Nv Bekaert Sa

Christophe Mesplont

Henk Cornelus

Wim Van Haver

Björn Maiheu

Geert Tempelaere

Maarten De Clercq

Filip De Coninck

Gregory Lapeire

Franky Beyens

Davy Poelman

Tim Bruggeman

Jan Holvoet

Steven Derycke

The controlled cooling of previously heated and substantially straight steel wires of diameter more than 3.5 mm to a predetermined temperature including the steps: guiding the wires along individual paths through first coolant bath having bath liquid of water and a stabilizing additive, the bath liquid and the wires create a steam film around each wire along individual paths; directing an impinging liquid immersed inside first coolant bath towards the wires over a length along individual paths to cool down the wires, the impinging liquid decreases the thickness of the steam film or destabilizes the steam film, increasing speed of cooling over the length along individual paths; guiding the wires along individual paths out of the first coolant bath to be cooled down in air; after the further cooling, guiding the wires along individual paths through second coolant bath.

Lead-free patenting process and equipment

Assembly for energy absorption, comprising m number of substantially straight steel wires and n number of curved steel cords, at least one of the m number of substantially straight steel wires having a tensile strength of at least 1000 MPa and an elongation at fracture of at least 5%, at least one of the n number of curved steel cords having a tensile strength of at least 2000 MPa and an elongation at fracture of at least 2%, wherein m and n are integers m&#x3e;1, n&#x3e;1, and at least one of the m number of substantially straight steel wires and at least one of the n number of curved steel cords are fixed together along their longitudinal direction, and the elongation at fracture of at least one of the m number of substantially straight steel wires is at least 2% larger than the elongation at fracture of at least one of the n number of curved steel cords such that the elongation curve of the assembly comprises three zones ('), wherein a first zone (&#x2032;) is characterized by an elastic deformation of the substantially straight steel wires, a second zone (&#x2032;) is characterized by the plastic deformation of the substantially straight steel wires and a third zone (&#x2032;) is composed of the continued plastic deformation of the substantially straight steel wires and the elastic deformation of the curved steel cords.

Energy absorption assembly

An elongated steel element having a non-round cross-section and being in a work-hardened state, said elongated steel element having as steel composition: a carbon content ranging from 0.20 weight percent to 1.00 weight percent, a silicon content ranging from 0.05 weight percent to 2.0 weight percent, a manganese content ranging from 0.40 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent, a chromium content ranging from 0.0 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent, a sulfur and phosphor content being individually limited to 0.025 weight percent, contents of nickel, vanadium, aluminium, molybdenum or cobalt all being individually limited to 0.5 weight percent, the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities, said steel having martensitic structure that comprises martensitic grains, wherein a fraction of at least 10 volume percent of martensitic grains is oriented.

High tensile steel wire

A method of and an equipment for controlled cooling of one or multiple previously heated, straight, and thick steel wire to a predetermined temperature range between 400&#xb0; C. and 650&#xb0; C. Each of the thick steel wires is subjected to a controlled cooling-transformation treatment from austenite to pearlite, which occurs substantially after the wire leaves a forced water cooling length.

Forced water cooling of thick steel wires

Growing community of inventors

Mouvaux, France

Christophe Mesplont