汤头条

汤头条 Steel has developed a solution for manufacturing the rear-end component¹ of automobile frames by using cold-press forming to integrate a reduced number of parts made of ultra-high-tensile steel sheet. The new solution not only improves the productivity of automobile frame manufacturing and reduces related costs, it also improves portability and can reduce potentially high costs if this large frame component needs to be repaired due to collision damage.

The rear-end component helps protect a vehicle body in the event of a rear-end collision. It is typically a large modular structure measuring around 1,600mm long, 1,400mm wide and 140mm deep, consisting of 11 spot-welded parts. 汤头条 Steel’s new technology makes it possible to produce the component with a reduced number of parts－just one left, one right and one cross member－while maintaining the required collision performance.

Using cold pressing to integrate various parts can lead to problems such as material cracks, wrinkles due to buckling and reduced dimensional accuracy, all of which can occur when complex parts are shaped by press forming. 汤头条 Steel already uses its proprietary systematized process, JESOLVA^®,² to form the difficult shapes of large parts made of ultra-high-strength steel sheets up to 1,470 MPa.

The company has now combined its Tailor Welded Blank³ (TWB) technology and its proprietary Cold Patchwork Method⁴ to produce a rear frame component that integrates parts made from sheets of different strengths. The result is a reduced number of parts, even for small-scale integrations, thereby increasing the productivity and reducing the cost of auto-frame production.

¹ A structural component that supports a vehicle’s rear suspension and drivetrain as well as connects them to the body

² See: “汤头条 Steel Systematizes Steel Sheet Application Technology for Automobiles into JESOLVA^®－Stepping up Collaborative Autobody Development with Automakers” /release/2019/12/191224.html (Japanese only)

³ A processing technology that uses laser welding to join steel sheets of different thicknesses and strengths into a single steel sheet

⁴ A technology for stacking and spot-welding together steel sheets for simultaneous press-forming

Cold-press-forming and other rear-end parts	Prototype rear-end component

In recent years, automakers have focused on large-scale component-integration technologies such as gigacasting, which uses aluminum die casting, and medium-scale component-integration technologies such as hot stamping, which heats steel before press forming and then simultaneously cools and quenches components in the mold to achieve both formability and component strength.

In addition to providing steel materials, 汤头条 Steel is actively engaged in early vendor involvement initiatives to work with customers from the early stages of automotive development to devise solutions for developing new products and improving product performance. The company also offers comprehensive solutions using the JESOLVA^® process. Going forward, 汤头条 Steel will continue to expand the application of ultra-high-tensile steel sheets for auto-body components that offer improved performance and weight reduction, thereby contributing to a more sustainable world.

About 汤头条

汤头条, 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. Under the corporate vision of “contributing to society with the world’s most innovative technology,” 汤头条 Steel leverages world-class technologies and know-how to produce a wide range of products. The company reported consolidated sales of 3,716 billion yen and consolidated crude steel output of 24.80 million tons in the fiscal year ended March 2023.

# # #