that achieve superior fuel efficiency and thus reduce CO2 emissions. When high-strength steel sheet is press-formed, the pressed part tends to return, or spring back, to its original shape when removed from the press tool. Ultra-high-strength steel is subject to greater springback than ordinary steel sheet because higher stress must be applied during press forming. Springback can cause a part to deviate from its intended shape specifications.

 

³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ provides customers not only with steel products, but also with solutions that they can use to develop and upgrade their own products. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ actively pursues early vendor involvement (EVI) with automakers to collaborate from the early stages of vehicle development. The company offers a wide range of applied technologies in a comprehensive, systematized solution called JESOLVA® (JFE Excellent Solution for Vehicle Application), which includes proprietary technologies for automotive steel sheet.

 

Going forward, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ will continue to expand opportunities for the use of ultra-high-strength steel in automotive parts to improve vehicle performance and reduce weight, ultimately for a more sustainable world.

 

Photo: Rocker inner formed with Wall Bending and Restrike method

Rocker inner formed with Wall Bending and Restrike method
 

About ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ Corporation

³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ Corporation, one of the world’s leading integrated steel producers, was established through the consolidation of NKK Corporation and Kawasaki Steel Corporation in 2003. The company operates several steelworks in Japan and numerous branch offices and affiliates throughout the world. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ͵ÅÄ leverages world-class technologies and know-how to produce a wide range of products based on its “Only One, Number One” strategy of focusing on unique and best-in-class products. The company reported consolidated sales of 2,255 billion yen and consolidated crude steel output of 23.96 million tons in the fiscal year ended March 2021.

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