Dent-Resistant Brake-Hardening Steels for Automotive Outer-Body Applications

Bake-hardening steels are finding increased usage in automotive outer-body applications to achieve an improvement in dent resistance and, in some cases, a sheet thickness reduction as well. This paper reviews (1) bake-hardening specifications and measurements, (2) processing and properties of various types of bake-hardening steels and (3) effects of pre-strain, ambient aging and baking conditions on the hardening response.