ArcelorMittal entered into a licensing agreement of its Usibor part processing technology patent with AK Steel. This licensing agreement is a part of the settlement of a patent infringement case that has been pending in the Federal District Court for the District of Delaware between the two companies.

The result offers the US automotive industry an additional alternative for hot stamping aluminized boron press hardenable steel products.

Top: Usibor 1500 microstructure before hot-stamping heat treatment (delivery condition). Bottom: Usibor 1500 martensitic microstructure following hot-stamping heat treatment (example: 5-minute austenitisation at 900 °C, followed by water quenching or die quenching). Scanning electron micrograph.

Usibor is a hot-formed grade intended for use in automotive structural and safety components. Due to their high strength, Usibor steels are particularly suitable for anti-intrusion parts for which an ultimate load before collapse is required. The most common applications are:

• Front and rear bumper beams;
• Door reinforcements;
• Windshield pillar reinforcements;
• B-pillar reinforcements;
• Floor and roof reinforcements;
• Roof and dash panel crossmembers.

Typical applications of Usibor (in dark orange).

Under this agreement with AK Steel, ArcelorMittal grants right for AK Steel to allow its customers to stamp and use AK’s ULTRALUME PHS product in the United States, Canada and Mexico. ULTRALUME PHS is a press-hardenable, aluminized, boron steel for applications approaching strengths up to 1500 MPa.

AK Steel will be the sole licensee, along with subsidiaries of ArcelorMittal, permitted to produce aluminized boron press hardenable steel in the United States, Canada or Mexico able to be processed as per licensed ArcelorMittal’s patent about its Usibor part processing technology.

This licensing agreement is a part of the settlement of a patent infringement case that has been pending in the Federal District Court for the District of Delaware between the parties. ArcelorMittal says it is satisfied to have been able to reach a solution aiming at developing automotive product markets.