Abstract: Dies for forming components, such as sheet components, and methods of producing the dies are disclosed. The die may include a bulk material and a forming surface. A solid conductor may be formed in the bulk material. The solid conductor may be spaced from and extend adjacent to the forming surface and have a melting point that is greater than a melting point of the bulk material. The solid conductor may be configured to absorb heat from the forming surface. There may multiple solid conductors within the bulk material, for example spaced apart and extending along an axis. The solid conductor may be a bundle of carbon fibers, which may be pitch-based. The solid conductor may be conformal to the forming surface, for example, having a constant spacing therefrom. The solid conductor may be cast-in to the die during its production.

Abstract: A method of producing a laminated article comprising placing a first metal skin, a core, and a second metal skin freely onto each other as discreet layers to provide a layered component; and forming the layered component into a shaped article via a die prior to producing a laminated article by applying pressure and heat to the shaped article, wherein at least the first skin moves relative to the core and/or second skin during the forming.

Abstract: A method of separating a blank from a stack of blanks is provided and includes grasping a first blank and moving the first blank away from a plurality of blanks. At least one additional blank from the plurality of blanks is adhered to the first blank to form a sub-stack of blanks and at least one impulse electrically generated force (EGF) is applied to separate the at least one additional blank from the first blank. The first blank may be grasped by a device with a force F1, and the at least one impulse EGF may be less than the force F1. Also, the at least one impulse EGF may be applied to separate the at least one additional blank from the first blank by passing a pulse of current through an EGF generator positioned adjacent the first blank and inducing an EGF within the plurality of blanks.

Abstract: A method of producing a laminated article comprising placing a first metal skin, a core, and a second metal skin freely onto each other as discrete layers to provide a layered component; and forming the layered component into a shaped article via a die prior to producing a laminated article by applying pressure and heat to the shaped article, wherein at least the first skin moves relative to the core and/or second skin during the forming.

Abstract: A first method is disclosed for forming a tubular reinforcement that comprises the steps of: providing a 7xxx aluminum tube, heating tube to at least 450° C. and water quenching the tube in less than or equal to 20 seconds after heating. All of the forming processes on the tube are then completed from within 1 to 8 hours of quenching. A second method for forming a tubular reinforcement is disclosed that comprises the steps of providing a 7xxx-O temper aluminum tube and forming the tube into a predetermined shape. The tube in then heated the tube to at least 450° C. and quenched the tube with water or air in a hydroforming die just prior to or while hydroforming the tube.

Abstract: A method of separating blanks from a stack includes positioning a magnetic field generator in a fixed location proximate a peripheral edge of an upper portion of the stack, activating the magnetic field generator such that eddy currents are generated and result in a force vector in a direction away from a top-most blank of the stack, and pushing a blank, or multiple blanks, immediately below the top-most blank away from the top-most blank by the eddy currents.

Abstract: A method of forming an aluminum alloy part is provided for enhanced formability. The method includes providing a 7xxx series aluminum alloy blank, heating the blank to at least its solvus temperature, and performing an intermediate quench on the blank to a temperature between about 200° C. to about 440° C. at a rate between about 100° C./s to about 500° C./s. The blank is transferred to a stamping die where a secondary quench and forming the blank into a part are carried out, where in one form, the steps of transferring the blank and performing the secondary quench and forming are completed within ten seconds or less. The part may then be optionally artificially aged for increased strength.

Abstract: A method of separating blanks from a stack includes positioning a magnetic field generator in a fixed location proximate a peripheral edge of an upper portion of the stack, activating the magnetic field generator such that eddy currents are generated and result in a force vector in a direction away from a top-most blank of the stack, and pushing a blank, or multiple blanks, immediately below the top-most blank away from the top-most blank by the eddy currents.

Abstract: A method of quenching a press hardenable steel (PHS) is provided. The method includes preparing a die having a material with a thermal conductivity of at least 40W/(m·K) and placing a blank within the die and simultaneously hot stamping and quenching the blank at a heat transfer coefficient of at least 2,950W/(m2·K). In one form, the step of hot stamping the blank is carried out with greater than 20 MPa of contact pressure between the die and the blank. In another form, the step of hot stamping the blank is carried out with 31 MPa of contact pressure between the die and the blank.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, an assembly is provided comprising a first member including a 6xxx series aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t (bendability) ratio of up to 0.4. One or more members may be secured to the first member with a rivet (e.g., a self-piercing rivet). The heat treated alloy may have a yield strength of at least 260 MPa and may have a bendability ratio of up to 0.3. A method of forming an assembly is also provided, including heat treating a 6xxx series aluminum alloy to produce an alloy having a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t (bendability) ratio of up to 0.4 and riveting a member including the heat treated alloy to one or more additional members.

Abstract: Methods of processing an air-quenchable aluminum alloy component are provided. The method may include solution heat treating the component, air-quenching the component, and artificially aging the component to a yield strength of at least 200 MPa. The air-quenching may include cooling at a rate of 6° C./s to 25° C./s. The solution heat treatment may include heat treating the component at a temperature of 520° C. to 540° C. and the artificial aging step may include heat treating the component at 235° C. to 255° C. for 0.5 to 2 hours. The disclosed methods may produce a high strength (e.g., over 200 MPa) and high bendability (e.g., r/t ratio up to 0.3) component that does not significantly distort during the quenching process. The disclosed methods may be used to produce structural components having complex shapes, such as multiple, non-coplanar mating surface, while staying within predetermined tolerances.

Abstract: Methods of heat treating aluminum alloys are disclosed. The method may include forming a sheet of solution heat-treated, quenched, and aged 6xxx series aluminum having a sheet average yield strength of at least 100 MPa into a component. The component may then be attached to an assembly and at least a portion of the assembly may be painted. The method may then include heat treating the assembly to cure the paint and to increase a component average yield to at least 240 MPa. In another embodiment, the method may include progressively forging a sheet of T4-tempered 6xxx series aluminum into a component using multiple dies and artificially aging the component at 210° C. to 240° C. for 20 to 40 minutes to a component average yield strength of at least 300 MPa. The methods may reduce component cycle time and may reduce strength gradients within the component.

Abstract: A method for forming a vehicle component is provided. The method may include heating a blank of 36MnB5 in a furnace to an austenitization temperature, stamping the blank with a die assembly to form a vehicle component and change a microstructure of the blank from austenite to martensite, and responsive to a temperature of the vehicle component being at or below 130° C., removing the vehicle component from the die assembly such that the vehicle component has a yield strength equal to or greater than 1400 MPa. The blank may be retained within the die assembly for a quench time of between five and eleven seconds following the stamping. The method may further include thermo-stabilizing a surface of the die assembly to a predetermined temperature. The stamping may further include applying a pressure of approximately 10 N/mm2 to the blank.

Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed toward a high volume manufacturing method for forming high strength aluminum parts. The method includes acquiring material blanks that are made of 7xxx series aluminum alloy, heating the blanks to a solvus temperature of the material, and stamping and quenching the heated blanks to form multiple parts. The parts are cooled to a second temperature lower than the solvus temperature during the quenching operation. The method further includes performing one or more structural modifications of the parts within a set time period that is less than or equal to 24 hours. The method further includes racking the parts with a gap defined between two adjacent parts, artificially aging the parts with an industrial oven, and pretreating the parts with a chemical solution.

Abstract: A method of quenching a press hardenable steel is provided. The method includes an initial step of die quenching a part stamped within a stamping die followed by a partial quenching after the initial step of die quenching. In various methods, the press hardenable steel is a 36MnB5 grade steel and/or the initial step of die quenching is performed at a temperature of approximately 200° C.±10° C. in a die configured for 36MnB5 grade steel. At least one method further includes opening the die followed by the partial quenching, the partial quenching comprising spraying a cooling liquid onto the part to reduce a temperature of the part below approximately 130° C.±10° C., with the option of spraying to reduce the temperature of the part below approximately 100° C.±10° C.

Abstract: A method of forming a part includes extruding a billet through a die, forming a round, closed geometry tube from the billet, and hydroforming the round, closed geometry tube. The extrusion die contains an orifice with a central mandrel, a plurality of bridges, and a corresponding plurality of portholes between the bridges. A spacing of the bridges around the mandrel is non-equiangular. As a result, the round, closed geometry tube has non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming an aluminum alloy vehicle body component. An aluminum alloy billet is extruded into an aluminum tube that includes longitudinal weld seams formed in a sidewall of the tube during extrusion. A weld seam locating pip is also formed on a sidewall of the tube during extrusion. The pip is used to locate the weld seams during manufacturing of the body component.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a sheet metal stamping simulation is provided. The method may include defining elements of a finite-element mesh representing a stamped panel, operating on the elements to simulate deformation of the panel during stamping to generate, for each of the elements, incremental differential major and minor plastic strain values, applying a weighting factor to temporally adjacent pairs of the values to generate smoothed values, deriving, from the smoothed values and for each of the elements, a plurality of plastic strain incremental ratios representing plastic flow direction of the elements during the deformation, and altering colors of a map based on the ratios to represent changes in severity of plastic deformation of the stamped panel.

Abstract: A hot-stamping furnace includes a housing defining a heating chamber partitioned into compartments configured to have different temperatures. The heating chamber includes an opening that is at least partially covered by a door movably mounted on the housing. The door is configured to extend over only a portion of the opening when in a closed position. A detachable panel extends from an edge of the door such that the panel extends over a portion of the opening that the door does not extend over.

Abstract: A method and a system are disclosed for making an article of manufacture from a blank defining an internal opening. A stack of blanks are aligned and the internal openings of the blanks in the stack of blanks are machined by a rotary cutting tool to a finished dimension. The blanks are clamped together before machining in a numerically controlled machine tool. The blanks are subsequently formed individually in a sheet metal forming operation in which the inner perimeter of the internal openings is expanded as the blank is formed.