JFE TECHNICAL REPORT

No.18 (Mar. 2013)

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA)

High Strength Steel Sheets
for Automotive Cabin Structure
HASEGAWA Kohei*1 KANEKO Shinjiro*2 SETO Kazuhiro*3

Abstract:
JFE Steel has developed and commercialized a series
of cold-rolled and galvannealed (GA) high strength steel
sheets which are suitable for automotive body structural
parts. High strength steels are required a wide variety of
strength grades and the superior formability, such as
stretch-formability, stretch-flangeability and bendability,
which meets a forming method and the shape of forming
parts. Adequate spot-weldability and corrosion resistance after painting are also necessary for them.
Besides, anti-hydrogen embrittlement property is important especially to those of higher tensile strength grade
than 1180MPa. JFE Steels sheet products for automotive body structural parts have met the various demands
by optimal material design and precise process control
with featured production facilities. Developed coldrolled and GA high strength steels have been widely
applied to great numbers of automotive parts and are
expected to serve further weight reduction of car bodies
in future.

1. Introduction
Recent trends in automotive steel sheets include the
use of thinner gauge materials and weight reduction in
order to reduce CO2 emissions with the aim of protecting the global environment, and adoption of higher
strength materials to improve vehicle crashworthiness.
In particular, extremely high strength materials sufficient
to prevent deformation during a collision are demanded
for the cabin structural parts in order to protect the pas

Originally published in JFE GIHO No.30 (Aug. 2012), p.612

*1

80

Senior Researcher Deputy General Manager,

Sheet Products Res. Dept.,
Steel Res. Lab.,
JFE Steel

sengers. For this reason, steel sheets with tensile

strength (TS) of 980MPa and higher are frequently used
in the cabin structure.
JFE Steel has developed continuous annealing equipment13), which is necessary in the manufacture of high
strength steel sheets, and was among the first to commercialize and expand the use of ultra-high strength
steel sheets in the 1970s410). These materials were
adopted successively in bumper reinforcement (bumper
R/F) parts, door impact beam, seat frame, and body
parts, and contributed to auto body weight reduction.
Improvement of forming technologies utilizing FEM
(Finite Element Method) analysis11), and the development of products with the optimized formability for the
forming parts, such as elongation, stretch-flangeability,
bendability, etc. of ultra-high strength steel sheets
played a large role in expanding the application of these
products. More recently, application of ultra-high
strength steel sheets to underbody parts has also begun;
as corrosion resistance is required in underbody parts,
development and commercialization of high strength,
high formability galvannealed (GA) steel sheets for this
application is progressing12).
This paper presents an overview of the design of the
metal microstructure to impart various properties
required in cold-rolled and GA high strength steel
sheets, focusing on the JFE Steel series of cold-rolled
and GA high strength steel sheets which are applied to
the cabin structure of the automotive body. This is followed by an introduction of the features of JFE Steels
product lineup and respective products, together with
*2

Senior Researcher Manager,

Sheet Products Res. Dept.,
Steel Res. Lab.,
JFE Steel

*3

Dr. Eng.,
General Manager, Sheet Products Res. Dept.,
Steel Res. Lab.,
JFE Steel

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure

examples of their use.

2. Concept of Material Design for

Property Improvement
2.1 Necessary Features of Steel Sheets for
Automotive Body
Based on the necessity of absorbing energy during
collisions and protecting the automobile passengers,
high strength steel sheets of TS590MPa grade and
higher are now mainly used in automotive body structural parts. The properties which are considered necessary in these steel sheets for automotive body structural
parts are (1) formability, (2) spot-weldability, (3) corrosion resistance after painting, (4) resistance to hydrogen
embrittlement fracture, etc.
Where formability is concerned, the necessary steel
sheet properties depend on the forming method and the
shape of the part in which the sheet is applied. For
example, sheets with high elongation are suitable for
press-formed parts in which stretch-forming is the main
deformation mode, as represented by the center pillar,
while sheets with both elongation and stretchflangeability are suitable for parts which are manufactured by combined forming, i.e., a combination of
stretch-forming and stretch-flange forming, such as front
side members. Stretch-flangeability is generally evaluated by the hole expanding ratio ( value) in the hole
expanding test (The Japan Iron and Steel Federation
Standard, JFS T1001-1996). Since crush forming, which
mainly involves bending, is frequently applied to ultrahigh strength steel sheets of 980MPa grade and higher,
appropriate bendability is necessary in order to prevent
surface cracking of the steel sheets under severe bending
forming. Bendability is evaluated by the ratio of the limiting bending radius, R, which is defined as the minimum bending radius without occurrence of cracks, and
the sheet thickness, t (R/t).
Together with suppressing cracks and fracture,
another critical issue in forming is the shape accuracy of
parts. Springback occurs when high strength steel sheets
are press-formed, and the poor shape accuracy of parts
resulting from this phenomenon has a negative impact
on the following assembly and welding processes. As a
countermeasure for springback, auto makers design dies
so as to compensate for springback in advance in the
forming process. However, if there are large scattering
of material strength values, deviations will occur in
formed-part shape, and it will not be possible to solve
the problem of shape accuracy. Accordingly, in order to
improve the shape accuracy of parts, it is necessary to
supply high strength steel sheets with minimal scattering
of strength values.
Because many auto body parts are assembled by
JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

spot-welding, appropriate spot-weldability is required in

high strength steel sheets. As a problem in the spotweldability of high strength steel sheets, if the amount
of added alloying elements in the steel is increased to
secure high strength, hardeness of spot-welds will be
excessive and ductility will be lost. In this case, weld
strength against stress in the peeling mode, for example
in the cross tension strength (CTS) test, will be reduced
by fracture at the nugget13). Thus, an alloy design with a
low carbon equivalent is necessary in order to secure
adequate weld strength. On the other hand, to secure
ultra-high strength and high elongation characteristics,
use of a high C steel is effective. When high C steel with
a C content exceeding 0.15% is used, reduced weld
strength is a concern in ordinary spot-welding, as mentioned above. Use of the newly-developed JFE Steel
Pulse SpotTM welding method14) in spot-welding is an
effective solution to this problem.
To meet ever-increasing requirements for corrosion
resistance in the automobile body, anti-corrosion steel
sheets applying GA, etc. can be used in the underbody.
Although cold-rolled steel sheets are normally used in
the upper body, appropriate paintability and corrosion
resistance after painting are required in the respective
parts.
One concern when using ultra-high strength steel
sheets of TS1180MPa and higher is hydrogen embrittlement. This is a phenomenon in which hydrogen enters
the steel in steel sheet production and automobile body
manufacturing stages or during use due to corrosion, and
diffused hydrogen in the steel causes delayed fracture,
namely hydrogen embrittlement. In order to avoid
hydrogen embrittlement, optimization of the material,
and at the same time, use technologies that secure proper
levels of strain by forming and residual stress, are considered necessary.

2.2 Improvement of
Elongation (Work-Hardenability)
Total elongation, which is evaluated by the tensile
test, can be divided into uniform elongation before
occurrence of necking and local elongation after necking. Of these, because press-forming is generally performed within the range of uniform elongation, improvement of uniform elongation, i.e., work-hardenability is
necessary. Based on the total balance of strength, formability, weldability, and other properties, the main
stream in high strength steel sheets for forming applications is dual phase steels consisting of ferrite and martensite phases (hereinafter, DP steel).
The main factors of microstructure which influence
work-hardenability in DP steel are the strength and volume fraction of the respective phases. Therefore, a fundamental study was carried out to separate these factors
81

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure

of microstructure and investigate the influence of the

each factor on work-hardenability15). Figure1(a) shows
the effect of the martensite fraction on tensile properties.
When the martensite fraction is high, the workhardening rate is high in the initial stage of deformation.
However, since this property displays strain dependency,
conversely, the work-hardening rate is low in the later
stage of deformation. On the other hand, when the martensite fraction is low, the work-hardening rate is low in
the initial stage of deformation, but a higher workhardening rate is maintained until the later stage of
deformation. Figure1(b) shows the effect of the strength
of the martensite phase. When the hardness of the martensite phase is high, the work-hardening rate increases
over the entire strain region. The results of a detailed
analysis of the microscopic deformation behaviors of
these steels revealed that the average strain of the
respective phases after 5% stretching increased in both
the ferrite and martensite phases when the fraction of the
martensite phase is high16). Based on this fact, when the
martensite fraction is high, that is, when the ferrite fraction is low, it was estimated that strain concentrates on
the soft ferrite phase, and this phase undergoes greater
work-hardening. At the same time, deformation of martensite is promoted by the action of internal stress, and
as a result, the material displays high work-hardening as
a composite material in the initial stage of deformation.
In the later stage of deformation, it is considered that the
average strain increases in both phases, and as a result,
the work-hardening capacity is reduced, resulting in a
decrease in the total work-hardening rate. Furthermore,
when the hardness of the martensite phase is high, it is
thought that plastic deformation increases near the interface between ferrite and martensite phases. In this case,
the density of geometrical necessary (GN) dislocations
introduced as a result of this plastic deformation
increases, and this also contributes to work-hardening
through internal strain distribution in both phases17). In
DP steels, a high balance of strength and elongation is

8 000

0.05-0.18C-1.5Si-2.0Mn
Average martensite
hardness:7.2 GPa

6 000
4 000

Martensite fraction
72%
56%
25%

2 000

2.3 Improvement of Stretch-Flangeability

One fracture mode which becomes a problem in
press-forming of high strength steel sheets is stretch
flange fracture. Since the main controlling factor in
stretch flange fracture is the ease of crack propagation
by the coalescence of microvoids generated at phase
boundary, stretch-flangeability can be improved by
increasing the uniformity of the microstructure. Photo1
shows a comparison of the condition of crack propagation in two different types of 980MPa grade steel sheets
with different stretch-flangeability. In the low steel
shown in (a), a process was observed in which voids
formed, mainly at the boundary between ferrite and martensite, and these ultimately coalesced to form a crack
even under low strain. On the other hand, in the high
steel, it was considered that formation of voids was suppressed due to the easily deformed martensite. As shown
in Fig.2, it has been clarified quantitatively that the
stretch-flangeability of DP steels is controlled by the difference in the hardness of the ferrite and martensite
phases, and stretch-flangeability improves as this difference decreases19). From the viewpoint of homogeneity
of the microstructure, a single phase of martensite has
F: Ferrite

10 000

Martensite fraction
25%
56%
72%

True stress , d/d (MPa)

True stress , d/d (MPa)

10 000

achieved by controlling the fraction and strength of the

martensite phase, utilizing the basic understanding
described above.
Further improvement in work-hardenability can be
achieved by use of tranformation induced plasticity
(TRIP phenomenon) by the retained austenite phase. The
work-hardenability of TRIP steels is influenced by the
stability of the austenite phase by concentration of C in
the austenite phase18). JFE Steel has completed the
development of 590MPa grade and 780MPa grade
TRIP steel sheets with both cold-rolled steel sheets and
GA steel sheets. In TRIP steels of 980MPa grade and
higher, consideration is necessary in order to secure
spot-weld strength, as an increased C content in the steel
is unavoidable.

(a)

0.13C-1.5Si-2.0Mn
Martensite fraction: 56%

8 000

M-M

6 000
Average martensite
hardness (HT115)
7.2 GPa

4 000

F-M

2 000

F-M

M-M

5.6 GPa
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

True strain,

(a) Effect of martensite fraction

0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08

10 m

0.1

True strain,

(b) Effect of maritensite hardness

Fig.1 S
 tress-strain curve and work-hardening rate of dual
phase steels

82

M:Martensite

(b)

(a) Steel of 34% in under

30% hole-expanded
(: Hole expanding ratio)

(b) Steel of 58% in under

50% hole-expanded
(: Hole expanding ratio)

Photo1 Microstructures beneath punched edge surface

JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure
80

Hydrogen
cracking
condition

70

50

VfM=34%

40
Vf : Martensite fraction
M

30
250

300

350

400

450

: No crack
: Cracked

pH1

0.6

pH3
Service environment

0.4

400
0

Service condition

0.2

400

500

Difference in hardness between ferrite and martensite

Fig.2 R
 elationship between the difference in hardness
between ferrite and martensite and hole-expanding
ratio

the greatest superiority and thus displays extremely high

stretch-flangeability.

2.4 Improvement of Bendability

The process which results in fracture in bending
comprises the uniform elongation limit (necking limit),
and the limit for development of fracture from this necking (fracture limit). The former is controlled by uniform
elongation, and the latter, by the local elongation 20).
Accordingly, improvement of the balance of these two
properties is considered necessary in order to improve
bendability.
On the other hand, deformation is localized in bending forming in comparison with tension and stretchflange forming. Thus, as a distinctive feature, bending is
easily influenced by local inhomogeneity in material
properties. The conceivable inhomogeneous material
properties indicated here are distribution of a fibrous
structure, nonmetallic inclusions, etc. elongated in the
rolling direction. These inhomogeneous material properties, if present in a steel sheet, promote cracking in the
direction parallel to the rolling direction. Therefore, JFE
Steel uses a manufacturing method which considers the
effects of these conditions when producing high strength
steel sheets.

2.5 Hydrogen Embrittlement Property

Delayed fracture (hydrogen embrittlement) is a phenomenon in which embrittlement and fracture of the
steel occur due to hydrogen entering the steel. During
the 1960s and 1970s, there were cases in which high
strength bolts (F13T: Withdrawal of Japanese Industrial
Standards (JIS)) used in bridges failed as a result of this
type of fracture. Although there have been no reports of
hydrogen embrittlement failure of automotive steel
sheets as of this writing, consideration to prevent
delayed fracture is necessary responding to the recent
JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

0.8

P a)
ss (M

Diffusible hydrogen (ppm)

VfM=49%

60

Stre

Hole-expanding ratio, (%)

1.0

800
0
0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

Equivalent plastic strain, eq*

Fig.3 H
 ydrogen cracking condition of a 1180MPa grade
cold-rolled high strength steel

growing applications of ultra-high strength steels.

The controlling factors in hydrogen embrittlement
are considered to be material-related factors such as
strength, microstructure, etc., loading stress (applied
stress), and diffusible hydrogen content. In the case of
thin sheet products, the necessity of considering damage
occurring in the forming process has been pointed out,
and a material evaluation method using a 3-dimensional
map of loading stress, plastic strain, and diffusible
hydrogen was proposed21). The conditions for occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement can be clarified experimentally by performing immersion tests with different
plastic strain, applied stress, and HCl concentration conditions using U-bending bolt-tightened test pieces. JFE
Steel has prepared 3-dimensional maps of this type for
all ultra-high strength steel sheet products of 1180MPa
grade and higher.
Figure3 shows a map of the hydrogen embrittlement
cracking conditions for a low yield ratio (YR) type
1180MPa grade cold-rolled steel sheet. Although
hydrogen embrittlement occurs when any of stress,
strain, or hydrogen is high, a quantitative evaluation of
the risk of occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement is considered possible by fitting the conditions under which
the steel is to be applied to this diagram21). By clarifying
the region of concern for hydrogen embrittlement, this is
considered to provide guidelines for designing parts so
as to avoid hydrogen embrittlement.

3. JFE Steel High Strength Steel Sheet Product

Series and Their Features
3.1 High Strength Cold-Rolled Steel Sheets
3.1.1 Development concept
JFE Steel provides a line of products which includes
83

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure

high YR type (precipitation strengthening steel), low YR

type (DP steel), high ductility type (TRIP steel), high
type (DP steel, martensitic steel), etc., responding to the
strength and other properties required in high strength
cold-rolled steel sheets.
JFE Steels DP steels and martensitic steels are manufactured mainly using the continuous annealing line
equipped with water quenching bath (WQ-CAL), and
have the following features.
(1) Line of TS7801470MPa grade high formability
steel sheets responding to needs for high strength and
formability by precise microstructure control
(2) Excellent spot weldability and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement by low C equivalent composition
design
(3) Excellent stability of material quality by uniform
cooling by WQ and feed-forward control
With the WQ-CAL, the microstructural morphology
(martensitic steel or DP steel) can be controlled utilizing
the temperature conditions in annealing. Control of the
volume fraction and hardness of the hard second phase
over a wide range is also possible by optimizing the
quenching and tempering temperatures, and as a result,
it is possible to produce specific target material properties corresponding to a wide range of strengths and
applications.
Using WQ-CAL, it has also become possible to
secure strength and formability with minimized alloying
elements, beginning with C. Thus, the fact that it is possible to maintain the soundness of welds, which had
been a concern with ultra-high strength steel sheets, is
also an important feature of the WQ-CAL technology.

Moreover, this technology is also effective for improving the hydrogen embrittlement property of martensite
single phase type ultra-high strength steel sheets8).
As another feature, the WQ-CAL is effective in
improving the poor shape accuracy of products due to
springback, which becomes an issue in press-forming of
high strength steel sheets. Rapid and uniform cooling
control suppresses scattering of strength within an individual coil, making it possible to obtain stable strength
and material quality in both the coil longitudinal direction and transverse direction. Scattering of strength
between coils is suppressed by steelmaking technology
that controls the steel composition with high accuracy,
and control of factors which cause strength variations in
the integrated process from hot rolling through continuous annealing.
3.1.2 Product line
Table1 shows JFE Steels lineup of high strength
cold-rolled steel sheet products.
In the TS590MPa grade, which has been widely
used up to now, JFE Steel has commercialized 3 types
conforming to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation Standard, JFS A2001-2008.
As 780MPa products, high type for use in seat
frames, which require high stretch-flangeability, and low
YR type for use in the auto body frame, which has drawability and stretch-formability, have been commercialized. For high elongation needs, TRIP type steel sheets
utilizing the transformation induced plasticity of
retained austenite have been commercialized.
Against the background of progress in forming tech-

able1 Mechanical properties of cold-rolled high strength steel sheets of JFE Steel
TS
grade
590

780

980

1180

Mechanical properties

JFS
Standard

YS (MPa)

TS (MPa)

El (%)

(%)

R/t

High YR

JSC590R

470

610

27

65

<1.0

All purpose

Low YR

JSC590Y

390

640

31

50

<1.0

All purpose

TRIP

JSC590T

420

610

36

75

<1.0

All purpose

Low YR

JSC780Y

500

810

22

50

<1.0

Cabin structure

High

JSC780Y

600

830

19

80

<1.0

Seat frame

TRIP

JSC780Y

520

840

27

35

<1.0

Cabin structure

Low YR

JSC980YL

610

1010

17

30

1.0

Cabin structure

El- balance

JSC980Y

740

1020

16

45

1.0

Seat frame

High

JSC980YH

820

1030

14

60

<1.0

Seat rail

Type

Application

Super

900

1020

100

2.0

Seat frame (TOX applicable)

Low YR

JSC1180Y

860

1210

14

30

1.5

Door beam, Bumper R/F

High

1030

1230

60

2.0

Bumper R/F

1320

1160

1330

50

2.0

Bumper R/F

1470

1200

1510

40

2.5

Pipe door beam

JFS: Japan Iron and Steel Federation Standard YS: Yield strength TS: Tensile strength El: Elongation
: Hole expanding ratio R/t: Radius/Thickness YR: Yield ratio (YS/TS) TRIP: Transformation induced plasticity R/F: Reinforcement

84

JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure

nology in recent years, high expectations are placed on

980MPa as the strength grade which will become the
main stream in high strength steel sheets for the auto
body frame of the future. The 980MPa grade has a long
history of use and is widely applied to the bumper R/F,
door impact beams, seat frames, and auto body frames.
By application, mainly low YR is applied in auto frame
applications. The low YR type not only has elongation
and good bendability as types of formability required in
steel sheets for the auto body structure, but also provides
corrosion resistance after painting, spot-weldability, and
other properties. In seat frame related parts, mainly the
elongation (El)-hole expanding ratio () balance type
and the high type are applied. The ultra-high type is
a type that was developed in order to apply the mechanical clinching method (TOX method) to assembly of seat
frames, and has high local ductility, showing an
extremely high hole expansion property. The features of
this sheet provide excellent resistance to fracture under
severe forming such as TOX clinching22).
In the 1180MPa grade, JFE Steel supplies low YR
type and high type. Since the low YR type has high
elongation for a product in this strength grade, and draw
forming is also possible, door impact beams with the
same performance as hot-stamped parts can be manufactured at high productivity by cold-forming23,24). Although
hydrogen embrittlement is a concern at this and higher
strength levels, this is avoided by the above-mentioned
hydrogen embrittlement prediction technology, making
it possible to apply these ultra-high strength sheets without problems.
The 1320MPa and 1470MPa grades, which are
manufactured making maximum use of the features of
WQ-CAL, possess the highest levels of tensile strength

(TS) among steel sheets in practical application. Bendability, satisfactory weldability, and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement are realized by adopting a martensite
single phase microstructure. Mass production of these
sheets for bumper R/F and steel tube door beams is continuing.

3.2 High Strength

Galvannealed (GA) Steel Sheets
3.2.1 Design concept
In automobile cabin structural parts, simultaneously
with the trend toward high strength materials, the use
ratio of coated steel sheets is also increasing with the
aim of extending the period of the corrosion life guarantee. GA steel sheets are widely used to meet this need,
particularly because the manufacturing cost is low and
heavy coating weights can be achieved easily, enabling
production of sheets with high corrosion resistance. Corrosion resistance is also required in cabin structural parts
for the cabin structure in parts positioned below the belt
line. Therefore, high strength GA steel sheets are necessary in main structural parts such as side members, side
sills, pillars, etc. As these parts are frequently difficult to
press form due to the design shape of the automobile
body, development of high strength steel sheets with
both high strength and high formability has been
desired. In response to this requirement, in addition to
conventional high strength steel sheets, JFE Steel developed a line of high El type high strength GA products
with improved stretch-formability, and a line of high
El- type high strength GA steel sheets with improved
local formability, e.g., stretch-flangeability, bendability,
etc. In the high El type high strength GA product line,

Table2 Mechanical properties of galvannealed (GA) high strength steel sheets of JFE Steel
TS
grade

JFS
Standard

YS (MPa)

TS (MPa)

El (%)

(%)

R/t

High YR

JAC590R

455

635

26

45

<1.0

All purpose

385

620

29

45

<1.0

All purpose

395

615

32

60

<1.0

All purpose

Low YR (Conventional)
590

Low YR (High El)

400

620

34

90

<1.0

All purpose

TRIP

410

630

32

45

<1.0

All purpose

560

815

19

35

<1.0

Cabin structure

450

825

24

25

<1.0

Cabin structure

Low YR (High El)

1180

JAC780Y

High El-

640

815

24

80

<1.0

Cabin structure

TRIP

450

800

26

25

<1.0

Cabin structure

705

1015

15

25

1.5

Cabin structure

645

1015

18

30

1.5

Cabin structure

Low YR (Conventional)
980

JAC590Y

Application

High El-
Low YR (Conventional)
780

Mechanical properties

Type

Low YR (High El)

JAC980Y

High El-

800

1000

17

65

1.5

Cabin structure

Low YR

870

1200

40

2.5

Side sill, Door beam

JFS: Japan Iron and Steel Federation Standard YS: Yield strength TS: Tensile strength El: Elongation
: Hole expanding ratio R/t: Radius/thickness YR: Yield ratio (YS/TS) TRIP: Transformation induced plasticity
JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

85

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure
120

Stretch-flange forming

Thickness: 1.4 mm

Hole expanding ratio, (%)

100

HighEl-
590

80
HighEl-
980

60
40
20
0

HighEl-
780

440

Stretch and draw forming

High El
590

Low YR High YR590 Low YR

590(Conv.)
780(Conv.) High El
Low YR980 High El 780
(Conv.)
980

10

15

20

25

30

35

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(a)

40

Elongation, El (%)
YR: Yield ratio

Fig.4 T
 he elongation and hole expanding ratio () of a
series of galvannealed (GA) high strength steel sheets

excellent ductility is achieved by increasing the workhardenability of the ferrite phase in the DP microstructure. In the high El- type high strength GA steel sheet
line, in addition to increasing the work-hardenability of
the ferrite phase, the strength difference between the
phases is reduced by optimizing the microstructure. As a
result, local formability is increased, and stretchflangeability and bendability are improved.
3.2.2 Product line
The lineup of high strength GA steel sheets supplied
by JFE Steel is shown in Table2. This product lineup
includes low YR type (conventional), low YR type (high
El), and high El- products which are suitable for various forming modes, covering a wide range of TS grades
from 590MPa to 1180MPa. The relationship of TS, El,
and in these high strength GA steel sheets is shown in
Fig.4. The total elongation values of the high El type
are on a level 35% higher than those of the conventional type, while showing ductility on substantially the
same level as the conventional type at a TS level one
grade lower. While maintaining ductility on the same
level as the El type, the high El- type has a hole
expanding ratio 4050% higher than that of the conventional type, and the 590MPa grade and 980MPa grade
display high stretch-flangeability comparable to that of
the conventional 440MPa and 590MPa grades, respectively.
The following presents the results of a formability
evaluation of the equivalent of an actual part using dies
simulating the center pillar shown in Photo2(a) for the
conventional type, high El type, and high El- type steel
sheets of the TS 980MPa grade. Table3 shows the
mechanical properties of the test materials. The effect of
86

(a) Appearance of press-formed parts and evaluated positions

(b), (c) Stretch and draw forming, (d), (e) Stretch-flange forming,
Steels press-formed: (b) Low YR(High El), (d) High El-,
(c), (e) Low YR(Conventional)
El: Elongation : Hole expanding ratio YR: Yield ratio (YP/TS)

Photo2

 ress-forming results of 980MPa grade

P
galvannealed (GA) ultra high strength steels using
experimental stamping tools of center pillar

Table3

 echanical properties of 980MPa grade ultra high

M
strength galvannealed (GA) steel sheets used for
press-forming test
Type

YS
(MPa)

TS
(MPa)

El
(%)

(%)

Low YR (Conventional)

680

1020

15

25

Low YR (High El)

620

1010

19

25

High El-

819

997

17

69

YS: Yield strength TS: Tensile strength El: Elongation

: Hole expanding ratio YR: Yield ratio (YP/TS)

elongation was evaluated at the drawing and stretching

combined forming position of the lower part of the center pillar, and stretch-flangeability was evaluated at the
flange of the pillar side position. The results of the formability evaluation of the 980MPa grade high El type GA
steel sheet are shown in Photos 2(b) and (c) in comparison with the conventional type. With the conventional
type, fracture occurred near the punch shoulder, whereas
the improved ductility of the high El type enabled forming without fracture. The results of the formability evaluation of the 980MPa grade high El- type GA steel
sheet are shown in Photos 2(d) and (e) in comparison
with the conventional type. With the conventional type,
fracture occurred from the flange edge toward the vertiJFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

Cold-Rolled and Galvannealed (GA) High Strength Steel Sheets for Automotive Cabin Structure

cal wall part. In contrast, no fracture was observed in the

high El- type due to the improved stretch-flangeability
of this sheet. Since it is possible to apply high strength
GA steel sheets even to structural parts with complicated
shape by selecting the most appropriate material for the
forming mode as illustrated in this example, high
strength GA sheets are expected to contribute to both
corrosion resistance and crashworthiness in frame parts
of the cabin structure.

Photo3

 oor impact beam made of the low yield ratio (YR)

D
type 1180MPa cold-rolled ultra high strength steel

Photo4

 umper reinforcement made of the 1320MPa

B
grade cold-rolled ultra high strength steel

4. Examples of Application
The high strength cold-rolled steel sheets and GA
steel sheets introduced up to this point are already
widely used in automobile frame parts. The following
presents examples of application of high strength grade
products.
Photo3 shows a door impact beam made of a
1180MPa grade cold-rolled steel sheet. This is an
example in which cost reduction was achieved by substituting a cold-pressed part for the hot-stamped part in
former model, which was possible because the high
elongation of the developed material enables forming of
this complex part shape 23,24) . Photo4 shows a
1320MPa grade bumper R/F part which was produced
by roll forming. This is an example of use of a steel
sheet of the highest strength level applied in forming
applications.
Among high strength GA steel sheets, the applications of the 590MPa grade are expanding rapidly. The
980MPa grade is in mass production for applications
such as belt line R/F parts, side sill R/F parts, etc., and
further expansion of applications is expected in the
future.

5. Conclusion
This paper introduced the basic principles by which
properties are realized in the ultra-high strength coldrolled steel sheets and galvannealed steel sheets developed recently by JFE Steel, together with the product
lines and features, and examples of applications. These
products are making an important contribution to automobile weight reduction and improved crashworthiness.
In order to expand the applications of high strength
materials, continuing development of use technologies
such as forming, welding, etc. beyond their current levels is necessary. Therefore, JFE Steel plans to develop
and propose use technologies integrated with material
development.
JFE Steel will promote further development while
continuing to deepen its collaborative relationships with
customers, with the aim of realizing low fuel consumption contributing to the solution of global environmental
problems and to safe, comfortable and people-friendly
automobiles.
JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)

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JFE TECHNICAL REPORT No.18 (Mar. 2013)