Patents by Inventor Volker Flaxa

Volker Flaxa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10273552
    Abstract: In a process for producing a cold- or hot-rolled steel strip from an ultrahigh-strength multiphase steel having a particular composition the required multiphase microstructure is generated during continuous heat treatment. The cold- or hot-rolled steel strip is heated in the continuous heat treatment furnace to a temperature in the range from 700 to 950° C. and the heat-treated steel strip is subsequently cooled from the heat treatment temperature at a cooling rate of from 15 to 100° C./s to a first intermediate temperature of from 300 to 500° C. followed by cooling at a cooling rate of from 15 to 100° C./s to a second intermediate temperature of from 200 to 250° C.; the steel strip is subsequently cooled at a cooling rate of from 2 to 30° C./s in air to room temperature or the cooling at a cooling rate of from 15 to 100° C./s is maintained from the first intermediate temperature to room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Schulz, Andreas Wedemeier, Wilfried Sprock, Volker Flaxa, Friedrich Luther, Ingwer Denks, Sven Schulz
  • Patent number: 10086426
    Abstract: In a method for producing a hot strip of steel with material properties that are adjustable over the strip cross-section, a steel melt is fed onto a revolving casting belt of a horizontal strip casting facility and solidifies to form a pre-strip having a thickness between 6 and 20 mm, and the pre-strip is subjected to a hot rolling process after complete solidification. A gas jet or plasma jet composed of metallic and/or non-metallic elements that affect the material properties of the hot strip influences the steel melt that is still liquid and/or just about to start to solidify. The concentration of the elements introduced into the melt by the gas jet or plasma jet and diffusing into the melt is adjusted across the strip thickness and strip width by changing the influencing kinetic energy of the gas jet or plasma jet, the partial gas pressure and/or the applied temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Spitzer, Volker Flaxa, Joachim Kroos, Hellfried Eichholz, Markus Schäperkötter, Rune Schmidt-Jürgensen
  • Patent number: 9943894
    Abstract: In a method for producing a component by hot forming of a pre-product made of steel, the pre-product is heated to forming temperature and subsequently formed. The product is heated to a temperature below the AC1-transformation temperature and undergoes a strength increase prior to the heating by cold forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Evertz, Volker Flaxa, Michael Braun
  • Publication number: 20150041024
    Abstract: In a process for producing a cold- or hot-rolled steel strip from an ultrahigh-strength multiphase steel having a particular composition the required multiphase microstructure is generated during continuous heat treatment. The cold- or hot-rolled steel strip is heated in the continuous heat treatment furnace to a temperature in the range from 700 to 950° C. and the heat-treated steel strip is subsequently cooled from the heat treatment temperature at a cooling rate of from 15 to 100° C./s to a first intermediate temperature of from 300 to 500° C. followed by cooling at a cooling rate of from 15 to 100° C./s to a second intermediate temperature of from 200 to 250° C.; the steel strip is subsequently cooled at a cooling rate of from 2 to 30° C./s in air to room temperature or the cooling at a cooling rate of from 15 to 100° C./s is maintained from the first intermediate temperature to room temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Schulz, Andreas Wedemeier, Wilfried Sprock, Volker Flaxa, Friedrich Luther, Ingwer Denks, Sven Schulz
  • Publication number: 20140290322
    Abstract: In a method for producing a component by hot forming of a pre-product made of steel, the pre-product is heated to forming temperature and subsequently formed. The product is heated to a temperature below the AC1-transformation temperature and undergoes a strength increase prior to the heating by cold forming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Evertz, Volker Flaxa, Michael Braun
  • Publication number: 20120279677
    Abstract: In a method for producing a hot strip of steel with material properties that are adjustable over the strip cross-section, a steel melt is fed onto a revolving casting belt of a horizontal strip casting facility and solidifies to form a pre-strip having a thickness between 6 and 20 mm, and the pre-strip is subjected to a hot rolling process after complete solidification. A gas jet or plasma jet composed of metallic and/or non-metallic elements that affect the material properties of the hot strip influences the steel melt that is still liquid and/or just about to start to solidify. The concentration of the elements introduced into the melt by the gas jet or plasma jet and diffusing into the melt is adjusted across the strip thickness and strip width by changing the influencing kinetic energy of the gas jet or plasma jet, the partial gas pressure and/or the applied temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Spitzer, Volker Flaxa, Joachim Kroos, Hellfried Eichholz, Markus Schäperkötter, Rune Schmidt-Jürgensen
  • Publication number: 20110024006
    Abstract: A steel for high-strength components including bands, sheets or pipes having excellent formability and particular suitability for high-temperature coating processes above Ac3 (about 900° C.) is disclosed. The steel includes the following elements (contents in % by mass): C 0.07 to ?0.15, Al?0.05, Si?0.80, Mn 1.60 to ?2.10, P?0.020, S?0.010, Cr 0.50 to ?1.0, Mo 0.10 to ?0.30, Timin 48/14×[N], V 0.03 to ?0.12, B 0.0015 to ?0.0050, with the balance iron including usual steel-accompanying elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Joachim Schötter, Volker Flaxa
  • Patent number: 7806165
    Abstract: In a method for making hot strips, a workable lightweight construction steel is used which in particular can easily be deep-drawn cold and includes the main elements Si, Al and Mn, with high tensile strength and good TRIP and/or TWIP characteristics. The mass % are as follows for C 0.04 to <1.0, Al 0.05 to <4.0, SI 0.05 to ?6.0; Mn 9.0 to ?30.0, the remainder being iron with the common incidental steel elements. The melt is cast in a horizontal strip casting unit, close to the final dimensions at calm flow and without bending to form a pre-strip in the range between 6 and 15 mm, and subsequently is fed for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignees: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, Max-Planck-Institut Für Eisenforschung GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Kroos, Karl-Heinz Spitzer, Georg Frommeyer, Volker Flaxa, Udo Brüx, Klaus Brockmeier
  • Publication number: 20090173412
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high strength, air-hardening, temper-resistant steel, which can easily be welded and galvanized and exhibits excellent shaping properties, particularly for the construction of lightweight vehicles. The inventive steel comprises the following elements (contents in mass %): C0.07 to ?0.15, Al?0.05, Si 0.15 to ?0.30, Mn 1.60 to ?2.10, P?0.020, S?0.010, N 0.0030 to ?0.0150, Cr 0.50 to ?1.0, Mo 0.30 to ?0.60, Ti 0.010 to ?0.050, V 0.12 to ?0.20, B 0.0015 to ?0.0040, remainder iron including incidental steel-accompanying elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Joachim Schöttler, Volker Flaxa, Bernd-Michael Peters, Thomas Koch
  • Publication number: 20070289717
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making hot strips, made from a workable lightweight construction steel which in particular can easily be deep-drawn cold, includes the main elements Si, Al and Mn, with high tensile strength and good TRIP and/or TWIP characteristics. The mass % are as follows for C 0.04 to ?1.0, Al 0.05 to ?4.0, Si 0.05 to ?6.0; Mn 9.0 to ?30.0, the remainder being iron with the common incidental steel elements. The melt is cast in a horizontal strip casting unit, close to the final dimensions at calm flow and without bending to form a pre-strip in the range between 6 and 15 mm, and subsequently is fed for further processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Joachim Kroos, Karl-Heinz Spitzer, Georg Frommeyer, Volker Flaxa, Udo Brux, Klaus Brockmeier
  • Patent number: 6749696
    Abstract: The production of a cold-rolled strip or sheet of steel with good deforming properties, which is subjected to recrystallizing annealing and, if appropriate, a dressing operation after hot rolling, coiling and cold rolling and has a bake-hardening potential after a subsequent deformation and for a subsequent temperature treatment, succeeds because the recrystallizing annealing is carried out in a bell-type furnace while coiled and because the strip or sheet is subjected to cooling at a cooling rate of ≧1° C./s after the recrystallizing annealing from a temperature T of 200° C.≦T≦A1. It is consequently possible to obtain properties of bell-annealed steels and nevertheless attain a bake-hardening effect, in particular for C contents of ≧0.02%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Salzgitter AG
    Inventors: Klaus Freier, Volker Flaxa, Birgit Reichert
  • Publication number: 20030145919
    Abstract: The production of a cold-rolled strip or sheet of steel with good deforming properties, which is subjected to recrystallizing annealing and, if appropriate, a dressing operation after hot rolling, coiling and cold rolling and has a bake-hardening potential after a subsequent deformation and for a subsequent temperature treatment, succeeds because the recrystallizing annealing is carried out in a bell-type furnace while coiled and because the strip or sheet subjected to cooling at a cooling rate of ≧1° C./s after the recrystallizing annealing from a temperature T of 200° C. ≦T≦A1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Klaus Freier, Volker Flaxa, Birgit Reichert