Investigation of the Micro-Mechanical Phenomena Operative during Elevated Temperature Forming and in the As-Received (and As-Formed) Condition of Novel Automotive Light Weighting Metals

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Increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions standards have driven the automotive industry to improve vehicle efficiency in an effort to meet the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) target of 54.5 mpg (by 2025) as mandated by the Obama administration. This has spurred a recent and significant increase in R&D activity in the field of vehicle light weighting and is poised to play a key role in meeting the CAFE targets. Implementation of light weighting technologies depends on advanced manufacturing processes and novel materials to produce vehicle structural components that are both functional and maintain high crashworthiness standards. Some of the current and emerging light weighting technologies that focus on metal forming include (i) tailored hot stamping of steels (ii) warm forming and hot stamping of high strength aluminum and (iii) conventional stamping of 3rd Generation Q&P steels. These light weighting technologies, and the materials associated with them, are the focus of the proposed Discovery research program, which will investigate the effect of elevated temperature forming and room temperature deformation on the micro-mechanical behaviour of these materials. The objectives of the proposed research will address:****(1) The effect of phase transformations, triaxiality and elevated temperature deformation on the micro-mechanical behaviour of aluminum alloys during warm forming***(2) The effect of multi-phase interaction and damage evolution of light weighting metals****(3) The development of representative volume element (RVE) finite element models to simulate the measured constitutive and fracture behaviour of the light weighting metals***State-of-the-art in-situ mechanical testing will be conducted within a nanometer resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to investigate the effect of (i) multi-phase microstructures (ii) temperature (iii) stress-state (triaxiality) (iv) strain rate and (v) phase-transformations on the micro-mechanical behavior of these materials. The experimental results will then lead to the development of RVE finite element models to simulate the constitutive and fracture behavior of these light weighting processes metals. The characterization results and RVE models will be adopted by industry (material producers, parts manufacturers, car makers) to improve the advanced manufacturing processes and enhanced the in-service performance of light weighted parts. Long term, vehicle light weighting will benefit our health and the environment through reduced emissions and the advancement of light weighting technologies will also benefit our economy, by securing Canada's strength as advanced manufacturers.*****