Tailor welded blank for fluid forming operation and method of producing and fluid forming such a blank

摘要

A tailor welded blank (10) for use in a fluid-forming operation includes a first sheet element (12) having a physical characteristic with a first value (14) and a second sheet element (18) having the physical characteristic with a second value (20) different from the first value (14). The first and second sheet elements (12,18) are welded together at at least one weld region (24) to form at least a portion of a tailor welded blank (10). When the tailor welded blank (10) is processed in a fluid forming process, the first and second values (14,20) of the physical characteristic result in said first and second sheet elements (12,18) having approximately equal effective strength values such that said first and second sheet elements (12,18) deform at an approximately equal rate during the fluid forming process and local thinning and failure initiation is reduced at the at least one weld region (24) and throughout the first and second sheet elements (12,18). <IMAGE>