A new patch line for ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks in Liège
Managing energy absorption is one of the major challenges faced by automotive manufacturers. It is complicated by the continuous evolution of crash test requirements in different markets around the world. One of the best ways to address these requirements is to tailor the properties of the steel used by applying a ‘patch’. The patch is a piece of steel which is welded directly onto the blank before stamping. It reinforces a specific area of the final component, allowing OEMs to improve a vehicle’s crash performance cost-effectively.
ArcelorMittal has built a new patch line at its Tailored Blanks plant in Liège (Belgium) to make patch technology more widely available to the global automotive industry, including for Press Hardenable Steels.
Check out the video to see how the new patch line works.