Abstract: An aluminum-based coating of a flat steel product is applied in a hot-dipping method and comprises a mass percentage of silicon within a given range. The coating for a flat steel product, in particular for press mold hardening components, offers a shortened required minimum oven dwell time and a sufficiently large processing window when heating in an oven. This is achieved in that the surface of the coating has a degree of absorption for thermal radiation ranging between 0.35 and 0.95 prior to an annealing treatment, where the degree of absorption relates to an oven temperature ranging from 880 to 950° C. during the austenitizing annealing treatment. The invention additionally relates to an improved method for producing a flat steel product with an aluminum-based coating, to an inexpensive method for producing press-hardened components from such flat steel products, and to a press-hardened component made of such flat steel products.

Abstract: A method for producing a press-mold-hardened part includes providing a steel strip having an aluminium-based coating; applying an inorganic, iron-containing conversion layer to the aluminium-based coating with a layer weight in relation to iron of 3-30 mg/m2; cold-rolling the steel strip to form a flexibly rolled strip with strip sections of different sheet thickness; cutting an initial sheet metal blank out of the flexibly rolled strip, with the blank having different sheet thicknesses with thinnest and thickest sheet sections; press-mold-hardening the initial sheet metal blank to form a part. Alternatively, the cold-rolling can take place before the cutting, and the application of the conversion layer can take place before or after the cutting, or, instead of the cold-rolling, at least two steel strip sections having an aluminium-based coating and different sheet thicknesses can be welded together, where the application of the conversion layer can take place before or after welding.

Abstract: A cold-rolled or hot-rolled steel strip having a metal coating, the steel strip having iron as the main constituent and, in addition to carbon, an Mn content of 4.1 to 8.0 wt. % and optionally one or more of the alloy elements Al, Si, Cr, B, Ti, V, Nb and/or Mo. The surface of the uncoated steel strip is cleaned, a layer of pure iron is applied to the cleaned surface, an oxygen-containing iron-based layer is applied to the layer of pure iron and contains more than five mass percent oxygen. The steel strip is then annealed and, to attain a surface consisting substantially of metallic iron, is subjected to a reduction treatment in a reducing furnace while being annealed. The steel strip is then coated with the metallic coating by hot dipping. Uniform and reproducible adhesion conditions are hereby achieved for the metallic coating on the steel strip surface.

Abstract: A cold- or hot-rolled steel strip with a metallic coating, the steel strip having iron as the main constituent and, in addition to carbon, an Mn content of 8.1 to 25.0 wt. % and optionally one or more of the alloying elements Al, Si, Cr, B, Ti, V, Nb and/or Mo. The uncoated steel strip is first cleaned, a layer of pure iron is applied to the cleaned surface, an oxygen-containing, iron-based layer containing more than five mass percent of oxygen is applied to the layer of pure iron. The steel strip is then annealed and is reduction-treated in a reducing furnace atmosphere during the annealing treatment to obtain a surface consisting mainly of metallic iron. The steel strip is then hot-dip coated with the metallic coating. This creates uniform and reproducible bonding conditions for the coating on the steel strip surface.

Abstract: In a component made of press-form-hardened, aluminium-based coated steel sheet, the coating has a covering which contains aluminum and silicon applied in the hot-dip process. The press-form-hardened component in the transition region between steel sheet and covering has an inter-diffusion zone I, wherein, depending on the layer application of the covering before heating and press hardening, the thickness of the inter-diffusion zone I obeys the following formula: I [?m]<(1/35)×application on both sides [g/m2]+(19/7). Formed on the inter-diffusion zone I is a zone having various intermetallic phases having an average total thickness between 8 and 50 ?m, on which zone there is in turn arranged a covering layer containing aluminum oxide and/or hydroxide having an average thickness of at least 0.05 ?m to at most 5 ?m.

Abstract: An aluminum-based coating of a flat steel product is applied in a hot-dipping method and comprises a mass percentage of silicon within a given range. The coating for a flat steel product, in particular for press mold hardening components, offers a shortened required minimum oven dwell time and a sufficiently large processing window when heating in an oven. This is achieved in that the surface of the coating has a degree of absorption for thermal radiation ranging between 0.35 and 0.95 prior to an annealing treatment, where the degree of absorption relates to an oven temperature ranging from 880 to 950° C. during the austenitizing annealing treatment. The invention additionally relates to an improved method for producing a flat steel product with an aluminum-based coating, to an inexpensive method for producing press-hardened components from such flat steel products, and to a press-hardened component made of such flat steel products.

Abstract: In an aluminium-based coating for steel sheets or steel strips, the coating includes an aluminium-based coat applied in a hot-dip coating method, a covering layer containing aluminium oxide and/or hydroxide being arranged on the coat. The covering layer is produced by plasma oxidation and/or hot water treatment at temperatures of at least 90° C., advantageously at least 95° C., and/or steam treatment at temperatures of at least 90° C., advantageously at least 95° C. Alternatively, the covering layer containing aluminium oxide and/or hydroxide can be produced by anodic oxidation, the coat being produced in a molten bath with a Si content of between 8 and 12 wt. %, and an Fe content of between 1 and 4 wt. %, the remainder being aluminium.

Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.0104-?0.050; B 0.0015-?40.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.

Abstract: In a component made of press-form-hardened, aluminium-based coated steel sheet, the coating has a covering which contains aluminum and silicon applied in the hot-dip process. The press-form-hardened component in the transition region between steel sheet and covering has an inter-diffusion zone I, wherein, depending on the layer application of the covering before heating and press hardening, the thickness of the inter-diffusion zone I obeys the following formula: I [?m]<( 1/35)×application on both sides [g/m2]+( 19/7). Formed on the inter-diffusion zone I is a zone having various intermetallic phases having an average total thickness between 8 and 50 ?m, on which zone there is in turn arranged a covering layer containing aluminum oxide and/or hydroxide having an average thickness of at least 0.05 ?m to at most 5 ?m.

Abstract: In a method for improving the weldability of high-manganese-containing steel strips which contain (in % by weight) from 6 to 30% of manganese, up to 1% of carbon, up to 15% of aluminum, up to 6% of silicon, up to 6.5% of chromium, up to 4% of copper and also total additions of titanium and zirconium of up to 0.7% and total additions of niobium and vanadium of up to 0.5%, balance iron including unavoidable steel-accompanying elements the steel strips are coated with a zinc-containing corrosion protection layer.

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.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a component from transformable steel by hot forming, in which a plate first is cut out of a strip or sheet as the pre-material, and is then heated to forming temperature and pre-formed, having an at least partially martensitic transformation structure after forming. Instead of a press mold hardening, the at least partially martensitic transformation structure is created in the pre-material, or in the plate to be formed, by austenitization and quenching already before forming, and then the thus-conditioned plate is reheated after forming, while maintaining the at least partially martensitic transformation structure, to a temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature, and formed at this temperature.

Abstract: in an aluminium-based coating for steel sheets or steel strips, the coating includes an aluminium-based coat applied in a hot-dip coating method, a covering layer containing aluminium oxide and/or hydroxide being arranged on the coat. The covering layer is produced by plasma oxidation and/or hot water treatment at temperatures of at least 90° C., advantageously at least 95° C., and/or steam treatment at temperatures of at least 90° C., advantageously at least 95° C. Alternatively, the covering layer containing aluminium oxide and/or hydroxide can be produced by anodic oxidation, the coat being produced in a molten bath with a Si content of between 8 and 12 wt. %, and an Fe content of between 1 and 4 wt. %, the remainder being aluminium.

Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.0104-?0.050; B 0.0015-?40.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.

Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.010-?0.050; B 0.0015-?0.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.

Abstract: A deformation-hardened component is made of galvanized steel by cutting a plate from a steel strip or steel sheet coated with zinc or with a zinc-based alloy and subsequently heating the plate to a deformation temperature above Ac3 for deformation and hardening. The galvanized steel has an at least partially martensitic transformation structure and includes as a chemical composition in wt. % C: 0.10-0.50, Si: 0.01-0.50, Mn: 0.50-2.50, P<0.02, S<0.01, N<0.01, Al: 0.015-0.100, B<0.004, remainder iron, including unavoidable smelting-induced, steel-accompanying elements. The chemical composition further includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, V, Ti, with a sum of the contents Nb+V+Ti being in a range of 0.01 to 0.20 wt. %. The structure of the steel after deformation-hardening has an average grain size of the former austenite grains of <15 ?m.

Abstract: In a method for improving the weldability of high-manganese-containing steel strips which contain (in % by weight) from 6 to 30% of manganese, up to 1% of carbon, up to 15% of aluminum, up to 6% of silicon, up to 6.5% of chromium, up to 4% of copper and also total additions of titanium and zirconium of up to 0.7% and total additions of niobium and vanadium of up to 0.5%, balance iron including unavoidable steel-accompanying elements the steel strips are coated with a zinc-containing corrosion protection layer.

Abstract: A zinc-based anti-corrosion coating is disclosed for steel sheets or steel strips, which for the purpose of hardening are at least in parts heated to a temperature above Ac3 and then cooled at a temperature situated at least partially above the critical cooling speed, the anti-corrosion coating being a coating applied by hot dipping. In addition to at least 75% by weight zinc and possible unavoidable impurities, the coating also contains 0.5 to 15.0% by weight manganese and 0.1 to 10.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a component from transformable steel by hot forming, in which a plate first is cut out of a strip or sheet as the pre-material, and is then heated to forming temperature and pre-formed, having an at least partially martensitic transformation structure after forming. Instead of a press mould hardening, the at least partially martensitic transformation structure is created in the pre-material, or in the plate to be formed, by austenitisation and quenching already before forming, and then the thus-conditioned plate is reheated after forming, while maintaining the at least partially martensitic transformation structure, to a temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature, and formed at this temperature.

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.