CO2 reduction − material and forming technology are crucial

Hot forming is a forward-looking, effective technology that can significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of a component. The use of materials plays a decisive role here. Together with VW, KIRCHHOFF Automotive has therefore been working on the material and process development of a silicon-boron steel grade "SIBORA" for a modified hot forming process, the so-called BQP process. SIBORA is a new steel grade that has a high strength in the press-hardened state and also a higher residual formability due to its content of bainite and metastable retained austenite. Tests of a hot-formed B-pillar (see image) made of SIBORA material under series production conditions show that an improvement in crash safety can be achieved as a result of higher energy absorption with a simultaneous reduction in body mass.