Mar 30 2008
Corus, the international steel company, has once again deployed its unique knowledge in the use of a portable strain measurement system to help Ford optimise its press shop tooling at the company's Genk plant in Belgium, which has facilitated the introduction of new steel on a current production vehicle.
Corus help Ford optimise its press shop tooling at the company¡¯s Genk plant in Belgium
Ford is one of Corus Strip Products IJmuidens¡¯ largest customers and over the last years Corus deliveries to the Ford Genk plant have risen to 70,000 tonnes. As part of the Corus commitment to offer added value services to customers, a team of Corus engineers from the company¡¯s Research Development & Technology Centre in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, has been working closely with Ford Genk using the portable strain measurement system to help them better understand how steel performs during the press shop processes. Corus developed the knowledge of on-site strain measurements to help carmakers ensure reliable production quality of complex formed body panels during vehicle development and production processes.
The use of this new technology by carmakers is increasingly important as more OEM¡¯s turn to the latest generation of advanced high strength steels. By measuring strain measurements on site at Genk, Ford engineers were able to introduce a new steel for selected parts on a current production vehicle after testing to ensure that the new material would be able to perform consistently on the existing press tool-die line up.
Corus was the first company to bring to market a system, called PHASTä, that combined expertise in 3D measurement technology with materials knowledge. The knowledge gained over the last few years by using this system has now given Corus the capability to offer vehicle manufacturers a complete package to enable them to optimally process today¡¯s modern automotive steels with increased confidence. Using a strain measurement system involves photographing a test-prepared panel from different positions using a digital camera. The software then links all the photographic measurements automatically, calculating the strains in the pressed part to an accuracy of ¡À 0.5 per cent strain. The results are typically available within 1 hour, and are used to make often small changes to the press tool geometry that means subsequent problems in volume production are avoided and panel quality is improved.
At Ford Genk, more than 40 grids were used to measure strain levels on 15 blanks for both the Corus and a competitors steel material. In all, Corus engineers tested 6 major parts on site, including two tailgate outer panels, one tailgate inner reinforcement, a bodyside outer, and two other bodyside reinforcement panels. At the end of the trial, intermediate results were presented to the Ford Genk press shop management, and it was successfully demonstrated that the Corus material could be pressed without changing the settings on their presses. The proving process demonstrated a reliable stamping process, and thus safer stamped products.
Marcel Borst, Corus Strip Products IJmuiden Support Engineer commented: ¡°One of the key benefits of our strain measurement system is that it is easily portable and can be used on-site with the customer. The work at Ford Genk is a good example of this. The cooperation between Ford Genk and Corus again demonstrates the major benefits available to carmakers from Corus providing critical on-site body shop support that helps optimise material usage and performance¡±.
Corus has has successfully deployed on-site strain measurements with other automotive customers including working on-site at NedCar¡¯s assembly plant in Born, the Netherlands, to help optimise final press tooling for the manufacture of the Mitsubishi Colt.
Posted March 29th,2008