Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HIPERMAT (Advanced design, monitoring , development and validation of novel HIgh PERformance MATerials and components)
Reporting period: 2020-11-01 to 2022-04-30
Hot stamping process is experiencing a fast development by substituting cold stamping process in Body in White components (chassis and exterior surface parts) due to the significant reduction of weight at a competitive cost.
Main backbone of hot stamping process is the austenitizing furnace.. This equipment works under fluctuating high temperature conditions in the entrance of the furnace (from 450 to 750ºC), high loads due to the own weight of beams and the charge, corrosive environments due to the combustion gases, and continuous high temperature inside the furnace, in the range of 930-970ºC. Under those conditions, failure modes are thermal fatigue of beams at the entrance of the furnace, combined corrosion and creep of the inside beams and combined corrosion, creep and wear of rings.
Beams and rings are manufactured by conventional ferrous foundry and steel making processes: beams by steel sand casting and rings by centrifugal casting. Materials commonly used are refractory stainless steels under ASTM A297 or A351 standards, reporting good high temperature mechanical properties such as high temperature yield strength, wear, thermal fatigue, creep resistance, crack propagation rate and corrosion in different environments. However, they present an uneven in-service behavior due to big tolerances ranges in the case of chemical composition for primary, secondary, and residual chemical elements, local(surface) degradation of the component rendering in a prompt failure, lack of tight definition of process variables affecting microstructure and segregations, limitations in process performance to achieve the most adequate microstructure and linked properties.
HIPERMAT project aims at facing these challenges by the development of a modelling architecture that will allow to fix the most adequate chemical composition ranges for each specific use case allowing the introduction of alternative chemical elements to enhance their performance.the introduction of alternative protective coatings,the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) represented in product and process variables advance analyticsand .Development of alternative manufacturing processes of beams and rings that can offer a combination of a sustainability and microstructural transformation to achieve advanced performance properties and reduce environmental impact.
Main backbone of hot stamping process is the austenitizing furnace.. This equipment works under fluctuating high temperature conditions in the entrance of the furnace (from 450 to 750ºC), high loads due to the own weight of beams and the charge, corrosive environments due to the combustion gases, and continuous high temperature inside the furnace, in the range of 930-970ºC. Under those conditions, failure modes are thermal fatigue of beams at the entrance of the furnace, combined corrosion and creep of the inside beams and combined corrosion, creep and wear of rings.
Beams and rings are manufactured by conventional ferrous foundry and steel making processes: beams by steel sand casting and rings by centrifugal casting. Materials commonly used are refractory stainless steels under ASTM A297 or A351 standards, reporting good high temperature mechanical properties such as high temperature yield strength, wear, thermal fatigue, creep resistance, crack propagation rate and corrosion in different environments. However, they present an uneven in-service behavior due to big tolerances ranges in the case of chemical composition for primary, secondary, and residual chemical elements, local(surface) degradation of the component rendering in a prompt failure, lack of tight definition of process variables affecting microstructure and segregations, limitations in process performance to achieve the most adequate microstructure and linked properties.
HIPERMAT project aims at facing these challenges by the development of a modelling architecture that will allow to fix the most adequate chemical composition ranges for each specific use case allowing the introduction of alternative chemical elements to enhance their performance.the introduction of alternative protective coatings,the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) represented in product and process variables advance analyticsand .Development of alternative manufacturing processes of beams and rings that can offer a combination of a sustainability and microstructural transformation to achieve advanced performance properties and reduce environmental impact.
The project has been running for 18 months. Initial activities have been focused on definition of the failure modes of beams and rings inside the furnace gathering also information of main furnace constructive and operative characteristics.
This first analysis of failure mode of components has allowed to fix the basis for performing an adequate selection of the bulk materials for beams and rings manufacturing and materials for ceramic and LMD coatings application. Material selection has been supported in bibliography and thermodynamics-based modelling using CALPHAD simulation technologies.
Constructive and operational data of the furnace has allowed to define the type of sensors and their location in the furnace as well as the generation of a digital twin by physics-based modelling to evaluate the virtual performance of the furnace subjected to future changes.
Test samples corresponding to the different and alternative bulk materials under analysis have been manufactured in the form of keelblocks. Microstructure analysis and testing of mechanical properties such as stress to rupture, creep, thermal fatigue, crack growth rate and wear have been carried out, and selection of more promising materials is in progress.
Substrate samples for LMD application have been manufactured in refractory stainless steel. Commercial superalloy powders have been bought and used for layers generation and for the HEA application as it was not available in the market, melting of a prealloyed material has been done followed by its atomization and powder generation in the required ranges.
Setting up of the LMD process is on-going supported in simulation added by the introduction of material parameters calculated using CALPHAD, significant advances have been made for superalloys and HEA over samples at lab level. Ceramic application over component like geometries is also progressing modifying slurry parameters and ceramic particles configuration to achieve the metallic matrix infiltrated with ceramic particles with similar thermal expansion coefficient as the base metal.
Finally different type of sensors (RTD and thermocouple based) have been printed over ceramic beams and different configuration of adhesion layers and protective layers have been tested, Stability in measuring for RTD sensors have been achieved at lab level and also trials with thermocouple type sensors are progressing.
This first analysis of failure mode of components has allowed to fix the basis for performing an adequate selection of the bulk materials for beams and rings manufacturing and materials for ceramic and LMD coatings application. Material selection has been supported in bibliography and thermodynamics-based modelling using CALPHAD simulation technologies.
Constructive and operational data of the furnace has allowed to define the type of sensors and their location in the furnace as well as the generation of a digital twin by physics-based modelling to evaluate the virtual performance of the furnace subjected to future changes.
Test samples corresponding to the different and alternative bulk materials under analysis have been manufactured in the form of keelblocks. Microstructure analysis and testing of mechanical properties such as stress to rupture, creep, thermal fatigue, crack growth rate and wear have been carried out, and selection of more promising materials is in progress.
Substrate samples for LMD application have been manufactured in refractory stainless steel. Commercial superalloy powders have been bought and used for layers generation and for the HEA application as it was not available in the market, melting of a prealloyed material has been done followed by its atomization and powder generation in the required ranges.
Setting up of the LMD process is on-going supported in simulation added by the introduction of material parameters calculated using CALPHAD, significant advances have been made for superalloys and HEA over samples at lab level. Ceramic application over component like geometries is also progressing modifying slurry parameters and ceramic particles configuration to achieve the metallic matrix infiltrated with ceramic particles with similar thermal expansion coefficient as the base metal.
Finally different type of sensors (RTD and thermocouple based) have been printed over ceramic beams and different configuration of adhesion layers and protective layers have been tested, Stability in measuring for RTD sensors have been achieved at lab level and also trials with thermocouple type sensors are progressing.
The results from the technology providers span a broad range of technological innovations that include new alloy and bulk material compositions for high temperature application materials, novel fabrication techniques (hydrosolidification, Laser Metal Deposition- LMD, ceramic coating application), new embedded sensors for extreme conditions, along with manufacturing and simulation tools (some featuring AI) that save millions of EUR in traditional trial and error methods. All these results are of great interest in energy-intensive process industries represented by SPIRE. The application of these new materials and processes to key furnace components guarantee their improved robustness and reliability, as described in section 1 and 3 of this proposal. The capability to manufacture these robust components in Europe, with no analogue in the market, gives the EU a clear competitive advantage (AMPO). This advantage is translated along the value chain to the furnace manufacturers (GHI), who will be able to offer an improved furnace to their customers, and thus increase their market share as well as penetrate new markets. Further along the value chain, metal stamping industries like those providing solutions for automotive metal components (GESTAMP), benefit from uninterrupted production processes that enhance their competitiveness with increased efficiency and reduced carbon footprint. Thanks to a guaranteed steady supply from their providers, automakers, and other OEMs benefit from an uninterrupted supply of consistent-quality products. Society benefits from an energy-efficient process industry which produces lighter and safer goods, like in the case of cars: thin and mechanically strong steel parts result in safer, less polluting cars. 100 kg less weight in every car result in an average 1,7 ton CO2 emission reduction during its lifetime (see section 2.1.2.4). Extending this technology to help making aluminum hot stamping a viable industry will in the mid-term further enhance the impact in the carbon footprint.
In terms of environmental and societal impacts HIPERMAT is going to support the sustainable development of the hot stamping technology resulting in lower weight components for the vehicle. The reduction of the weight of transport vehicles is one fundamental way to reduce the energy consumption and thus CO2 emissions caused by transport vehicles. In fact, reducing the weight of a vehicle by just 10 percent can improve its fuel economy by 6 to 8 percent,
In terms of environmental and societal impacts HIPERMAT is going to support the sustainable development of the hot stamping technology resulting in lower weight components for the vehicle. The reduction of the weight of transport vehicles is one fundamental way to reduce the energy consumption and thus CO2 emissions caused by transport vehicles. In fact, reducing the weight of a vehicle by just 10 percent can improve its fuel economy by 6 to 8 percent,