Corus Strip Products UK

Tenform hot-rolled high-strength

formable steels
Te n fo rm XF, XK a n d C M N
Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels
General
Description
Tenform is hot-rolled high-s trength formable s trip s teel
available in a range of s trengths , forming capabilities
and s teel characteris tics . It has higher yield s trengths
than the forming qualities of s tandard mild s teels .
Applications
Automotive components
Tubes
Structural s ections
Trench s heeting
Shelving
Bridges
Silos and containers
Earth moving and agricultural machines
Hydroforming
Roll forming
Benefits
The relatively high yield s trength of Tenform allows the
us er to increas e the s trength of the finis hed component
or to reduce the s teel thicknes s , or both. This can make
products more profitable and competitive by increas ing
the output from each tonne of s teel and by making them
s tronger, lighter and s afer under load.
The s trength and formability of Tenform expand the
s cope for des ign. For example, products can be
manufactured by pres s forming rather than welding.
The clos e manufacturing tolerances that produce
Tenform create a cons is tent, high-quality product which
is already well es tablis hed in the automotive, tube and
other indus tries .
Corus has helped many companies convert s ucces s fully
to high-s trength s teels and continues to develop thes e
s teels with properties and characteris tics for s pecific
applications .
Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels
Products
The three hot-rolled high-s trength
formable s trip s teels offered by
Corus are Tenform XF, Tenform XK
and Tenform CMN, each with a
range of guaranteed minimum
s trengths .
Tenform XF
Tenform XF is hot-rolled micro-
alloyed s teel that gains its s trength
by precipitation hardening and grain
refinement. Corus tightly controls
res idual elements s uch as s ulphur
to give Tenform XF its excellent
formability.
With its combination of high-s trength
and excellent formability, Tenform
XF is s uitable for automotive
applications s uch as cold-formed
chassis and suspension components,
brackets , s ide members and wheels .
It is als o us ed for cold-formed
s tructural s ections and trench
sheeting in the construction industry,
tubes and many other applications .
The grades available are XF300,
XF350, XF400, XF420, XF450,
XF460, XF500 and XF550.
Tenform XK
Tenform XK is hot-rolled micro-
alloyed s teel that gains its s trength
by precipitation hardening and grain
refinement. It combines high
s trength with good formability
for cold-formed applications that
have les s demanding forming
requirements . Thes e include the les s
difficult parts among s uch items as
cold-formed chas s is components
and brackets in the automotive
indus try, tubes , cold-formed
s tructural s ections and many
other us es .
The grades available are XK300,
XK350, XK400 and XK450.
Tenform CMN
Tenform CMN is hot-rolled carbon-
manganes e s teel with a two-phas e
micros tructure that is tightly
controlled by Corus modern
manufacturing proces s es . The range
is characteris ed by high tens ile
s trengths , low yield s trength to
tens ile s trength ratios and excellent
formability.
This product combines high
s trength with excellent formability
for the mos t difficult cold-formed
applications , including s us pens ion
hous ings , trans vers e links , wheel
rims and dis cs in the automotive
indus try, tubes and general
engineering us es .
The grades available are CMN250,
CMN300 and CMN350.
Standards
The neares t equivalent European
s pecifications to the Tenform
micro-alloyed s teels are given in
table 1 below. Corus als o offers
s teels to the exact s pecification
s hown in EN 10149-2 : 1996.
Table 1: Standards: Tenform XK/XF
Corus European National
EN 10149-2 : 1996 UK France Germany
G rade BS 1449 NFA 36-231 SEW 092
XK 300 S315M C HR40/30 E 315 D Q StE340TM
XK 350 S355M C HR43/35 E 355 D Q StE380TM
XK 400 S420M C HR46/40 E 420 D Q StE420TM
XK 450 S460M C HR50/45 Q StE460TM
XF300 S315M C HR40F30 E 315 D
XF350 S355M C HR43F35 E 355 D
XF400 HR46F40
XF420 S420M C E 420 D Q StE420TM
XF450 HR50F45
XF460 S460M C Q StE460TM
XF500 S500M C E 490 D Q StE500TM
XF550
(see note)
S550M C Q StE550TM
N o te : Consult Corus about the availability of XF550.
Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels
Basic properties
Mechanical properties
The values s hown for s trength and elongation in tables
2 and 3 below are for tes t pieces taken in the rolling
direction; thos e for the bend tes t are for tes t pieces
taken trans vers e to the rolling direction.
Comparisons
Tables 4 and 5 on the oppos ite page compare the
properties of one of the Tenform micro-alloyed s teels
(XF) with Tenform CMN. The two final pages of this
leaflet contain a brief s ummary of the main differences
between all three products at s imilar s trengths .
Chemical composition
The chemical compos itions of Tenform micro-alloyed
and carbon-manganes e s teels are s hown in table 6
on the oppos ite page.
Dimensions
The overall thicknes s and width limits for Tenform
micro-alloyed and carbon-manganes e s teels are s hown
in table 7 on the oppos ite page. Thes e dimens ions are
limits and therefore not all combinations of thicknes s
and width will be available. For s pecific combinations
of thicknes s and width, pleas e cons ult Corus .
Table 2: Mechanical properties: Tenform XK/XF
Grade R
eL
R
m
A Bend test
(N/mm
2
) (N/mm
2
) (%) mandrel
diameter
M in M in M in M in
L
0
= 80mm
XK 300 300 400 24 2t
XK 350 350 430 21 2t
XK 400 400 460 18 3t
XK 450 450 500 18 3t
XF300 300 400 26 0t
XF350 350 430 23 0. 5t
XF400 400 460 20 0. 5t
XF420 420 480 20 0. 5t
XF450 450 500 20 1t
XF460 460 520 18 1t
XF500 500 550 18 1t
XF550 550 600 12 1t
N o te s :
1. M inimum impact energy at -20C is 27 Joules, based on a 10mm x
10mm notched sample.
2. M aterial thickness, t, is in millimetres.
Table 3: Mechanical properties: Tenform CMN
Grade R
eL
R
m
A Bend test
(N/mm
2
) (N/mm
2
) (%) mandrel
diameter
M in M in M in M in
L
0
= 80mm
CM N250 250 360 28 0t
CM N300 300 440 26 0t
CM N350 350 540 20 0t
N o te : M aterial thickness, t, is in millimetres.
Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels
Table 4: Typical properties: Tenform CMN300 and XF350
Tenform R
eL
R
m
R
eL
:R
m
A
80
Hole Fatigue CEV
expansion limit
(M Pa) (M Pa) (% ) (% ) (% ) (M Pa) (Wt% )
CM N300 320 470 68 28 50 0. 4R
m
0. 30
XF350 392 471 83 27 55 0. 4R
m
0. 19
N o te : The values shown in the table above are for test pieces taken in the rolling direction.
Table 5: Typical properties: Tenform CMN350 and XF450
Tenform R
eL
R
m
R
eL
:R
m
A
80
Hole Fatigue CEV
expansion limit
(M Pa) (M Pa) (% ) (% ) (% ) (M Pa) (Wt% )
CM N350 431 568 76 23 40 0. 4R
m
0. 34
XF450 486 550 88 22 40 0. 4R
m
0. 26
N o te s :
1. The values shown in the table above are for test pieces taken in the rolling direction.
2. CEV= (C+M n/6)+(Cr+M o+V)/5+(Cu+Ni)/15
Table 6: Chemical composition
Grade C Mn P S Si Micro-alloying elements
(e.g. Nb)
M ax M ax M ax M ax M ax M ax
Tenform XK /XF
XK 300/350/400/450 0. 10 1. 20 0. 030 0. 020 0. 04 0. 300
XF300/350/400/420 0. 10 1. 20 0. 025 0. 010 0. 04 0. 300
XF450/460/500 0. 10 1. 50 0. 025 0. 010 0. 35 0. 300
XF550 0. 12 1. 50 0. 020 0. 020 0. 30 0. 300
Tenform CM N
CM N250 0. 12 0. 90 0. 035 0. 010 0. 10
CM N300 0. 15 0. 90 0. 035 0. 006 0. 10
CM N350 0. 15 1. 50 0. 035 0. 006 1. 00
N o te : Values are in weight percentages.
Table 7: Dimensions
Thickness Width
> M in M ax
Tenform XK /XF
M ill finish 1. 50 8. 00 710 1830
Pickled 1. 50 5. 00 735 1550
Tenform CM N
M ill finish 1. 50 8. 00 710 1830
Pickled 1. 50 5. 00 735 1550
N o te : Dimensions are in millimetres.
Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels
Advanced properties
Blanking
The force required to s hear Tenform CMN and Tenform
XF and XK depends on the tens ile s trength and thicknes s
of the product being cut. Figure 1 (right) s hows the
average blanking forces expected for thes e products .
Formability
Elongation
Tenform XF and Tenform CMN have s imilar levels of
formability for a given tens ile s trength. With its relatively
higher s ulphur level, Tenform XK has a s lightly lower
minimum elongation value than Tenform XF at the s ame
s trength. The typical elongation levels of all three
products decreas e with increas ing tens ile s trength.
Ratio of yield stress to tensile strength (R
eL
:R
m
)
This ratio is a meas ure of the s eparation between yield
s tres s and tens ile s trength determined from the uniaxial
tens ile tes t. In general, lower R
eL
:R
m
gives an improved
s train dis tribution during pres s forming, enabling more
complex parts to be formed. The typical R
eL
:R
m
for
Tenform XF and XK is 80-85%, whereas for Tenform
CMN it is s ignificantly lower at 70-75%. For example,
the tens ile s trengths of CMN300 and XF350 are s imilar
(table 4), but the typical yield s tres s of CMN300 is
approximately 70MPa lower than XF350.
The three Tenform products are s uitable for s imilar
applications , but they will perform differently in pres s ing
operations , which is an important factor in choos ing the
right product. That choice will als o depend on the
minimum yield s tres s or tens ile s trength required by
the des ign of the component.
Hole expansion
The hole expans ion ratio is a meas ure of the materials
ability to withs tand either plunged hole formation or
flange s tretching without cracking. It is meas ured in
the laboratory by expanding a punched hole us ing a
flat-nos ed punch until a vis ible crack is obs erved on
the circumference of the hole. It is defined in the
formula below.
((D
f
-D
i
)/D
i
) x 100
D
f
=final hole diameter D
i
=initial hole diameter
In general, for all three products , the hole expans ion
ratio decreas es as the tens ile s trength increas es .
However, the ratio differs s lightly between products of
a given tens ile s trength. Tenform XK has a lower hole
expans ion ratio than Tenform XF at the s ame s trength
level owing to its higher s ulphur content. The hole
expans ion ratio of Tenform CMN300 is s lightly lower
than that of Tenform XF350. Tenform CMN350, with
its two-phas e ferrite-bainite micros tructure, has a hole
expans ion ratio s imilar to that of Tenform XF450.
For all products , the condition of the s heared edge has
a s ignifcant influence on the hole expans ion ratio.
Therefore, when producing components with s tretched
flanges or plunged holes , or both, take care to optimis e
the edge condition of the blank and of any punched
holes intended for plunging operations .
Springback
Springback is the characteris tic of s trip s teel to take a
s hape that is s lightly different from that defined by the
forming proces s , i.e. the s teel s prings back. The
amount of s pringback depends primarily on the yield
s tres s and material thicknes s of the product. Springback
is normally determined by meas uring the difference
Figure 1: Average theoretical shearing force
Key
XF300
XF350
C M N300
XF400
XF450
C M N350
XF500
Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels Tenform hot-rolled high-strength formable steels
manganes e and no niobium. The carbon and
manganes e values of Tenform CMN are corres pondingly
higher than Tenform XF and XK of s imilar s trength.
Fatigue
The fatigue tes t is a meas ure of the ability to withs tand an
alternating applied s tres s . This is normally expres s ed in
the form of an S-N curve, where the number of cycles to
failure (N) is plotted agains t the applied s tres s range (S).
For all three Tenform products , a fatigue limit exis ts
where applied s tres s es below that limit will not lead to
failure. The fatigue limit is normally expres s ed as a ratio
of the tens ile s trength and is typically 0.4R
m
.
Corus can als o provide information on XF, XK and CMN
products tes ted under s train-life conditions .
In welded components , the pos ition of welds needs to
be carefully cons idered to avoid advers ely affecting the
fatigue life of the component.
Post-galvanising
Tenform XF, XK and CMN250 are s uitable for pos t-
galvanis ing.
Painting
Tenforms characteris tics for painting are equivalent
to thos e of conventional mild s teels .
Health and safety
The three Tenform products in this brochure are covered
by Product health and safety data sheets 2 and 16.
More information
For more information about thes e products , contact
Corus at the addres s on the back cover.
Figure 2: Comparison of theoretical springback for a
bending angle of 90
Key
C M N300
XF300
XF350
C M N350
XF400
XF450
XF500
between the angle at which a channel s ection is formed
and the larger angle relfected in the finis hed s ection.
Figure 2 above s hows the theoretical amount of
s pringback for various Tenform products .
Weldability
The three Tenform products can be readily s pot welded,
las er welded or fus ion welded. However, the ranges of
current for acceptable weld quality will differ for each
product.
The levels of elements s uch as carbon, manganes e,
s ilicon and phos phorous are important parameters in
determining the optimum currents and electrode forces
when res is tance s pot welding. However, fus ion welding
tolerates higher levels of thes e elements than res is tance
s pot welding.
The s trengthening mechanis ms for the three Tenform
products are bas ed on the us e of different s teel
compos itions in particular, carbon, manganes e and
niobium. Tenform XF and XK us e les s carbon and
manganes e than Tenform CMN and make us e of
niobium additions to achieve the required s trength.
Tenform CMN contains relatively more carbon and
www.corusgroup.com
Tenform is a trademark of Corus UK Limited.
Care has been taken to ensure that this
information is accurate, but Corus Group plc,
including its subsidiaries, does not accept
responsibility or liability for errors or
information which is found to be misleading.
Copyright 2005 Corus UK Limited
Design: ELEVATOR www.elevatordesign.co.uk
Commercial enquiries
Corus Strip Products UK
PO Box 10
Newport
South Wales
NP19 4XN
UK
T: +44 (0)1633 290022
F: +44 (0)1633 755064
E: cs puk.marketing@corus group.com
W: www.corus group.com/s tripproducts uk
English language version
Technical enquiries
Cus tomer Technical Services
Corus Strip Products UK
PO Box 10
Newport
South Wales
NP19 4XN
UK
T: +44 (0)1633 755171
F: +44 (0)1633 755177
E: s trip.enquiries @corus group.com
W: www.corus group.com/s tripproducts uk
CSPUK12:1000:UK:04/2005