Evaluation of the Annealing Temperature Effect on the Mechanical Properties of a IF Steel by Means of Physical Simulation

Interstitial-free (IF) sheet steels are largely used in automotive deep-drawing applications, as they offer both good formability and adequate strength for auto bodies. In order to improve the corrosion resistance they are usually coated, mostly by hot-dip galvanizing. In the present work two IF steels purposely designed for a specific continuous hot-dip galvanizing line are investigated. The employed methodology, based on physical simulation, is presented and discussed in the paper. Its reliability is demonstrated by comparing some experimental and industrial results. The simulated specimens are tensile tested and the effects of annealing temperature and line speed on their mechanical properties are evaluated.