Softening of High-Strength Steel for Laser Assisted Clinching

The conventional clinching of steels is currently limited to tensile strength less than 800 N/mm2 and to elongation at fracture more than 14 %. To realise the clinching of high-strength steels, the sheet can be heated locally at the joint, to improve ductility. Thereby the material characteristics outside the joint should be maintained. This could be achieved by means of short-time laser heating. The short-time tempering behaviour of press hardened steel 22MnB5 has been analysed. The mechanical properties during a short-time heat treatment were investigated by thermo-mechanical analysis in a deformation dilatometer. Thereby laser-assisted clinching shall be established and an efficient form-closed and force-closed connection shall be produced. As a result, the press hardened steel 22MnB5 could be clinched by laser assistance for the very first time.