ENGINEERING MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

STEEL, SHEET, BORON TREATED, HIGH STRENGTH WSS-M1A322-A3

(EUROPEAN APPLICATIONS)

1. SCOPE

The material defined by this specification is a fully killed, fine grained, high strength boron treated steel
and shall comply with WSS-M99A3-A. It may be coated by a hot dip Aluminum + Silicon coating.
Component manufacture shall be via the combined hot forming/die quenching route.

2. APPLICATION

This specification was released originally for 'A' & 'B' pillar reinforcements, where a high strength to
weight ratio is required. High strength and toughness is obtained in the component via the combined
hot forming/die quenching route. Due to the critical nature of processing, this specification was written
for European applications only. For applications in other regions, contact Materials Engineering.

Note: Due to the hardenability response of these materials, individual welding schedules must be
developed for each application (see also para 3.5.4).

3. REQUIREMENTS

Material specification requirements are to be used for initial qualification of materials.

3.1 STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCTION MATERIALS

Material suppliers and part producers must conform to the Company's Standard Requirements
For Production Materials (WSS-M99P1111-A).

3.2 SYSTEMS APPROVAL

The material described by this specification shall be subject to a source "systems approval", i.e.
both the component supplier and steel supplier shall be approved in tandem.

3.3 DIMENSIONS AND DIMENSIONAL TOLERANCES

3.3.1 Thickness and thickness tolerances (see para 4.2 )

These shall be defined by the relevant company activity. The thickness specified on
the engineering drawing or CAD (computer aided design) file shall be a nominal.

3.3.2 Use of Engineering Specifications for Thickness (see also para 4.2)

This para is for FOE (Ford of Europe) and PAG (Premier Automotive Group) ONLY.
Parts newly designed (ie. not 'carry-over') for 2006 model year onwards (beginning
with EuCD), shall satisfy the thickness and thickness tolerance requirements of
ES6G91-1N260-A(-)**.

Date Action Revisions

2006 05 03 Revised Revised 3.5.3, 4.5 (spelling), 4.7, Added 3.3.2 & 4.8, was 4 pages; Del 4.6
K J Thurgood (Ford PDE); S Buckingham (JLR)
2004 07 27 Activated K J Thurgood (Ford PDE); S Buckingham (Jaguar)
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Exceptions to this (for FOE) shall be authorised by PDE Materials Engineering &
Testing (ME&T) via MAS (Materials Authorisation System); local procedure
V1P-03-132 refers.

Exceptions to this (for PAG) shall be authorised by Materials Engineering.

(** the currently released level)

3.4 OTHER DIMENSIONS, TOLERANCES AND ASSOCIATED ITEMS

. These shall be defined by the relevant national standards (see para 4.3 )

. As appropriate to the relevant national standards, the title of this paragraph shall be
interpreted to include length, width, flatness, camber and mass.

3.5 REQUIREMENTS FOR FINISHED COMPONENTS

3.5.1 Mechanical Properties (after hot forming/die quenching)

(Longitudinal Tensile Specimens) (50 mm Gauge Length (A5 is permissible))
(ISO 6892/ASTM E 8M/EN 10002)

Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa) 1300 min

Yield Strength (MPa) (see also para 4.6) 950 min
% Elongation 4 min (A5: 6 min)

Unless it is impractical to do so or is otherwise stated on the component engineering

drawing or CAD file, tensile specimens shall be taken from the finished component.

3.5.2 Chemical Composition (weight percent for heat or cast (ladle))

Carbon Silicon Manganese Phosphorus Sulphur Chromium

0.20 - 0.25 0.15 - 0.50 1.00 - 1.40 0.030 max 0.025 max 0.10 - 0.35

Molybdenum Boron Titanium Aluminum C. E.

0.35 max 0.0015 - 0.0050 ** **** 0.60 max.

(** means sufficient to combine with any nitrogen) (see also 4.4)
(**** means sufficient to fully kill the steel) (see also 4.4)

C.E. is defined as %C + %Mn/6 + %(Cr + Mo + V)/5 + %(Ni + Cu)/15

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3.5.3 Formability

The quality level of steel supplied to fabricate a specific component shall be

negotiated between the manufacturing activity and the steel supplier. Steel
cleanliness may involve the use of a mutually agreed referee method. Acceptance of
subsequent orders by the steel supplier for a given component at the agreed upon
quality level implies that all steel supplied will be of a comparable quality level and will
form that part satisfactorily as defined by the manufacturing activity.

The company may, at its option and in agreement with the steel supplier, define
characteristics such as mechanical properties, testing direction, formability, surface
texture, oiling, thickness & width tolerances, weld identification in the coil, rolling mill
roll texturing method. The current mechanism for doing this within the Ford of Europe
(FOE) and PAG Consumer Business Groups (CBG) is the Stamping Engineering
Metal Specification Database (MSDB). The primary source of information for the
MSDB is the current issue of ES-6H52-00001-A*. These characteristics shall
comprise some of the data on the EU2066 form (part of the supply ordering process).
Such EU2066 forms shall be a mandatory extension of these engineering material
specifications. No characteristic shall conflict with these engineering material
specifications.

3.5.4 Weldability

The Carbon Equivalent (C.E.) of the material will always exceed 0.21%. Accordingly,
to demonstrate acceptable weldability for uncoated and coated (Aluminum + Silicon)
material as part of the source approval process (see paragraph 4 in
WSS-M99P1111-A):

A suitable spot welding technique and the number of spot welds to be tested shall be
agreed between the material supplier and the relevant company activity, prior to the
commencement of the source approval process. This agreed technique shall
consistently produce spot welds which never experience any interfacial fracture when
tested in cross tension**, regardless of the material gauge (thickness) or the strain
rate. No cracks leading to fracture in cross tension testing shall be present after
welding***.

The aforementioned spot welding technique and associated parameters shall form
part of the Approved Source List (ASL) entry for Ford (or a database nominated by
the relevant company activity) and should be established at the time of ordering the
material.

C.E. is defined as %C + %Mn/6 + %(Cr + Mo + V)/5 + %(Ni + Cu)/15

**Note: Testing in peel or shear would sometimes be expected to result in a degree

of interfacial fracture.

***Note: Prior to cross tension testing, the welds shall be optically examined at a
magnification of X20. The position of any such cracks shall be marked to
assist in the assessment of the cross tension testing. In the case of dispute
as to the existence of a crack, metallographic sectioning and optical
microscopy at a magnification of X200, shall be the umpire method.

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3.5.5 Surface Finish and Appearance

These specifications define the surface appearance as Class 3, i.e. they shall be
specified for parts of the vehicle that are concealed during normal use. The mean
surface roughness Ra, the surface waviness Wca and the peak density are not
defined. The finished component shall be free from scale and this requirement should
be repeated on the engineering drawing or in the CAD file.

3.5.5.1 Optional Hot Dip Aluminum + Silicon Coating

If stated on the engineering release/engineering drawing/CAD file, the

material, prior to hot forming/die quenching, shall be hot dip aluminized
according to WSD-M1A295-A2: paragraphs 3.4 to 3.7, with the exception
that coating weight will be measured in accordance with EN 10327.

3.5.6 Paintability

Material supplied to these specifications must have prior approval for paintability by
the responsible company activity. This approval shall be based on samples prepared
to local process and performance requirements.

4. GENERAL INFORMATION

The information given below is provided for clarification and assistance in meeting the requirements of
this specification.

4.1 INITIAL SUPPLIER APPROVAL BY FORD

For initial approval, the supplier should furnish the following information for each variant:

. A plan detailing how each requirement of para 3 will be controlled on a continuing basis.

. Test results from a typical production sample for the requirements outlined in para 3, with
the exception that paintability testing should be conducted on one sample.
. The intent of para 3.5.4 is that the material supplier should assess material that aims
towards the highest chemistry and thinnest gauge (i.e. the most difficult material to spot
weld) for any given grade.

Upon approval, the materials will be added to the Engineering Material Approved Source List.

4.2 THICKNESS TOLERANCE

If and when choosing a nominal gauge from ES-6G91-1N260-A(-), if the previous choice of
gauge was minimum (eg. when copying from a previous design for a new component (part)), it
is important to avoid generating an inadvertent increase in the ACTUAL thickness of the part.
Careful consideration should be given to gauge selection on a part by part basis

4.3 OTHER DIMENSIONS, TOLERANCES AND ASSOCIATED ITEMS

Examples of the relevant national standards are:

EN 10051, ASTM A 568M

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4.4 TYPICAL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION (weight percent) (see 3.5.2)

Titanium: 0.03 to 0.05 (Greater than or equal to the 3.4 x Nitrogen level)
Aluminum: 0.02 to 0.06

4.5 COATING PROPERTIES AFTER FORMING (see paras 3.5.5 and 3.5.5.1)

Where the hot dip Aluminum + Silicon coating is employed, the coating composition changes
after hot forming into a diffusion type coating with a multilayer and multiphase structure. The
coating contains several intermetallic phases of the following general composition: AlxFeySiz.
The coating has a typically banded structure of different intermetallic phases consisting mainly
of two phases with 50 - 60% Al and 45 - 55% Fe in the lower layer and 60 - 70% Al and 30 -
40% Fe with less than 10% Si and traces of other elements in the upper layer. At the base of
the coating there is a diffusion zone between the steel substrate and the intermetallic phases
with continuously increasing Al and decreasing Fe content of approximately 5-10 µm in
thickness.

Surface roughness (Ra) after hot forming and heat treatment will typically be in the range 1.8
µm to 4.0 µm at a 2.5mm cut-off limit.

Coating thickness after forming and heat treatment will typically be in the range 28 to 48 µm.
This can be measured magneto-inductively using an uncoated as-rolled surface to calibrate. In
the case of dispute, metallographic sectioning and optical microscopy at a magnification of
X200, shall be the umpire method.

4.7 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

The reference documents are:

ASTM E 8M WSS-M99A3-A ISO 6892

WSS-M99P9999-A1 ASTM A 568M EN 10002
EN 10051 ES-6G91-1N260-A(-) WSS-M99P1111-A
V1P-03-132 ES-6H52-00001-A*

4.8 METHOD OF SPECIFYING

The specification on the Engineering Drawing or CAD file shall include, if applicable, the surface
quality; also the coating(s), as defined in section 3.5.5.1.

e.g. Steel, Sheet, Cold Rolled, Boron, Aluminum + Silicon coated, would be specified thus:

WSS-M1A322-A3 + Aluminum Silicon coating (Boron + AlSi)

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