Automotive Worldwide

Steels for hot stamping -Usibor

Extract from the product catalogue -European edition

Note: Information contained in this catalogue is subject to change.

Please contact our sales team whenever you place an order to ensure that your requirements are fully met.
Please contact us if you have a specific requirement that is not included in the range of products and services covered by this catalogue.
We are also reachable by the e-mail address automotive.request@arcelormittal.com.

We are also reachable by the e-mail address automotive.request@arcelormittal.com.

Steels for hot stamping -Usibor

Ultra high strength steels

Description

Usibor 1500 and 22MnB5 are hot formed grades intended for use in automobile structural and safety components. The very high mechanical
strength of the final part makes it possible to achieve weight savings of 30% to 50% compared to conventional cold forming grades.

The main advantages of Usibor 1500 and 22MnB5 are:

Ability to achieve complex geometry in both the direct process (forming in austenitic state) and the indirect process (good cold
formability). Their very good hot formability makes it possible to offer steel solutions that integrate several functions (elimination of
reinforcement parts and assemblies);
Total absence of springback;
Uniform mechanical properties obtained on the part;

Exceptional fatigue strength (Usibor 1500) and impact resistance, allowing substantial weight reduction.

ArcelorMittal was the first steelmaker to deliver a coated press hardened steel, Usibor 1500-AS with an aluminum-silicon coating.

The additional advantages of Usibor 1500-AS, above and beyond those of 22MnB5, are:
Simplified process and cost savings: elimination of the shot-blasting step (no formation of scale), no need for protective atmosphere in
austenitization ovens;
Excellent temporary corrosion resistance after stamping, no need to oil parts before assembly;
No decarburization;
Excellent resistance to pitting corrosion, currently used in dry and wet areas (e.g. side sill) of the vehicle.

Usibor 1500-GI galvanized Zn (for indirect stamping process only) and Usibor 1500-GA galvannealed ZnFe (for both direct and indirect
processes) now round out the coating offer.

ArcelorMittal has now added the Ductibor 500 grade to its range. This product is offered in association with Usibor 1500 in Laser Welded

Blank (LWB) solutions that locally provide more ductile properties than those of Usibor 1500. This makes it possible to precisely control the
crash deformation of specific vehicle parts (e.g. B-pillar reinforcement) and expands the use of hot stamping steels to energy absorption parts
(e.g. front or rear rail).

Two safety data sheets are available for each steel, one for the as-delivered product and one for the product after heat treatment. These
steels require no special precautions.

Applications

Usibor 1500 and 22MnB5 are particularly well suited for the entire range of structural parts requiring good crash resistance.
Current applications include:
Front and rear bumper beams;
Door reinforcements;
Windscreen upright reinforcements;
B-pillar reinforcements;
Floor and roof reinforcements;
Roof and dash panel cross members.

Roof and dash panel cross members.

B-pillar (thickness: 1.85 mm)

Bumper beam (thickness: 2.3 mm)

Door reinforcement (thickness: 1 mm)

Windscreen upright (thickness: 1.2 mm)

Potential applications of Usibor 1500 -Ductibor 500 Laser Welded Blanks include:
Front rail (front end, bend and underfloor extension);
Rear rail;

Rear rail;

B-pillar reinforcement (upper part in Usibor 1500, lower part in Ductibor 500).

Examples of potential applications of Usibor 1500

Ductibor 500 Laser Welded Blanks

ArcelorMittal has a complete set of data relating to the forming and the service properties of steels for hot stamping. To integrate these steels
at the design stage, a team of experts is available to carry out specific studies based on modeling or laboratory tests.

Technical characteristics
Mechanical properties
As delivered, before hot stamping (for information only)

Usibor 1500
22MnB5

Hot rolled Cold rolled

YS (MPa)

UTS (MPa)

350 -550
320 -550

500 -700
500 -700

ef (%)
L0 = 80 mm
th < 3 mm
10
10

After hot stamping according to best practices -typical values* (for information only)

Usibor 1500
22MnB5

Hot rolled Cold rolled

YS (MPa)

UTS (MPa)

1100
1100

1500
1500

ef (%)
L0 = 80 mm
th < 3 mm
6
6

* 5 to 10 minutes 900C to 950C type heat treatment followed by quenching in perfectly cooled stamping tools (cooling speed > 50C per
second).

Chemical Composition (%)

C
Max

Mn
Max

Si
Max

Usibor 1500

0.25

1.4

0.35

Usibor 1500

0.25

1.4

0.35

22MnB5

0.25

1.4

0.35

22MnB5

0.25

1.4

0.35

Hot rolled Cold rolled

Available coating
4

Available coating

Uncoated

Galvannealed

Extragal

Aluminised

Usibor 1500

Usibor 1500
22MnB5

22MnB5

Hot rolled Cold rolled

Before heat treatment, the microstructure of Usibor 1500 and 22MnB5 is composed of ferrite and perlite.

Usibor 1500 microstructure before hot stamping (delivery

state)

The coating in its delivery state is split into one ternary layer of alloy at the steel-coating interface and an overlay of binary aluminum-silicon
alloy.

Cross-section of the Usibor 1500 coating prior to hot

stamping

Following heat treatment and quenching, the microstructure is 100% martensitic.

Martensitic microstructure following hot stamping heat

treatment (example: 5-minute austenitization at 900C,
followed by water quenching or die quenching). Scanning
electron micrograph

The Al-Si coating is transformed in the oven (interdiffusion and solidification) into protective Al-Fe-Si intermetallic layers that adhere perfectly
to the substrate.

Appearance of the coating after hot stamping (optical

microscopy)

Heat treatment

Usibor 1500-AS and Usibor 1500-GA were specially developed for a direct hot stamping process consisting of austenitization of blanks in
the heat treatment oven followed by hot stamping in a press and martensitic quenching in the water-cooled stamping tool. All strain during

forming occurs at high temperature. We advise against cold pre-forming prior to austenitization of Usibor 1500-AS. Usibor 1500-GI is not

compatible with the direct hot forming process. Hot-stamped Usibor 1500-AS parts exhibit no micro-cracks in the steel substrate.

Consult us for data and advice relating to hot stamping of Usibor 1500.

22MnB5

Usibor 1500-AS

Usibor 1500-GI

Usibor 1500-GA

Hot rolled Cold rolled

Direct process
X
X

Indirect process
X
X
X

Shotblasting required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes or No

Direct process

Indirect process

Shotblasting required

Usibor 1500-GI, Usibor 1500-GA and 22MnB5 have a good cold formability, they can be used with an indirect process.

Direct hot stamping process for Usibor 1500-AlSi, Usibor

1500-GA and 22MnB5

Surface treatment

After hot stamping and quenching, Usibor 1500-AS components can be painted directly without a cleaning operation such as shotblasting.
The high surface roughness of the part ensures good paintability (by cataphoresis or any other organic painting system). The composition of
phosphating baths does not need to be modified and no pollution is observed.

The parts made with Usibor 1500-GI must be cleaned (by shotblasting for example) to ensure good paint adhesion and a good weldability.

A cleaning step may be necessary on parts made with Usibor 1500-GI, depending the end customer's weldablity and paintability
requirements.

Parts made with 22MnB5 are systematically shotblasted to remove surface scale and ensure good paintability.

Welding

Usibor 1500 has excellent spot weldability for both matching and non-matching joints at both 50 and 1000 Hz.
The product has a wide welding range and the mechanical (tensile, shear) performance of the joints complies with automotive manufacturer
requirements and with standards. Thanks to the alloy layer obtained after hot stamping, welding electrode life is considered exceptional
(several thousand spots without deterioration) compared to that of conventional metal coatings. MAG, MIG and conventional metal welding
techniques, including brazing, can readily be applied.
Based on long shop-floor experience in the characterization of its products for purposes of resistance spot welding and arc welding,
ArcelorMittal can provide technical support for welding parameter adjustment.

The weldability of 22MnB5 is comparable to that of other carbon steels of similar composition.

Matching Usibor + Usibor joint

Triple thickness non-matching joint with multiphase steel

MAG weld

Fatigue strength
Fatigue strength can be expressed as an endurance limit (maximum stress).

Usibor 1500offers excellent fatigue properties (superior to those obtained in uncoated steels for hot stamping) with decarburized surface.
The table below shows 2 million cycle endurance limits, expressed in MPa, in a uniaxial tension-compression test for R = 0.1 and R = -1.
6

Usibor 1500
22MnB5*

Hot rolled Cold rolled

D A 2.10 cycles (MPa)

R=0.1
727
617

D A 2.10 cycles (MPa)

R=-1
475
305

* Decarburized surface after hot stamping with a thickness of approximately 30 m.

Impact resistance strength

Impact strength is the area in which Usibor 1500and 22MnB5 come into their own. We can supply detailed information about the
exceptional impact strength and the anti-intrusion properties of these two products.
When these steels are used, it is possible to reduce weight by 30% to 50% compared to conventional steel grades while achieving the same
crash performance.
The example below shows the results of a three point bending flexural test at 29 kph with 10 kJ energy equivalent. The maximum loads
recorded on specimens with an top-hat type cross-section and 1.5 mm thickness are shown. This example demonstrates the potential weight
reduction offered by hot stamped steels compared to more conventional steels.

Specimen shape used in the three point bending flexural test

Ultimate load measured during a bending flexural test at 29

kph (10kJ)
(thickness: 1.5 mm)

Three point bending flexural test specimen before and after

crash test

ArcelorMittal | Last update: 13-04-2016