We first mentioned the file belt sander in the Collision Repair News Article - Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel back on June 9, 2014. Did you also know that it can be quite the useful tool for removing rivets?
When spot welding is used during repairs, UHSS may not weld the same as mild steel. The welder will need a different setting for UHSS to make a good weld. The vehicle maker may also have requirements for a specific spot welding machine that may have preset programs for specific applications. Some spot welders may only need the sheet thickness and the type of material to be input and the welder will make the necessary adjustments.
When GMA welding ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS), like boron-alloyed steel, there are a few additional things to consider. Most UHSS parts are typically replaced using squeeze-type resistance spot welds (STRSW) at a factory seam and GMA plug welds used to attach the part where a spot welder cannot reach.
With so much boron-allowed steel, does a plasma arc cutter even belong in a modern collision repair facility? The simple answer is yes but in limited areas, and it should be used at the lowest setting that can still effectively cut the material.
When attempting to cut boron-alloyed steel using a cutoff wheel, you may question whether you will even be able to cut the part or just be using up discs?
Ever hear how an air chisel is for mechanics and nothing more than a crude tool for cutting a hole in a part to gain access? Would you ever use it to remove an exterior body panel from a reinforcement?
How do you remove spot welds on something that is harder than a drill bit? Well you could always use a file belt sander.
To drill or not to drill, that is the question or more appropriately "how do I drill boron-alloyed steel so I don't keep going through drill bits?" Many of us have asked ourselves this when working with boron-alloyed steel or ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS).
Knowing whether or not a part is made of boron-alloyed steel is important for repairs and replacement. OEM repair information is the best source to identify if a part is UHSS.decisions. The location of the part can be used to determine if the part is likely to be an ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) part. However, part location is not definitive, the part could be boron-alloyed steel or it could be a part that is below 600MPa steel. The location will help to prompt further research into straightening, sectioning, or replacing at factory seams. Steel identification may also help determine removal and…
Vehicle makers each have there own way of organizing their repair information. The names of the materials and even the names of different parts of vehicles may vary.
