Abstract: A link rod with a U-shaped profile made from a one-piece sheet metal shell including two part shells and a back connecting said part shells. Bearing eyes are formed from a pair of aligned holes in the part shells. To obtain outer collars having inner bearing support surfaces for the bearing eyes with a slim-shaped construction of the link rod, the forming is performed stepwise by firstly producing the holes and bending the edges thereof to form the collars on one of the part shells which have not yet been brought parallel to each other by bending. Only then is what is to become the second part shell bent such as to be parallel to the first part shell. The holing and the bending of the edges of the holes on the second part shell is then carried out through the holes of the first part shell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a forming tool for hot forming, including a plurality of tool elements resting against one another and which define a forming surface, wherein the forming surface is embodied so as to be complementary to at least one section of a formed sheet component, which is to be produced by way of hot forming, and wherein the tool elements include cooling ducts in the form of bores which extend along the forming surface. At least two of the tool elements in each case include at least one cooling duct, which branches within the tool element into at least two cooling duct branches, wherein the bore axes of the cooling duct branches, which diverge or converge, respectively, extend along the forming surface. Through this, a generic forming tool is created, which provides for a high, uniform cooling capacity across a large forming surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a forming tool for hot forming, including a plurality of tool elements resting against one another and which define a forming surface, wherein the forming surface is embodied so as to be complementary to at least one section of a formed sheet component, which is to be produced by way of hot forming, and wherein the tool elements include cooling ducts in the form of bores which extend along the forming surface. At least two of the tool elements in each case include at least one cooling duct, which branches within the tool element into at least two cooling duct branches, wherein the bore axes of the cooling duct branches which diverge or converge, respectively, extend along the forming surface. Through this, a generic forming tool is created, which provides for a high, uniform cooling capacity across a large forming surface.

Abstract: A method for producing a hardened, hot formed workpiece (2) of sheet steel, comprising at least partially heating a workpiece blank to a forming temperature in at least one furnace, introducing the heated workpiece blank into at least one drawing press, and forming the heated workpiece blank into a workpiece in the at least one drawing press. To be able to produce particularly high quantities of hardened, hot formed workpieces in a more cost-efficient manner, provision is made for introducing the formed workpiece into at least one hardening device, fixing the formed workpiece in a receiver of the hardening device which is adapted to the geometry of the formed workpiece, and at least partially hardening the formed workpiece in the receiver by means of direct heat exchange with a cooling medium.

Abstract: A link rod with a U-shaped profile made from a one-piece sheet metal shell including two part shells and a back connecting said part shells. Bearing eyes are formed from a pair of aligned holes in the part shells. To obtain outer collars having inner bearing support surfaces for the bearing eyes with a slim-shaped construction of the link rod, the forming is performed stepwise by firstly producing the holes and bending the edges thereof to form the collars on one of the part shells which have not yet been brought parallel to each other by bending. Only then is what is to become the second part shell bent such as to be parallel to the first part shell. The holing and the bending of the edges of the holes on the second part shell is then carried out through the holes of the first part shell.