Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Hiroyuki Kajiwara

Narikazu Hashimoto

Tsunetake Tsuyoshi

Takahiro Shikama

Shingo Shimoaka

A bumper reinforcement is formed of a 7000 series aluminum alloy hollow extrusion and has crushed end portions. A portion of the end portions is heated to a temperature of 400&#xb0; C. or more for reversion treatment, the heated portion is subjected to cold crushing, and then the whole bumper reinforcement is subjected to age hardening. Because of the age hardening, the heated portion has higher Vickers hardness than non-heated portions by Hv 10 or more. This compensates for a decrease in reaction force in a collision of an end portion resulting from a decrease in the section modulus of the crushed portion and thereby suppresses a decrease in energy absorption.

Bumper reinforcement and method for manufacturing the same

There is provided a bumper beam that is formed of a 7000 series aluminum alloy hollow extrusion, has a crushed longitudinal portion, and locally has a low-hardness region in a bumper stay joint section. A portion (portion to be heated) of end portions of the bumper beam formed of a tempered member of a heat-treatable aluminum alloy extrusion is subjected to reversion treatment, thereby forming a heat-affected zone in a bumper stay joint section. An end region (portion to be crushed) of the heated portion is subjected to cold crushing, and then the whole bumper beam is subjected to age hardening. The heated portion and a non-heat-affected zone are hardened through the age hardening, thereby forming a low-hardness region that overlaps the joint section in a portion of the heat-affected zone.

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Shimonoseki, Japan

Hiroyuki Kajiwara