Quality	Standard	Material No.	Available coatings
HX180BD	DIN EN 10346	1.0914	+Z, +ZA, +ZF, +ZM, +AZ, +AS

Testing direction	Yield strength Rp02 (MPa)	Bake-Hardening- Index BH2	Tensil Strength Rm (MPa)	Elongation A80 (in %)	Vertical Anisotropy r90	Solidification exponent n90
Q	180 – 240	30	290 – 360	≥ 34	≥ 1,5	≥ 0,16

The hot-dip galvanized steel HX180BD in accordance with the EN 10346 standard is a specialized thin sheet product from the class of bake-hardening steels (BH steels). Under the material number 1.0914, HX180BD combines excellent cold forming properties with the ability to significantly increase its yield strength after a defined heat treatment. Typically, this bake-hardening effect is used during the paint hardening process, in which the material is heated to around 170 °C for around 20 minutes. The hot-dip galvanized surface also protects the steel against corrosion in the long term, ensuring high resistance even under harsh conditions.

HX180BD is characterized by its balanced combination of very good formability and subsequent increase in strength. The basic values before bake-hardening are a minimum yield strength Rp0.2 of around 180 N/mm² and a tensile strength Rm of 290-360 N/mm², with an elongation at break A80 of at least 34%. After heat treatment in the paint oven, the yield strength typically increases by 30-50 N/mm², which leads to significantly improved resistance to permanent deformation under load.

Hot-dip galvanizing is carried out in accordance with EN 10346 in a continuous dipping process in which the strip sheet is passed several times through a liquid zinc bath and then unwound in a controlled cooling area. This process produces a homogeneously covering zinc coating that efficiently protects the steel from atmospheric corrosion. Depending on requirements, various coating alloys are available to further optimize corrosion protection or provide additional properties such as improved adhesion or increased temperature resistance.

Due to its bake-hardening effect, which is specially adapted to the paint hardening process, HX180BD plays a key role in the automotive industry in particular. Typical areas of application include deep-drawn interior body panels, structural reinforcements in doors and fenders as well as complex molded parts that are first cold-formed in a soft state and then hardened in a paint oven. The combined effect of formability and subsequent increase in strength makes it possible to produce components which, thanks to the increased yield strength in the final state, have greater rigidity and better crash performance. At the same time, the hot-dip galvanized surface provides corrosion protection for the entire service life of the vehicle.

The hot-dip galvanized steel HX180BD (1.0914) in accordance with EN 10346 offers a unique combination of flexible cold formability and targeted, subsequent increase in strength through bake-hardening in the enamelling furnace. The zinc coating provides effective protection against corrosion, while the bake-hardening effect enables a significant increase in the yield strength without restricting formability. Especially in the automotive industry, this material opens up new possibilities for reducing the weight and increasing the performance of body components while improving safety and durability at the same time.