Patent Publication Number: US-2021162550-A1

Title: Methods for preparation of sheets to be used for fabrication of a welded steel blank and fabricating a welded blank

Description:
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/567,562, filed Sep. 11, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/306,735, filed Oct. 25, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,668,570, which is a National Stage of International Application PCT/IB2015/000508, filed Apr. 17, 2015, which claims priority to International Application PCT/IB2014/000612, filed Apr. 25, 2014, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     The invention relates to a method for the preparation of aluminized steel sheets intended to be welded. 
     The invention further relates to a method for the fabrication of welded blanks from the aluminized steel sheets described above. 
     The invention further relates to a method for the fabrication of press-hardened parts from the above welded blanks, to be used as structural or safety parts in automotive vehicles. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     It is known that welded steel parts can be fabricated from steel blanks that have different compositions and/or thicknesses, which are continuously butt-welded. In one known method of fabrication, these welded blanks are cold worked, for example by cold stamping. According to a second known fabrication method, these welded blanks are heated to a temperature that makes possible the austenitization of the steel followed by hot forming and rapid cooling in a forming die. The invention relates to this second mode of fabrication. 
     The composition of the steel is selected to make it possible to carry out the heating and hot forming steps and to confer a high mechanical strength, high impact strength as well as good resistance to corrosion to the final welded part. Thanks to their ability to absorb impacts, steel parts of this type have applications in particular in the automobile industry and more particularly for the fabrication of anti-intrusion parts, structural parts or parts that contribute to the safety of automotive vehicles. 
     Among the steels that exhibit the characteristics required for the applications mentioned above, coated steel sheet as described in publication EP 971044 includes in particular a pre-coating of an aluminum alloy or an aluminum-based alloy. The sheet is coated, for example by hot dip coating, in a bath having silicon and iron in controlled quantities, in addition to aluminum. After the hot forming and cooling, it is possible to obtain a mainly martensite microstructure, and the mechanical tensile strength can exceed 1500 MPa. 
     A known method for the fabrication of welded steel parts includes procuring at least two steel sheets as described in publication EP971044 to be butt welded to obtain a welded blank, optionally to cut this welded blank, then to heat the welded blank before carrying out a hot forming operation, for example by hot stamping, to confer on the steel part the form required for its application. 
     One known welding technique is laser beam welding. This technique has advantages in terms of flexibility, quality and productivity compared to other welding techniques such as seam welding or arc welding. However, in the assembly methods that include a melting step, the aluminum-based pre-coating made up of a layer of intermetallic alloy in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a metal alloy layer, is diluted during the welding operation with the steel substrate within the molten zone, which is the zone that is liquefied during the welding operation and solidifies after this welding operation, forming the bond between the two sheets. 
     Two phenomena can then occur:
         the first phenomenon is that an increase in the aluminum content in the molten metal resulting from the dilution of a portion of the pre-coating in this zone leads to the formation of intermetallic compounds. These compounds can be sites for the initiation of cracks when mechanical stress is applied.   the second phenomenon is that aluminum, which is an alphagenic element in solid solution in the molten zone, retards the transformation into austenite in this zone during the heating step preceding the hot stamping. It is therefore no longer possible to obtain a fully tempered structure in the molten zone after the cooling that follows the hot forming, and the welded joint includes ferrite. The molten zone then has a hardness and a mechanical tensile strength less than that of the two adjacent sheets.       

     To prevent the first phenomenon described above, publication EP 2007545 describes a method that includes removing the superficial layer of metal alloy on the periphery of the sheets to be subjected to the welding operation, leaving the intermetallic alloy layer. This removal can be carried out by brushing, machining or by the application of a laser beam. In the latter case, the width of the removal zone is defined thanks to the longitudinal movement of a laser beam of a certain width, or even by the oscillation of a laser beam smaller than this width, using the edge of the sheet as a reference point. The intermetallic alloy layer is retained to guarantee satisfactory corrosion resistance and to prevent the phenomena of decarburization and oxidation during the heat treatment that precedes the forming operation. 
     To prevent the second phenomenon mentioned above, publication WO2013014512 describes a method that includes, in addition to removing the metal layer described above, the elimination of the aluminum present on the cut edge of the sheets before welding, the presence of which, can result from a cutting operation, and to create a welded joint with a filler metal wire to increase the carbon content of the melted zone in specific proportions. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     In the methods described in the above referenced publications, when the removal of the layer of metal alloy is the result of a phenomenon including a melting, such as a removal by laser beam, there is a more or less significant amount of aluminum that has run over the cut edge (which is also called the secondary face) of the sheet. A subsequent welding leads to incorporation of this aluminum by dilution in the molten zone and results in welded joints, the mechanical strength and/or toughness of which are less than those of the base metal. 
     The different methods for removing the aluminum that has flowed over the cut edge by machining, scraping or ablation by pulsed laser are tricky to carry out due to the difficulty of positioning the blank in relation to the die or to the beam, the rapid wear of the tools when the removal is carried out by mechanical means, or the potential splashing of aluminum on the prepared faces in the case of a laser ablation on the cut edge. 
     In addition, after the removal of the layer of aluminum metal on the periphery of the sheets, the underlying material has a duller and darker appearance. It is known that laser welding requires a very accurate positioning of the beam in relation to the plane of the joint formed by the sheets to be assembled. This positioning and guidance of the beam, or “seam tracking”, is conventionally controlled by sensors that are capable of detecting the variation, in a direction at a right angle to the welded joint, of a reflected light beam, whereby the joint plane appears significantly darker. However, the side-to-side placement before welding of the two plates from which the metallic layer has been removed from the periphery results in only a small variation in contrast at the level of the mating plane, which is difficult to detect, and the guidance of the laser beam is then controlled with significantly less accuracy. 
     It is therefore desirable to develop a method for the preparation of the peripheral zones of sheets pre-coated with aluminum that does not have the disadvantages described above. 
     It is desirable to have an economical preparation method that makes it possible to eliminate the expensive, time-consuming and complex operation of cleaning the aluminum or the aluminum alloy that has run over the secondary face following removal by melting and vaporization. 
     It is also desirable to have a preparation method that guarantees an aluminum content less than 0.3% in the welded joint fabricated from sheets pre-coated with aluminum or aluminum alloy. 
     It is also desirable to have a method that improves the accuracy of seam tracking during the welding of sheets pre-coated with aluminum or aluminum alloy, the metal layer of which has been removed over the periphery. 
     An object of the present invention is to resolve the problems described above. 
     An object of the invention provides a method for the preparation of sheets for the fabrication of a welded steel blank including the following steps in succession:
         procurement of at least one pre-coated first steel sheet  11  and one pre-coated second steel sheet  12 , made up of a steel substrate  25 ,  26  and a pre-coating  15 ,  16  made up of an intermetallic alloy layer  17 ,  18  in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a layer of aluminum metal or aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy  19 ,  20 , the first sheet  11  including a principal face  111 , an opposite principal face  112 , and at least one secondary face  71 , the second sheet  12  including a principal face  121 , an opposite principal face  122  and at least one secondary face  72 , then   the first  11  and second  12  sheets are positioned, leaving a gap  31  of between 0.02 and 2 mm between the secondary faces  71  and  72  facing each other, the positioning of the first  11  and second  12  sheets defining a median plane  51  perpendicular to the principal faces of the first sheet  11  and the second sheet  12 , then   by melting and vaporization simultaneously on the principal faces  111  and  121 , the layer of metal alloy  19  is removed in a peripheral zone  61  of the sheet  11 , and the layer of metal alloy  20  in a peripheral zone  62  of the sheet  12 , the peripheral zones  61  and  62  being the zones of the principal faces  111  and  121  closest in relation to the median plane  51  located one on either side of it.       

     Preferably, the simultaneous removal by melting and vaporization is carried out by a laser beam that spans this median plane  51 . 
     The width of the peripheral zone  61  and the width of the peripheral zone  62  are preferably between 0.25 and 2.5 mm. 
     In one particular mode, the width of the peripheral zone  61  and the width of the peripheral zone  62  are equal. 
     In another mode, the width of the peripheral zone  61  and the width of the peripheral zone  62  are different. 
     Preferably, the removal by melting and vaporization occurs simultaneously on the principal faces  111 ,  121  and  112 ,  122 . 
     In one particular mode, the metal alloy layers  19 ,  20  are removed from the peripheral zones  61 ,  62  of each of the first  11  and second  12  steel sheets, leaving their respective intermetallic alloy layers  17 ,  18  in place. 
     In one mode of the invention, the substrates  25 ,  26  have different steel compositions. 
     In one particular mode, the pre-coatings  15 ,  16  have different thicknesses. 
     Advantageously, the metal alloy layer  19 ,  20  of the pre-coating  15 ,  16  includes, with concentrations expressed by weight, between 8 and 11% silicon, between 2 and 4% iron, the balance of the composition being aluminum and unavoidable impurities. 
     The gap  31  between the secondary faces  71  and  72  is advantageously greater than 0.04 mm and very advantageously greater than 0.06 mm. 
     An additional object of the invention provides a method for the fabrication of a welded blank characterized in that at least a first  11  and a second  12  sheet prepared by a method according to any of the claims  1  through  10  is procured, and in that a welding operation of the first sheet  11  and second sheet  12  is carried out in the removal zone by melting and vaporization, along a plane defined by the above-mentioned median plane  51 , less than one minute after the operation of removal by melting and vaporization on the first sheet  11  and the second sheet  12 . 
     Preferably, the welding operation is carried out by at least one laser beam  95 . 
     Preferably, the welding operation is carried out simultaneously by two laser beams, one of which carries out a welding of the side of the principal faces  111  and  121 , the other of which carries out a welding of the side of the opposite principal faces  112  and  122 . 
     The removal by melting and vaporization is advantageously carried out by a laser beam  80 , and the devices that make it possible to carry out the removal and welding operation are combined in a single piece of equipment, the relative speed of displacement of which in relation to the first sheet  11  and the second sheet  12  is identical. 
     Preferably, the welding operation is carried out by simultaneously using at least one laser beam  95  and a filler rod  82 . 
     In one particular mode, the removal step is guided by a device that tracks the median plane  51 , the coordinates (x-y) defining the location of the plane  51  at an instant t, are recorded by computerized means, and are used to guide the welding operation that will subsequently take place. 
     In one mode of the invention, the removal step is guided by a first device that tracks the median plane  51 , and the welding is guided by a second device that tracks the median plane and is separate from the first device. 
     In an additional mode of the invention, the sheets  11  and  12  are clamped by a clamping device  98  during the removal operation by melting and vaporization, the clamping being kept constant by the device  98  until the welding operation and at least during the welding operation. 
     An additional object of the invention is a method for the fabrication of a press-hardened piece from a welded blank including the following steps in succession:
         at least one welded blank fabricated according to any of the methods described above is procured, then   the welded blank is heated to form, by alloying between the steel substrate  25 ,  26  and the pre-coating  15 ,  16 , an intermetallic alloy compound, in a manner that confers a partly or totally austenitic structure on the substrate  25 ,  26 , then   the welded blank is hot formed to obtain a part, then   the part is cooled at a rate sufficient to at least partly form martensite or bainite in the substrate  25 ,  26 , thereby achieving a press hardening.       

     Preferably, the hot forming of the welded blank is carried out by a hot stamping operation. 
     An additional object of the invention is a welded blank constructed by assembling at least one first  11  and one second  12  pre-coated steel sheet, made up of a steel substrate  25 ,  26  and a pre-coating  15 ,  16  made up of an intermetallic alloy layer  17 ,  18  in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a layer of aluminum metal, aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy  19 ,  20 , the first sheet  11  having a principal face  111  and an opposite principal face  112 , the second sheet  12  having a principal face  121  and an opposite principal face  122 , the metallic alloy layer  19  being removed by melting and vaporization in a peripheral zone  61  of the sheet  11  and the layer of metal alloy  20  in a peripheral zone  62  from the sheet  12 , the welded blank having at least one welded joint  52  that defines a median plane  51  perpendicular to the principal faces of the first sheet  11  and the second sheet  12 , and cross sections  52   a ,  52   b  . . .  52   n  perpendicular to the median plane  51 , characterized in that the morphological characteristics of the layers  17  and  18  resulting from solidification after melting and vaporization of the pre-coating in the peripheral zones  61  and  62  are identical in the sections  52   a ,  52   b , . . .  52   n  on either side of the median plane  51 . 
     The sum of the widths of the peripheral zones  61  and  62  preferably varies by less than 10% along the welded joint. 
     Preferably, the layer of metal alloy  19 ,  20  of the pre-coating  15 ,  16  includes, with concentrations expressed by weight, between 8 and 11% silicon and between 2 and 4% iron, the balance of the composition made up of aluminum and unavoidable impurities. 
     An additional object of the invention is a device for the fabrication of welded blanks including:
         a device  91  that delivers at least one first  11  and one second  12  steel sheets pre-coated with aluminum, aluminum alloy or an aluminum-based alloy,   a positioning device  92  for the sheets, to obtain a median plane  51  between the sheets  11  and  12 ,   a clamping device  98  for the sheets,   at least one source that makes it possible to generate a laser beam  80  to remove the layer of aluminum metal, aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy by melting and vaporization simultaneously in a peripheral zone  61 ,  62  of the first  11  and second  12  sheets,   at least one guidance device  94  that makes it possible to position the laser beam  80  in relation to the median plane  51 ,   at least one source that makes it possible to generate a laser beam  95  for the welding of the sheets  11  and  12 , in the zone from which the aluminum metal layer  61 ,  62  has been removed, to obtain a welded joint,   at least one device that makes it possible to obtain a relative displacement of the sheets  11  and  12  in relation to the laser beams  80  and  95 ,   the laser beams  80  and  95  being located on a single line with reference to the median plane  51  and at a fixed distance  64  from each other.       

     Preferably, the distance  64  between the laser beams  80  and  95  is between 0.5 mm and 2 m. The distance  64  is advantageously less than 600 mm. In one particular mode, the distance  64  is less than 5 mm. 
     In one advantageous mode, the laser beam  80  is emitted from an ablation head and the beam  95  is emitted from a welding head, the heads forming a compact element with a common focusing device for the laser beams  80  and  95 . 
     Advantageously, the guidance device  94  also makes it possible to position the laser beam  95  with reference to the median plane  51 . 
     In one particular mode, the device further includes a filler rod device  82  for the construction of the above-mentioned welded joint. 
     The device advantageously further includes a laser beam that makes it possible to carry out welding on the face opposite to the face where the beam  95  operates. 
     An additional object of the invention is the use of a press-hardened part according to the characteristics described above for the fabrication of structural parts, anti-intrusion or impact absorption parts in vehicles, in particular automobiles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is presented by way of example and refers to the accompanying figures listed below, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a micrographic section of a sheet precoated with aluminum to be welded, the periphery of which has been prepared according to a method of the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating two metal sheets placed end to end, after a treatment according to the invention for the simultaneous removal of the metallic layer from the periphery. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the influence of the positioning gap between two sheets placed end to end, the metal pre-coating layer of which has been removed by simultaneous peripheral ablation, on the flow of the pre-coating along the secondary faces of these sheets. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of one preferential embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a preferred device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 6 a    is a view in elevation of a laser-welded joint constructed according to the invention. The micrographs  6   b ) and  6   c ) show in detail the surface of two zones where the ablation has taken place that are located symmetrically one on either side of the welded joint. 
         FIG. 7 a    is a schematic illustration of the steps of the conventional method for the fabrication of welded blanks pre-coated with a metallic coating. For purposes of comparison,  FIG. 7 b    illustrates the method according to the invention for the fabrication of welded blanks pre-coated with a metallic coating. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be noted that the diagrams do not attempt to reproduce the relative dimensions of the different elements among one another, but are intended merely to facilitate the description of the different constituent parts of the invention. 
     In the methods of the prior art, where the removal of the metallic alloy layer is the result of melting, more or less significant quantities of aluminum that flow over the secondary face are present. This situation is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , which shows a macrographic section of a steel sheet 1 mm thick pre-coated with an aluminum alloy from which the surface metal alloy layer has been removed by melting and vaporization using a laser beam.  FIG. 1  also illustrates a steel substrate  1  having an aluminum pre-coating 2 to 25 μm thick. Only one of the two principal faces of the sheet is illustrated in the macrograph. On the periphery of one principal face of the sheet, a pulsed laser beam has been used to remove the metallic aluminum layer, leaving the intermetallic layer in place, thereby creating an ablation zone  3 . On account of the vapor pressure or plasma generated by the laser beam, the liquid aluminum is expelled to the periphery of the zone  3 , thereby creating an aluminum accumulation zone  5 . This ablation operation has also created a flow  4  of a portion of the aluminum layer over the secondary face, the length of which can reach approximately 0.4 mm. Contrary to what happens in the case of the impact of the laser beam on an organic coating which is completely vaporized, the impact of the laser beam on a metallic coating does not result in its total disappearance by vaporization, but in a partial vaporization and melting. 
     The inventors have shown that this phenomenon of flow along the secondary face can be prevented by the following method. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , at least two sheets  11  and  12  of pre-coated steel are procured, which can be of the same thickness or different thicknesses.  FIG. 2  illustrates the first alternative. At this stage, the sheets  11  and  12  are not necessarily rectangular, and the geometry of their contour is related to the geometry of the final parts that are to be fabricated, which will be achieved by a subsequent forming operation. The term “sheet” here is used in a broad sense to mean any object obtained by cutting from a strip, coil or sheet. 
     These sheets are made up of a steel substrate  25  and  26 , which can be in particular in the form of a hot-rolled sheet or cold-rolled sheet, depending on the desired thickness. The composition of the substrates can be identical or different, depending on the desired distribution of the mechanical characteristics over the final part. These steels are heat-treatable steels, which are capable of undergoing a martensitic or bainitic quenching after an austenitization treatment. The thickness of the sheets is preferably between approximately 0.5 and 4 mm, the thickness range used in particular in the fabrication of structural or reinforcement parts for the automobile industry. 
     The sheets  11  and  12  respectively include principal faces  111 ,  112  and  121 ,  122 . On the surface of each of these faces, there is a pre-coating  15  and  16 , the thickness and composition of which can be identical or different in the sheets  1  and  2 . These pre-coatings  15  and  16  are both obtained by dipping in an aluminizing bath. 
     The pre-coating  15  is itself composed: 
     of a layer of inter-metallic alloy  17  in contact with the substrate  25 . This is an alloy layer of the type Fe x Al y  formed by reaction between the substrate  25  and the molten metal of the aluminizing bath during the continuous passage of the sheets through the aluminizing bath. This layer typically has a thickness of 3 to 10 μm. The aluminizing bath is a bath of aluminum or aluminum alloy in which aluminum is present in a percentage by weight greater than 50%, or an aluminum-based alloy. In this latter case, the aluminum is the main component of the alloy. 
     of a metallic alloy layer  19 , the composition of which is practically the same as that of the bath of aluminum, aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy. 
     Likewise, in the sheet  12 , the pre-coating  16  is constituted by an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the substrate  26  and a surface metallic layer. 
     Preferably, the metallic alloy  19 ,  20  of the pre-coating can contain from 8 to 11 by weight silicon and from 2 to 4% iron, the balance of the composition made up of aluminum and unavoidable impurities. The addition of silicon makes it possible in particular to reduce the thickness of the intermetallic layer  17 . 
     The two sheets  11  and  12  can be positioned so that their principal faces  111  and  112  are in the same plane  41 . In this manner, a laser beam placed simultaneously over these two sheets will interact with them identically. However, the two sheets  11  and  12  can also be positioned not exactly in the same plane, i.e. the focal point of the laser beam is not positioned exactly on the same level in relation to the surface of the two sheets with an identical pre-coating. This situation can be encountered, for example, in the case of a difference of thickness between the two sheets  11  and  12 . Even in this case, the inventors have verified that the desired results, in particular the absence of a flow of the pre-coating along the secondary faces, are obtained when the method is according to the invention is used. 
     The two sheets  11  and  12  are positioned to place with their secondary faces  71  and  72  end to end. This positioning therefore defines a median plane  51  between the sheets  11  and  12 , perpendicular to their principal faces, and a gap  31  between the sheets. 
     According to the invention, the respective metallic alloy layers  19  and  29  are then removed simultaneously, by a method including a melting and a vaporization, over a peripheral portion  61  of the sheet  11  and a peripheral portion  62  of the sheet  12 . As a general rule, the majority of this removal is due to a melting phenomenon. This rules out methods where the layers  19  and  20  are removed purely by vaporization. This removal, which is also called an ablation, is preferably carried out by a pulsed laser beam. The impact of the high power and high energy density laser on the pre-coating causes a liquefaction and vaporization of the surface of the latter. On account of the plasma pressure, the liquefied pre-coating is expelled toward the periphery of the zone where the ablation is taking place. A succession of short laser pulses with appropriate parameters results in an ablation of the metallic layer  19  and  20 , leaving the intermetallic alloy layer  17  and  18  in place. However, depending on the degree of corrosion resistance desired on the finished part, it is also possible to remove a more or less large portion of the intermetallic layer  17  and  18 , for example more than 50% of this layer. The interaction of a pulsed laser beam directed toward the periphery  61  and  62  of pre-coated sheets, in relative translation with reference to these sheets, therefore results in a removal of the metallic layer  19  and  20 . 
     The ablation is carried out simultaneously on the sheets  11  and  12 , i.e. the means of melting and vaporization are applied simultaneously to the peripheral zones  61  and  62  facing each other. In particular, when the ablation is carried out using a laser beam, the laser beam impacts zones  61  and  62 , spanning the median plane  51 . In one preferred mode, a pulsed laser beam with a rectangular shape is used. A smaller laser beam can also be used, which is made to oscillate so that it covers the width to be processed. The method can also be carried out using a principal beam divided into two rectangular sub-beams, each spanning the median plane  51 . These two sub-beams can be positioned symmetrically with reference to the plane  51 , or can be longitudinally offset in relation to each other in the direction of welding. These two sub-beams can be of identical or different sizes. 
     In these different simultaneous ablation modes, it would then be expected that the aluminum resulting from the melting due to the impact of the laser beam would flow over the secondary phases  71  and  72  under the influence of gravity and the plasma pressure generated by the beam. 
     Surprisingly, the inventors have shown that the secondary faces  71  and  72  do not experience a flow of aluminum when the gap  31  is between 0.02 and 2 mm. Without being bound by a theory, it is thought that the secondary faces  71  and  72  are covered by a very thin layer of iron and/or aluminum oxide originating from the cutting of the sheets  11  and  12 . Taking into consideration the interfacial tension between this thin layer of oxides and liquid aluminum on one hand and the specific gap  31  on the other, the surface free of liquid aluminum between the sheets  11  and  12  bends to form a wetting angle, without the liquid flowing into the space  31 . A minimal gap of 0.02 mm makes it possible for the beam to pass between the sheets  11  and  12 , removing potential traces of aluminum that may have been on the secondary face. Moreover, as will be explained below, in one variant of the method, the welding is carried out immediately after this ablation operation. 
     The gap  31  is advantageously greater than 0.04 mm, which makes it possible to use mechanical cutting methods, the tolerance of which does not have to be controlled with extreme precision, which in turn makes it possible to reduce the costs of production. 
     In addition, as explained above, the guidance of the welding laser beam is more difficult in the case of sheets from which the coating has been removed on the periphery on account of their darker appearance. The inventors have shown that a width of the gap  31  greater than 0.06 mm makes it possible to increase significantly the optical contrast of the joint plane, which appears differentiated in relation to the peripheral ablation zones, and therefore ensures that the weld is properly positioned with respect to the median plane  51 . 
     In addition, the inventors have found that when the gap  31  is greater than 2 mm, the mechanism explained above is no longer operative to prevent the flow of liquid aluminum, as the experimental results illustrated in  FIG. 3  demonstrate. 
     The gap can advantageously be between 0.02 and 0.2 mm. 
     For the ablation process, a Q-switched type laser with a nominal power of several hundred watts can advantageously be used, which delivers pulses of a duration on the order of 1/50 of a nanosecond with a maximum power of 1-20 megawatts. This type of laser makes it possible, for example, to obtain an impact zone of the rectangular beam of 2 mm (in a direction perpendicular to the median plane  51 ) and 1 mm, or less than 1 mm (for example 0.5 mm) in the direction of the length of this median plane. The displacement of the beam then makes it possible to create ablation zones  61  and  62  on either side of the plane  51  without the occurrence of a flow along the faces  71  and  72 . 
     The morphology of the ablation zones  61  and  62  will naturally be adapted to the welding conditions that follow, in particular to the width of the welded zone. It is thus possible, depending on the nature and the power of the welding process that will follow, for the width of each of the ablation zones  61  and  62  to be between 0.25 and 2.5 mm or, for example, in the case of hybrid laser arc or plasma welding, between 0.25 and 3 mm. The ablation conditions will be selected so that the sum of the widths of the ablation zones  61  and  62  is greater than the width of the welded zone. 
     If the sheets  11  and  12  are identical, it is possible to specify that the widths of the ablation zones  61  and  62  are also identical. But it is also possible to specify, for example using a horizontal shift of the laser beam in the lateral direction with reference to the median plane  51 , for the widths of these ablation zones to be different. 
     According to the invention, the ablation can be carried out only one side of the principal faces.  FIG. 2  therefore illustrates this case, where the simultaneous peripheral ablation has been carried out only on the side of the principal faces  111  and  121 . 
     However, to minimize, as far as possible, the introduction of aluminum during welding to be carried out on the sheets, it is also possible to preferably carry out this simultaneous peripheral ablation on all of the faces, i.e.  111 ,  121 ,  112 ,  122 . For this purpose, in the case of an ablation by laser welding, a device of the “power switch” type can be advantageously used, which divides the power of the beam, one part being used for the simultaneous ablation of the phases  111  and  121 , and the other part for the simultaneous ablation of the faces  112  a  122 . It is also possible to use a second laser which is separate from the first. 
     After this simultaneous ablation operation, there will be two sheets, from the periphery of which the metallic alloy layer has been removed, that are suitable for welding. This welding can be done later and the sheets can be either kept facing each other or separated. They can be separated easily because the method according to the invention makes it possible to limit the flow of liquid aluminum between the sheets so that a solidified flow does not create any undesirable mechanical bond. 
     But the inventors have also discovered that an in-line welding operation can be advantageously carried out on the sheets prepared in the manner described above. On account of the absence of a flow of aluminum over the secondary face, the prepared sheets can be welded immediately without the need to remove the sheets from the line and then reposition them after cleaning. The interval of time that elapses between the simultaneous ablation operation and the welding operation is less than one minute, which minimizes oxidation on the faces  71  and  72  and achieves higher productivity. In addition, when this interval of time is short, the welding is done on the sheets that have been preheated by the ablation operation so that the quantity of energy to be applied for the welding can be reduced. 
     It is also possible to use any continuous welding method appropriate to the thicknesses and productivity and quality conditions required for the welded joints, and in particular:
         laser beam welding;   electric arc welding, in particular using the TIG (“Tungsten Inert Gas”), plasma, MIG (“Metal Inert Gas”) or MAG (“Metal Active Gas”) methods;   electron beam welding.       

     Laser welding is one method that can be used advantageously on account of the high energy density inherent to this method, which makes it possible to obtain a narrow molten zone which varies within small proportions. This method can be used by itself or in combination with a filler rod  82 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . In this case, it is possible to modify the composition of the molten zone thanks to a composition of the filler rod which is different from that of the compositions of the sheets  25  and  26 . The welding method that combines a laser beam and a filler rod can then include either a method where the filler rod is melted only by the laser beam or by a hybrid laser-TIG welding method, i.e. a laser beam combined with an electric arc delivered by a TIG welding torch equipped with a non-melting electrode, or a hybrid laser-MIG welding method in which the welding torch is equipped with a melting electrode rod. 
     According to one variant of the invention, the devices that carry out the simultaneous ablation and welding operations are combined into a single piece of equipment. This equipment is driven at a single rate of relative displacement with reference to the sheets. In this equipment, the rate of simultaneous ablation is identical to the welding speed, which makes it possible to conduct fabrication under optimal conditions of productivity and efficiency. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates one preferential variant of the invention. The figure shows the sheets  11  and  12  having a pre-coating of aluminum, aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy. A first laser beam  80  carries out a simultaneous ablation of a peripheral zone  61  of the sheet  11  and a peripheral zone  62  of the sheet  12 , whereby the laser beam spans the median plane of the sheets  11  and  12 . A second laser beam  81  simultaneously carries out an identical operation on the bottom face of the sheet. In one variant (not illustrated in  FIG. 4 ), only one laser beam  80  carries out the ablation, which is not carried out on the opposite face. This variant will be used when it is not necessary to achieve a very low aluminum content in the welded zone that will subsequently be created. 
     At a certain distance  64  from this first ablation zone, a laser beam  95  carries out the welding of the sheets  11  and  12  to create a welded zone  63 . The distance between the ablation and welding devices is kept constant using a device, which is itself known and is represented schematically as  96 . The sheets  11  and  12  are displaced with reference to this assembly  96  along to the path indicated by  97 . 
     The sheets  11  and  12  are advantageously clamped using a clamping device, which is not shown in  FIG. 4 . The sheets are clamped during the ablation operation by the beams  80  and  81 . This clamping is maintained through the welding process, which is itself carried out by the beam  95 . In this manner, no relative displacement occurs between the sheets  11  and  12  and the welding by the laser beam  95  can be carried out with greater precision. 
     The maximum distance between the points of impact of the beams  80 ,  81  on one hand and  95  on the other hand depends in particular on the welding speed. As described above, the welding speed will be determined in particular so that the time that elapses between the impacts of the beams ( 80 ,  81 ) and  95  is less than one minute. This maximum distance can be preferably less than 2 m so that the equipment is particularly compact. 
     The minimum distance  64  between these points of impact can be reduced to 0.5 mm. A distance smaller than 0.5 mm would result in an undesirable interaction between the ablation beams  80 ,  81  on one hand and the “keyhole” which is inherently present during welding by the beam  95  on the other hand. 
     A short distance  64  can also be obtained by combining the two ablation and welding heads (the heads being defined as the devices from which the laser beams are emitted) into a single more compact head, whereby the latter can use, for example, the same focusing element for the ablation and welding operation. 
     A very small distance  64  makes it possible to implement the method using a particularly compact unit and to proceed so that a certain quantity of the thermal energy delivered by the laser beams  80  and  81  is added to the linear welding energy delivered by the beam  95 , thereby increasing the total energy efficiency of the method. A very small distance makes it possible to shorten the cycle time necessary for the unit production of a welded blank, and thus to increase productivity. These effects are obtained in particular when the distance  64  is less than 600 mm or even less than 5 mm. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of a preferred device according to the invention. This device includes the following elements:
         a station A having a delivery device  91  which is known in itself, which makes it possible to deliver at least one first  11  and one second  12  steel sheet pre-coated with aluminum or aluminum alloy or an aluminum-based alloy.   a station B having a positioning device  92  for these sheets  11  and  12 , which is itself also known. After the positioning of the sheets, a virtual median plane  51  is therefore defined.   a station C having a clamping device  98  for these sheets  11  and  12 , which is itself known, and which can be, for example, a magnetic, mechanical or hydraulic clamping device.   a station D having at least one guidance device  94  which is itself known, and makes it possible to detect the median plane  51  and to position the laser beam  80  with reference to this median plane. This device can include, for example, an illumination of the zone of the median plane by a light beam, and a photosensitive CCD or CMOS sensor for the reflected beam, which makes it possible to locate the position (x, y) of the median plane at a given instant. This makes it possible to control the positioning of the ablation laser beam  80 , which is downstream in the relative welding direction, so that its position coincides with the desired location of the ablation zone.   at least one source that makes it possible to obtain a laser beam  80  to remove by melting and vaporization the metallic aluminum layer simultaneously on the peripheral zone on either side of the median plane  51 . As mentioned above, a second laser beam  81  (not illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) can also carry out the same operation on the opposite faces.   at least one source that makes it possible to obtain a laser beam  95  welding of the sheets  11  and  12  in the zone from which the metallic aluminum layer  61 ,  62  is removed, to obtain a welded joint. The laser source used can be selected from among a laser source of the CO 2  gas laser type with a wavelength of 10 μm or a solid-state laser source wavelength of 1 μm. Taking into consideration the thickness of the sheets, which is typically less than 3 mm, the power of the CO 2  gas laser will be greater than or equal to 3, or even to 7 kW; in the case of a solid-state laser, the power will be greater than or equal to 2, or even 4 kW.       

     Optionally, a second laser beam, of a type similar to  95 , can be applied in the lower portion, i.e. on the opposite face. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the welding speed and/or to reduce the unit power of the source  95 . 
     This beam  95  can be guided either by its own guidance device which is separate from  94  (case not illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) or by the device  94 . The inventors have discovered that this latter solution is particularly advantageous because it makes it possible for the weld to be positioned exactly in the zone where the ablation has been carried out, i.e. for the two steps of ablation and welding to be completely coordinated. 
     Optionally, the assembly can include a filler rod device  82  to modify the composition of the molten zone thanks to a composition of the filler rod that is different from the compositions of the sheets  25  and  26 . 
     The sheets  11  and  12  are moved from the station A toward the station D to obtain a relative displacement of the sheets with reference to the laser beams  80  and  95 , the latter being positioned on the same line with reference to the median plane  51 , and at a fixed distance  64  from each other. 
     As noted above, this distance  64  is preferably between 0.5 mm and 2 m, preferably between 0.5 mm and 600 mm, or between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. 
     The welded blank obtained by the method according to the invention has the following specific characteristics:
         as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the welding of the blanks takes place in line along the median plane  51  on the blanks  11  and  12  that have undergone a simultaneous ablation by the beam  95 . The ablation results in a melting and vaporization of the coating, wherein its subsequent solidification occurs forming specific ripples, the spacing of which is a function of the pulse duration and the advancing speed of the ablation beam. In the method illustrated in  FIG. 5 , this solidification morphology is identical on both sides of the plane  51 , because the ablation is carried out using a beam that spans this joint plane.  FIG. 6  also shows a macrographic view in elevation of a welded joint created using the method illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The zones  13  and  14 , which have undergone a simultaneous ablation, are located one on either side of the weld  23 . If we consider the zones  21  and  22  located facing each other along a cross section  52   a , we find that the solidification morphology is identical. The same is true for the other sections  52   b  . . .  52   n . In addition, when the welding laser beam  95  impacts the two sheets to be assembled, this impact occurs over zones, the reflectivity of which is identical on either side of the plane  51 , so that an absolutely identical depth of penetration is obtained on both sides of this plane. The invention therefore makes it possible to obtain a very regular geometry of the final welded joint and a very uniform dilution of the aluminum in the weld, regardless of the cross-section  52   a ,  52   b  . . .  52   n  in question.   on the other hand, in the prior art, it has been seen that the ablation was carried out on only one sheet at a time, using a laser beam in longitudinal displacement that uses the edge of the sheet as a reference point. However, in spite of the precautions taken in the operation of cutting the sheets, the straightness of a prepared edge inevitably includes some variation with reference to an ideal straight line, whereby the variation can be quantified by a standard deviation σ 1 . In addition, the longitudinal displacement of the laser beam is itself subject to a variation of its position in the transverse direction, which can be quantified by a standard deviation σ 2 . This method therefore produces a sheet, the width of the ablation zone of which having a standard deviation variation (σ 1 +σ 2 ) in the longitudinal direction of the ablation operation. After this operation, these two sheets are placed next to one another and then welded. The result is a welded blank, the total width of the ablation zone of which includes a certain variability, which is the sum of the variabilities associated with each of the two sheets, i.e. 2(σ 1 +σ 2 ).   for purposes of comparison, in the method according to the invention, the ablation is carried out by using a single reference plane, the median plane  51 , and the ablation operation is carried out in a single step so that the variability of the total width of the zone with ablation in the longitudinal direction is equal to (σ 1 +σ 2 ), i.e. a reduction by one-half compared to the prior art. Width measurements of the total ablation zone taken at different positions along a welded joint show that the width varies by less than 10%.       

     In summary,  FIGS. 7 a  and  b    schematically illustrate the comparison of the steps of the conventional method for the fabrication of welded blanks pre-coated with a metallic coating with the method according to the invention. 
     In the case of the conventional method ( FIG. 7 a   ), the ablation of the metallic pre-coating is carried out on the periphery of each sheet, wherein this operation is conducted individually on each sheet (step A 1 ). Then (step A 2 ), the pre-coating that has run over the cut edge resulting from step A 1  is removed. After an intermediate storage of the sheets (step A 3 ), the sheets are positioned for their assembly by welding (Step A 4 ). After this positioning, there is no symmetry between the solidification structures in the peripheral ablation zones, whereby these structures are positioned randomly with reference to the median mating plane of the sheets. The sheets are then welded (step A 5 ). 
     In the case of the method according to the invention ( FIG. 7 b   ), the metallic pre-coating on the periphery of the sheets placed end to end is removed simultaneously, maintaining a specific gap between the sheets (step B 1 ). This operation produces a situation in which the solidification structures are identical and symmetrical on either side of the median positioning plane. Then, without an intermediate step, the sheets thus prepared are immediately assembled (step B 2 ). 
     It is therefore apparent that the welded joints constructed according to the conventional method and according to the invention differ in terms of the morphological characteristics in the solidification zones in immediate proximity to the molten metal created by welding. 
     By way of non-limiting examples, the following embodiments illustrate the advantages achieved by the invention. 
     Example 
     Steel sheets 1.2 mm thick having the following composition by weight: 0.23% C, 1.19% Mn, 0.014% P, 0.001% S, 0.27% Si, 0.028% Al, 0.034% Ti, 0.003% B and 0.18% Cr, with the balance made up of iron and impurities resulting from processing, are procured. These blanks include a pre-coating 30 μm thick on each face. This pre-coating is made up of an intermetallic layer 5 μm thick in contact with the steel substrate containing 50% by weight aluminum, 40% by weight iron and 10% by weight silicon. This intermetallic alloy layer results from the reaction between the steel substrate and the aluminum alloy bath. 
     The intermetallic layer is topped by a metallic layer 25 μm thick, containing, by weight, 9% silicon, 3% iron and the balance made up of aluminum and unavoidable impurities. 
     The dimensions of these sheets are 400 mm×800 mm. The welding is to be carried out on the edges 400 mm long. 
     Two of these sheets are positioned so that the gap between their facing edges is 0.1 mm. The metallic layer on the periphery of these sheets is then removed using a pulsed laser with an average power of 800 W. 
     This ablation is carried out simultaneously by two beams on each of the opposite faces of the sheet. The sheets are placed in motion with reference to the beam at a constant speed V=6 m/min. Each of the beams is focused to obtain a rectangular focal spot 2 mm×0.5 mm, the distance of 2 mm extending in the transverse direction with reference to the median plane of the two sheets. In this manner, two sheets are created simultaneously, from the periphery of which the metallic layer is removed over a width of practically 1 mm on each of the sheets. This ablation operation is guided by a sensor that detects the position of the median plane between the two sheets, located immediately upstream with reference to the two pulsed ablation laser beams, in a position identified as x 0 . The sensor is located at a distance d 1  approximately 100 mm from the ablation beams. At the level of the sensor, the coordinates (x 0 , y 0 ) of the position of the median plane are recorded at an instant t 0  by computerized means. As the sheets move at a speed v, this plane position reaches the level of the pulsed ablation beams at an instant 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 t 
                 1 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   t 
                   0 
                 
                 + 
                 
                   
                     d 
                     1 
                   
                   V 
                 
               
             
             . 
           
         
       
     
     Thanks to a guidance device of the laser beams, the exact position of the impact of the laser beams on the sheets that occurs at the instant ti is adapted so that it corresponds exactly to the ablation zone defined on the basis of the position of the median plane. 
     After ablation, a laser beam located at a fixed distance d 2  of 200 mm from the pulsed laser beams makes it possible to create a welded joint between these sheets. The welding is carried out with a linear power of 0.6 kJ/cm, under the protection of helium, to prevent decarburization, oxidation and hydrogen absorption phenomena. The length of time that elapses between the ablation operation and the welding is 2 seconds. 
     The welding laser beam is guided here again using the sensor located upstream of the ablation operation. The position of the median plane recorded at the instant to arrives at the level of the welding laser beam at the instant 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 t 
                 2 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   t 
                   0 
                 
                 + 
                 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       
                         d 
                         1 
                       
                       + 
                       
                         d 
                         2 
                       
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   V 
                 
               
             
             . 
           
         
       
     
     The precise position of the impact of the welding laser beam is then adjusted using the optical guidance device of the laser beam, so that it is centered on the position of the previously defined median plane. 
       FIG. 6 a    is a macrograph illustrating a view in elevation of the laser-welded joint obtained, in which the weld  23  is surrounded by two zones  13  and  14  where the ablation has been carried out simultaneously. The total ablation width  24  is an average of 1.92 mm and varies by less than 10% over the length of the welded blank. 
       FIGS. 6 b  and 6 c    are enlarged views of the surface of zones  21  and  22 , which are located symmetrically on either side of the section  52   a  transverse to the welded joint. It has been found that the solidification wrinkles of these zones  21  and  22  are identical on either side of the welded joint and have a continuous character. 
     In addition, a Castaing microprobe was used to analyze the aluminum content of the welded zone thus created. The aluminum content remains below 0.3%, which clearly indicates that the quantity of aluminum on the secondary faces, after the ablation step and before welding, is practically zero. 
     A welded blank assembled under the conditions of the invention was then heated in a furnace to a temperature of 900° C. and held at this temperature, whereby the total hold time in the furnace was 6 minutes. The heated blank was then hot stamped to form a part, which was held in the stamping press tool to cool the part at a rate greater than the critical martensitic tempering rate of the steel. 
     It was then found that the welded zone on the hot stamped piece did not contain any brittle Fe—Al intermetallic compounds, and that the hardness of the melted zone was practically identical to that of the base metal. 
     The invention therefore makes it possible to economically produce structural and safety parts for the automobile industry from aluminized sheets having a welded joint.