Abstract: A method of manufacturing a steel part including hot stamping followed by trimming, piercing, or flanging, without delayed fracture and without the need for annealing, is provided. The method includes heating a blank formed of a steel material, forming the blank between a pair of dies, and quenching the blank. The temperature drop in select areas of the blank is reduced, which limits the amount of martensite formed in the select areas, but allows martensite to form in other areas. The dies can be formed with modified materials or modified cooling channels to limit the amount of martensite formed in the select areas of the blank. The select areas are softer than the other areas and can be subsequently trimmed, pierced, or flanged without the delayed fractures.

Abstract: A steel door ring for an automotive vehicle including a reinforcement to increase the strength of desired areas of the door ring is provided. The door ring can be manufactured with reduced cycle time and thus improved efficiency. The method includes hot stamping the reinforcement as part of the same blank used to form the remainder of the door ring. During the hot stamping step, the reinforcement portion used to form the reinforcement is located in a free space, for example in a door opening between pillars and rails. Unlike comparative processes, the reinforcement portion used to form the reinforcement is not welded to a pillar of the door ring prior hot stamping. After hot stamping, the reinforcement is trimmed from the door ring, and then attached in a desired location, for example by welding.

Abstract: A dimensionally stable B-pillar for an automotive vehicle including tailored material properties is provided. The B-pillar includes at least one localized soft zone surrounded by a hard zone. The hard zone typically has a yield strength of 950 MPa to 1700 MPa; a tensile strength of 1200 MPa to 2100 MPa; and an elongation of greater than 4%. The soft zones each have a yield strength of 340 MPa to 780 MPa; a tensile strength of 400 MPa to 980 MPa; and an elongation of greater than 10%. The microstructure of the hard zone is martensite, and the microstructure of the soft zones is tempered martensite, ferrite pearlite bainite, ferrite pearlite austenite, ferrite pearlite, ferrite bainite, cementite austenite, and/or cementite bainite. The soft zones of the B-pillar are manufactured with a slow cooling step, which can be conducted in air outside of the dies.

Abstract: A structural component for an automotive vehicle formed from a single-piece of steel material and having a closed, complex cross-section with increased strength, for example a strength of greater than 650 MPa, and thus improved performance, is provided. The structural component typically has an elongation of greater than 5%. The structural component is formed by expanding a boron-containing steel material, for example heating or hydroforming a tube of the steel material. The boron-containing steel material expands by least 2% during the forming process and thus achieves the closed, complex cross-section, while also achieving the high strength. In addition, the structural component can be formed with zones of varying thickness, strength, hardness, elongation, and/or other varying properties to achieve the desired performance.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a steel part including hot stamping followed by trimming, piercing, or flanging, without delayed fracture and without the need for annealing, is provided. The method includes heating a blank formed of a steel material, forming the blank between a pair of dies, and quenching the blank. The temperature drop in select areas of the blank is reduced, which limits the amount of martensite formed in the select areas, but allows martensite to form in other areas. The dies can be formed with modified materials or modified cooling channels to limit the amount of martensite formed in the select areas of the blank. The select areas are softer than the other areas and can be subsequently trimmed, pierced, or flanged without the delayed fractures.

Abstract: A method of forming a product from an initial blank comprises subjecting the initial blank to a hot forming and press hardening operation to form the product with substantially a uniform first tensile strength. Subsequently, the product is subjected to post hot-forming processing in which a first region of the product is heated selectively to above a known temperature, using one of conduction heating, resistance heating, and induction heating. The first region is then cooled, such that the first region attains a second tensile strength that is substantially less than the first tensile strength.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the field of computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to one or more of the definition, extraction, delivery, and hyper-linking of clips, for example web clips.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the field of computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to one more populating, indexing, and searching a database of fine-grained web objects or object specifications.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the field of computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to one or more of the definition, extraction, delivery, and hyper-linking of clips, for example web clips.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for extracting relevant data. A first and a second set of data are accessed. The first set includes selected data. An edit sequence is determined between the first and the second sets, including considering at least repetitions for inclusion in the edit sequence. Corresponding data of the second set have a correspondence to the selected data are found at least partly by determining the edit sequence. A first and a second tree of data are accessed. The first tree includes selected data. An edit sequence is determined between the first and the second trees, including considering at least repetitions for inclusion in the edit sequence. Corresponding data of the second tree have a correspondence to the selected data are found at least partly by determining the edit sequence.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the field of computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to dynamic discovery of documents or information through a focused crawler or search engine.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the field of computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to populating, indexing, and searching a database of fine-grained web objects or object specifications. An embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of searching resources on the web. A query is received to search for information on the web and one or more web pages and one or more subsets of one or more web pages are accessed. The subsets have been extracted from one or more web pages prior to receiving the query. The subsets are extracted responsive to one or more views. The one or more views are defined independently of the search query. The views are content-sensitive filters that specify which subparts of a web page a user is interested in. Prior to receiving the search query, the subsets are stored in a database. Responsive to the search query, at least one or more of the extracted subsets of one or more web pages stored in the database is identified.