Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sheet metal component including: annealing a flat steel product comprising 0.05-0.5% C, 0.5-3% Mn, 0.06-1.7% Si, ?0.06% P, ?0.01% S, ?1.0% Al, ?0.15% Ti, ?0.6% Nb, ?0.01% B, ?1.0% Cr, ?1.0% Mo, ?1.0% Cr+Mo, ?0.2% Ca, ?0.1% V, remainder iron and impurities in a continuous furnace under an atmosphere consisting of 0.1-15% hydrogen and remainder nitrogen with a specific dew point and temperature profile; applying a coating consisting of ?15% Si, ?5% Fe, in total 0.1-5% of at least one alkaline earth or transition metal and a remainder Al and unavoidable impurities; heating the fat steel product to >Ac3 and ?1000° C. for a time sufficient to introduce a heat energy quantity>100,000-800,000 kJs; hot-forming the flat steel product to form the component; and cooling at least one section of the component at a cooling rate sufficient to generate hardening structures.

Abstract: A method for producing a steel component from a flat steel sheet is provided. The produced steel component includes a substrate and a coating. The method ensures that the steel component has an Hdiff content below a certain level. The low Hdiff content minimizes the risk of hydrogen-induced cracking of the steel component after hot forming, including during subsequent use of the steel component. The Hdiff content in the hot-formed steel component is ensured to be below a certain level by selecting furnace parameters depending on the rolling degree and the sheet thickness of the flat steel sheet.

Abstract: A hot-forming apparatus may be used to produce a press-hardened shaped component from a blank. The hot-forming apparatus may include a furnace for heating the blank and a pressing device for forming and cooling the blank heated in the furnace. The hot-forming apparatus also includes, upstream of the furnace, a preheating roll truing device with a temperature-controllable roller for straightening and preheating the blank. A corresponding method may be used to produce the press-hardened shaped component from the blank.

Abstract: A method for the surface treatment of a metal workpiece, in particular of a coated metal workpiece, for hot forming includes partially or completely heating the workpieces to a temperature of at least Ac1, cleaning at least one surface of the heated workpiece with at least one pressurized air jet, forming the heated and cleaned workpiece, and cooling down the formed workpiece.

Abstract: A steel component formed from a flat steel having a yield point of 150-1100 MPa and a tensile strength of 300-1200 MPa and coated with an anticorrosion coating of an alloy that includes 35-70% by weight aluminum, 35-60% by weight zinc, 0.1-10% by weight magnesium, up to 10% by weight Si, and up to 5% by weight Fe. A blank obtained from the flat steel product is heated to at least 800° C. and formed into the steel component. Alternatively, the steel component may be formed into the steel component first and then heated to at least 800° C. Regardless, the steel component may then be hardened by sufficiently rapid cooling the steel component from a sufficiently high temperature.

Abstract: A method of producing a component for a vehicle may involve providing a workpiece comprised of a heat-treatable steel material with a zinc-containing coating on both sides, at least partly heating the workpiece to a temperature above Ac1, inserting the at least partly heated workpiece into a hot-forming and/or press-hardening mold comprising at least one punch and at least one die, and closing the mold by relative movement of the punch and/or the die and hot-forming and/or press-hardening the workpiece. At least a region of the heated workpiece may be cooled in the closed mold such that there is at least partial formation of a hardened microstructure. The workpiece may have a first side with a smaller coating thickness of the zinc-containing coating compared to the second side of the workpiece.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treatment of coated semi-finished steel products may comprise a heatable continuous furnace having a conveyer for moving the coated semi-finished steel products. The conveyer may be comprised of a plurality of conveyer elements, such as rollers, for example, for supporting the coated semi-finished steel products. To prevent, or at least substantially prevent, interaction between semi-finished steel products having different coatings, a decoupling portion of the continuous furnace may include a first conveyer element group and a second conveyer element group, each having at least one conveyer element. The coated semi-finished steel products may be supported in the decoupling portion either by the conveyer elements of the first conveyer element group or by the conveyer elements of the second conveyer element group.

Abstract: Methods for producing steel components with well-adhering metallic coatings that provide protection from corrosion offer flexibility in processing qualities. In one example, a flat steel product comprising a steel material that is hardenable by quenching in a hot forming operation and that has a yield point of 150-1100 MPa and a tensile strength of 300-1200 MPa may be coated electrolytically with a thin zinc layer. From the flat steel product, a blank may then be obtained that is heated directly to at least 800° C. and then formed into the steel component. Alternatively, the blank may initially be formed into the steel component and then heated to at least 800° C. Either way, the steel component may then be hardened by sufficiently rapid cooling from a sufficiently high temperature.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for producing profiles from metal, a metallic strip material being fed to a shaping-hardening device, in which the strip material is shaped into a profile and is hardened at least in certain regions, portions of the profile that are emerging continuously from the shaping-hardening device being coated with a protective layer. The disclosure also relates to an apparatus for producing profiles from metal, with a shaping-hardening device for shaping a metallic strip material that can be fed to the shaping-hardening device into a profile and for hardening the profile at least in certain regions, and with a coating device, by which portions of the profile that are emerging continuously from the shaping-hardening device can be coated with a protective layer.

Abstract: A method and forming tool for hot forming and press hardening plate-shaped or preformed workpieces of sheet steel, wherein the workpiece is heated to a temperature above the austenitisation temperature and is then formed and quenched in a cooled forming tool having a punch and a female mold, wherein the female mold is coated in its drawing edge region with material in a material-uniting manner and/or is provided there with at least one insert part having a thermal conductivity at least 10 W/(m*K) lower than the thermal conductivity of the portion of the female mold adjacent to the drawing edge region and comes into contact with the workpiece when said workpiece is being hot formed and press hardened, the surface of the material having a transverse dimension within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive radius of the female mold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flat steel product, which is intended to be formed into a component by hot press forming and has a base made of steel, onto which a metal anti-corrosion coating is applied, which is formed by Zn or a Zn alloy. This is achieved as per the invention in that a separate finishing coat is applied to at least one of the free surfaces of the flat steel product which contains at least one base metal compound (oxide, nitride, sulphide, sulphate, carbide, carbonate, fluoride, hydrate, hydroxide, or phosphate). Furthermore the invention relates to a method enabling the production of a flat steel product of this kind.

Abstract: A flat steel product which is provided for forming into a component by hot pressing and which has a base layer of steel on which is applied a Zn or Zn alloy metallic protective coating for protecting against corrosion. On at least one of the free surfaces of the flat steel product, a separate cover layer is applied which contains an oxide, nitride, sulphide, carbide, hydrate or phosphate compound of a base metal. In addition, a method which allows the production of such a flat steel product, and a method which allows the production of a component from such a flat steel product.

Abstract: Certain methods enable the production of steel components with well-adhering metallic coatings that protect against corrosion. In some examples, a flat steel product produced from a steel material having a yield point of 150-1100 MPa and a tensile strength of 300-1200 MPa may be coated with an anticorrosion coating of an alloy that comprises 35-70% by weight aluminum, 35-60% by weight zinc, 0.1-10% by weight magnesium, up to 10% by weight Si, and up to 5% by weight Fe. A blank obtained from the flat steel product may then be heated to at least 800° C. and formed into a steel component. Alternatively, the steel component may be formed into the steel component first and then heated to at least 800° C. Regardless, the steel component may then be hardened by sufficiently rapid cooling the steel component from a sufficiently high temperature.

Abstract: Methods for producing steel components with well-adhering metallic coatings that provide protection from corrosion offer flexibility in processing qualities. In one example, a flat steel product comprising a steel material that is hardenable by quenching in a hot forming operation and that has a yield point of 150-1100 MPa and a tensile strength of 300-1200 MPa may be coated electrolytically with a thin zinc layer. From the flat steel product, a blank may then be obtained that is heated directly to at least 800° C. and then formed into the steel component. Alternatively, the blank may initially be formed into the steel component and then heated to at least 800° C. Either way, the steel component may then be hardened by sufficiently rapid cooling from a sufficiently high temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treatment of coated semi-finished steel products may comprise a heatable continuous furnace having a conveyer for moving the coated semi-finished steel products. The conveyer may be comprised of a plurality of conveyer elements, such as rollers, for example, for supporting the coated semi-finished steel products. To prevent, or at least substantially prevent, interaction between semi-finished steel products having different coatings, a decoupling portion of the continuous furnace may include a first conveyer element group and a second conveyer element group, each having at least one conveyer element. The coated semi-finished steel products may be supported in the decoupling portion either by the conveyer elements of the first conveyer element group or by the conveyer elements of the second conveyer element group.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a hot-forming apparatus for producing a press-hardened shaped component from a blank, with a furnace for heating the blank and a pressing device for forming and cooling the blank heated in the furnace, wherein the hot-forming apparatus has, arranged upstream of the furnace, a preheating roll truing device with a temperature-controllable roller for straightening and preheating the blank. The invention further relates to a method for producing a press-hardened shaped component from a blank, wherein the blank is heated in a furnace and the heated blank is then formed and cooled in a pressing device, and wherein, prior to heating in the furnace, the blank is straightened and preheated by means of a temperature-controllable roller of a preheating roll truing device.

Abstract: The present disclsoure relates to a process for producing profiles from metal, a metallic strip material being fed to a shaping-hardening device, in which the strip material is shaped into a profile and is hardened at least in certain regions, portions of the profile that are emerging continuously from the shaping-hardening device being coated with a protective layer. The disclosure also relates to an apparatus for producing profiles from metal, with a shaping-hardening device for shaping a metallic strip material that can be fed to the shaping-hardening device into a profile and for hardening the profile at least in certain regions, and with a coating device, by which portions of the profile that are emerging continuously from the shaping-hardening device can be coated with a protective layer.

Abstract: Shown and described herein is a method for the surface treatment of workpieces, in particular of coated metal workpieces, for hot forming. In order to achieve an improved surface treatment of the workpieces, the following steps are proposed: b) partially or completely heating the workpieces to a temperature of at least Ac1, c) cleaning the workpiece surfaces of the heated workpieces with at least one pressurized air jet, d) forming the heated and cleaned workpieces, and e) cooling down the formed workpieces.

Abstract: A method and forming tool for hot forming and press hardening plate-shaped or preformed workpieces of sheet steel, wherein the workpiece is heated to a temperature above the austenitisation temperature and is then formed and quenched in a cooled forming tool having a punch and a female mold, wherein the female mold is coated in its drawing edge region with material in a material-uniting manner and/or is provided there with at least one insert part having a thermal conductivity at least 10 W/(m*K) lower than the thermal conductivity of the portion of the female mold adjacent to the drawing edge region and comes into contact with the workpiece when said workpiece is being hot formed and press hardened, the surface of the material having a transverse dimension within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive radius of the female mold.

Abstract: A flat steel product which is provided for forming into a component by hot pressing and which has a base layer of steel on which is applied a Zn or a Zn alloy metallic protective coating for protecting against corrosion. On at least one of the free surfaces of the flat steel product, a separate cover layer is applied which contains an oxide, nitride, sulphide, carbide, hydrate or phosphate compound of a base metal. In addition, a method which allows the production of such a flat steel product, and a method which allows the production of a component from such a flat steel product.