PROCHAIN
With an increased drive to reduce emissions manufacturers are looking to reduce material usage and weight in all sectors. One area of great interest is Ultra high strength steels, which are strong, cheap and easy to produce.
In order to use these steels in new sectors the fatigue properties must be considered. In this project the fatigue life prediction will be coupled to the microstructure of the metals.
When a component is subjected to large temperature changes the material will transform on a microstructural level, and this evolution of the microstructure is what determines the material properties of the component. The aims of the project are to refine the current available models of microstructural evolution and couple this to the mechanical properties. With modern simulation tools, it is possible to create models of the entire process chain and thereby produce predictions of material properties based solely on numerical models without physical testing.
Goals:
The goal is to develop methods and tools to predict the mechanical properties, including fatigue life through numerical models covering the entire production chain, using the chemical composition and process history as input. This will be conducted through close collaboration between the divisions of Solid Mechanics, Material Science and the industrial Partner Gestamp Hardtech AB.