Hans Christian Schmidt

Manufacturing Processes for Combined Forming of Multi-Material Structures Consisting of Sheet Metal and Local CFRP Reinforcements

A new and promising approach to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the use of improved lightweight constructions based on multi-material systems comprising sheet metal with local carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) reinforcements. The CFRP is used to reinforce highly stressed areas and can be aligned to specific load cases. The locally restricted application of CFRP means that the material costs can be effectively reduced by comparison to parts made entirely of CFRP on account of the expensive production process requiring the use of an autoclave. These parts are thus only used in high-priced products. The production of hybrid CFRP steel structures in a mass production process calls for an efficient production technology. Current research work within the scope of a collaborative research project running at the University of Paderborn is concentrating on the development of manufacturing processes for the efficient production of automotive structural components made up of sheet metal blanks with local CFRP patches. The project is focusing especially on basic research into the production of industrial components. The aim of the investigation is to create an efficient and controlled process for producing CFRP reinforced steel structures from semi-finished hybrid steel-CFRP material. This includes tool concepts and an appropriate process design to permit short process times. The basis of an efficient process design is an in-depth knowledge of the material behaviour, and hence a thorough characterisation was performed. Material parameters were determined for both simulation and forming. For this, monotonic tensile, shear and bending tests were conducted using both uncured prepregs and cured CFRP specimens. To achieve an accurate simulation of the forming process, a special material model for carbon fibre prepregs has been developed which also includes the anisotropic material behaviour resulting from fibre orientation, the viscoelastic behaviour caused by the matrix and the hardening effects that prevail during curing. Recent results show good qualitative agreement and will be presented in this paper. In order to control the properties of the hybrid components, four different tool concepts for the prepreg press technology have been developed and tested. The concepts are presented and the results of experimental investigations are discussed in this paper.

Partial Joining of Blanks with Electrochemical Support (ECUF)

Hybrid materials offer great potential for weight and cost reduction, function integration and improved mechanical properties. A whole range of parts or application areas are conceivable (especially in the field of lightweight design). In terms of implementation, it is possible to produce fully or partially joined semi-finished parts from metallic, organic or inorganic materials. Semi-finished parts of this type can be used in applications ranging from simple reinforcements to complex hollow structures in automobiles. Innovative production processes are necessary for the efficient manufacture of these parts. This is why the current research and development work is focused on making complex, hollow work pieces from hybrid semi-finished materials and on manufacturing methods for the partially joined semi-finished parts. A new and innovative incremental joining process with inline electrochemical treatment is opening up interesting perspectives here. For the manufacture of complex work pieces, the use of adapted sheet-metal-forming processes, like deep drawing or working-media-based high pressure forming, is highly promising and will be addressed in the paper.

Investigation of Cold Pressure Welding: Cohesion Coefficient of Copper

Joining materials by forming is an interesting approach to the manufacture of hybrid (multi material) parts. By establishing a cold pressure weld between metallic surfaces, high quality joints with superior properties can be achieved. Reliable cold welding conditions are difficult to set up, however, since the weld initiation requires extraordinary clean, virtually sheer surfaces. Until today such conditions could only be achieved under a high vacuum conditions. Various studies on cold pressure welding reported that under vacuum welds can be established at significantly lower deformation than in a normal atmosphere. Since adverse deformation is currently needed in industrial cold pressure welding processes like the cold roll cladding of metal bands, a new process with in-line electrochemical surface treatment, is investigated. The ECUF process is intended to supply clean and thereby highly activated surfaces to the cold pressure welding process.This paper presents first results on the weld-ability of copper specimens with regard to the influence of the welding environment: air, argon and KCl solution. Butt welds were made by pressure welding of previously fractured specimens.

Cold pressure welding by incremental rolling: Deformation zone analysis

In this paper we analyse the deformation zone that forms during cold welding of metal pairs by incremental rolling. The tool geometry has great influence on the forming behaviour and the overall shape of the metal part. In order to improve the process, an increase in surface exposure is aspired since it should lead to an increased weld strength. Six tool geometries were tested by means of FEA and analysed based on the surface exposure created between the surfaces in contact.

Cold pressure welding of aluminium-steel blanks: Manufacturing process and electrochemical surface preparation

In this study the manufacture of aluminium-steel blanks by cold pressure welding and their preparation for a welding process through electrochemical surface treatment are investigated and discussed. The cold pressure welding process was done with an incremental rolling tool that allows for the partial pressure welding of two blanks along a prepared path. The influence of the surface preparation by electrochemical deposition of bond promoting organosilane-based agents and roughening on a nano-scale is investigated and compared to conventional surface treatments. Coating the surfaces with a thin organosilane-based film incorporating specific functional groups should promote additional bonding between the mating oxide layers; its influence on the total weld strength is studied. Pressure welding requires suitable process strategies, and the current advances in the proposed incremental rolling process for the combination of mild steel and aluminium are presented.In this study the manufacture of aluminium-steel blanks by cold pressure welding and their preparation for a welding process through electrochemical surface treatment are investigated and discussed. The cold pressure welding process was done with an incremental rolling tool that allows for the partial pressure welding of two blanks along a prepared path. The influence of the surface preparation by electrochemical deposition of bond promoting organosilane-based agents and roughening on a nano-scale is investigated and compared to conventional surface treatments. Coating the surfaces with a thin organosilane-based film incorporating specific functional groups should promote additional bonding between the mating oxide layers; its influence on the total weld strength is studied. Pressure welding requires suitable process strategies, and the current advances in the proposed incremental rolling process for the combination of mild steel and aluminium are presented.

Influence of heat-pretreatments on the microstructural and mechanical properties of galfan-coated metal bonds

In the present study, heat-treatment assisted bonding of galfan-coated low-carbon steel sheets was investigated. Steel sheets were bonded by cold rolling subsequently to a heat treatment in the temperature range from 400 °C to 550°C. The reduction ratio during cold rolling was varied in the range from 50% to 80%. Such high reduction ratios were achieved by splitting the bonding process into three stages. By employing heat-treatments, the mechanical properties of the bonds were improved. The heat-pretreatment allowed the formation of brittle intermetallic phases that were easily fractured in the rolling gap during the bonding process. Thus, juvenile non-oxidized surfaces were formed, which facilitated the bonding between the steel layers, and thus increased the bond strength. The intermetallic phases were actively formed at temperatures of 450 °C and above; however increasing temperatures resulted in decreasing mechanical properties due to oxidation processes. The local microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy in order to characterize the contact zone on the micro level with a focus on the formation of intermetallic phases. The mechanical properties were determined in tensile shear tests. Interestingly, it was found that the galfan coating allowed for bonding at room temperature, and the aluminum fraction was primarily responsible for the enhanced oxide formation during the heat-pretreatment.In the present study, heat-treatment assisted bonding of galfan-coated low-carbon steel sheets was investigated. Steel sheets were bonded by cold rolling subsequently to a heat treatment in the temperature range from 400 °C to 550°C. The reduction ratio during cold rolling was varied in the range from 50% to 80%. Such high reduction ratios were achieved by splitting the bonding process into three stages. By employing heat-treatments, the mechanical properties of the bonds were improved. The heat-pretreatment allowed the formation of brittle intermetallic phases that were easily fractured in the rolling gap during the bonding process. Thus, juvenile non-oxidized surfaces were formed, which facilitated the bonding between the steel layers, and thus increased the bond strength. The intermetallic phases were actively formed at temperatures of 450 °C and above; however increasing temperatures resulted in decreasing mechanical properties due to oxidation processes. The local microstructure was analyzed by scann...