Abstract: A method may be used to produce a component that includes at least two different materials. The method may involve providing a hardenable planar or preformed steel sheet or steel profile, completely or partially heating the steel sheet or steel profile to the austenitic temperature, inserting the heated steel sheet or steel profile into a first tool for hot forming and/or press hardening the steel sheet or steel profile to give a completely or partially hardened steel workpiece. In the course of the hot forming and/or press hardening at least one jog is made in the steel sheet or the steel profile. The jog may serve for fastening at least one second material thereto.

Abstract: A tool may be used to shape and/or partially press harden a workpiece. In some examples, the tool may comprise a main body having a surface, as well as a heat conducting system containing a thermal medium. The heat conducting system is integrated in the tool in such a way that, for the heating of the surface, a heat radiating from a heat source is conducted by means of the heat conducting system to the surface of the main body. Further, the heat conducting system may comprise a thermal oil or a melt as the thermal medium. The surface of the main body may be configured to face the workpiece during the shaping or partial press hardening of the workpiece.

Abstract: A method for hot or warm forming a workpiece may comprise providing the workpiece to be formed, at least partially pretreating the workpiece, at least partially heating the workpiece to a target temperature, and at least partially forming and/or hardening the workpiece. Furthermore, the workpiece may be at least partially cleaned in a cleaning step between the pretreating and the heating of the workpiece. In some examples, at least partially cleaning the workpiece may involve brushing the workpiece, using a cleaning bath, or heating the workpiece with a first burner to a cleaning temperature. Further, one or more burners used to heat or clean the workpiece may be operated with a fuel gas and/or an oxygen-containing gas.

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 process for producing a component having improved elongation at break properties, in which a component is firstly produced, preferably in a hot forming or press curing process, and the component is heat treated after hot forming and/or press curing, where the heat treatment temperature T and the heat treatment time t essentially satisfy the numerical relationship T?900·t?0.087, where the heat treatment temperature T is in ° C. and the heat treatment time t is in seconds. The invention also relates to a component, in particular an automobile body component or the chassis of a motor vehicle, which has been produced by such a process. The invention further relates to the use of such a component as part of an automobile body or a chassis of a motor vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for hot forming semi-finished products of steel, in which the semi-finished product is heated to the forming temperature, is conveyed to the forming tool, and in the forming tool is hot formed, hardened or press hardened. The object of proposing a method for hot-forming semi-finished products of steel, in which also extremely thin-walled blanks may be conveyed at the forming temperature without issues and be fed to the forming tool properly and without limiting the degree of forming of the semi-finished product, is achieved in that prior to hot forming, hardening or press hardening, at least one structure which increases rigidity at least is incorporated in the semi-finished product, and the structure which increases rigidity of the semi-finished product is at least partially or completely disposed in the trimming region of the semi-finished product.

Abstract: Example methods and devices for producing a shaped component may involve positioning a workpiece having a hollow region and consisting at least partially of steel in a mold of a device. One or more docking punches may secure the workpiece within the mold and serve to introduce a pressurized fluid into the hollow region of the workpiece within the mold. The workpiece may be hot-formed in this process. The present disclosure concerns a variety of methods and devices that may be utilized to counteract a cooling of the workpiece in a region of the docking punch and reduce a temperature difference that may exist between the workpiece and the device.

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: Methods for using a mold to partially harden semifinished products, which are comprised of hardenable steel and have at least partially an open-profile or closed-profile cross section, may involve a number of steps. For example, such methods may involve heating regions of a semifinished product above an Ac1 temperature, positioning the semifinished producing in a mold, positioning an active mold cooling element adjacent to or in contact with the heated regions of the semifinished product, and cooling the regions of the semifinished product at a defined cooling rate so that a hardened microstructure in the cooled regions. These methods and corresponding devices provide low cost solutions that dispense with complete hardening of semifinished products and/or employing welded connections to provide various mechanical properties.

Abstract: A wear-resistant steel part may be formed by hot forming and/or hardening a hardenable steel grade semifinished part. The steel part may be used, for example, as a processing, conveying, and/or crushing mechanism in agricultural machines, conveying machines, mining machines, or building machines. The semifinished part may be heated to a temperature above an Ac1 transformation temperature and then subsequently hot formed and/or hardened. The steel part may be particularly suitable for use with abrasive materials. To that end, the steel part may have at least one region that has been hardened to a depth of not more than 100 microns by surface hardening before the semifinished part is hot formed or hardened.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transporting device for transporting steel parts for hot forming and/or hardening, having transporting receptacles in which the steel parts are disposed and which are specified for transporting steel parts having temperatures of more than 650° C. The invention moreover relates to a method for transporting steel parts from a device for heating the steel parts to a device for hardening, hot forming, or press hardening the steel parts, wherein the steel part in a first step in a device for heating is heated to a predetermined first temperature which is above room temperature.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus for hardening a component or any semi-finished product formed from a steel workpiece that has been shaped in a shaping tool may involve introducing the component into a receiving region of a hardening tool. The hardening tool may then be closed around the component in a form-fitting manner so as to surround the component and maintain a substantially constant distance between the component and at least one induction coil integrated into the hardening tool. The induction coil of the hardening tool may then be used to heat the component. The component may then be cooled within the receiving region or by removing the component from the receiving region and exposing the component to air external to the receiving region.

Abstract: Example methods and devices for producing a shaped component may involve positioning a workpiece having a hollow region and consisting at least partially of steel in a mold of a device. One or more docking punches may secure the workpiece within the mold and serve to introduce a pressurized fluid into the hollow region of the workpiece within the mold. The workpiece may be hot-formed in this process. The present disclosure concerns a variety of methods and devices that may be utilized to counteract a cooling of the workpiece in a region of the docking punch and reduce a temperature difference that may exist between the workpiece and the device.

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: A method for producing a profile includes method steps of: providing a workpiece; shaping the workpiece; joining the workpiece; coating the workpiece; heating the workpiece; and at least partially hardening the workpiece; wherein the coating method step is carried out temporally after the joining method step and temporally before the heating method step.

Abstract: A method for hot forming, in particular for press hardening, a component is disclosed, wherein in a local region of the component a reduced martensitic hardness is produced by locally reducing a forming pressure which is exerted on a surface of the component.

Abstract: A hardening tool is disclosed for producing hardened profiled shaped articles from a sheet steel material, which hardening tool has at least two tool parts which are movable relative to one another and between which a heated sheet steel material which has been preformed into a profiled shaped article and is optionally finally formed and is cooled in a hardening process, wherein the hardening tool has a mould core which, during the hardening process, is arranged in a recess of the profiled shaped article, and wherein the mould core has at least one outlet opening for the pressurization of cooling medium from a cooling medium duct on the profiled shaped article.

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: A forming tool and a method for the press-hardening and tempered forming of a blank from high and/or very high strength steels are provided, in which the blank is heated before the tempered forming and then formed hot or semi-hot in a forming tool, wherein the forming tool has means for tempering. This is achieved in that the forming tool makes precisely defined temperature guidance of the blank during forming, and in that a plurality of controllable means are provided in the forming tool for tempering the forming tool, by which a plurality of temperature zones can be tempered in the forming tool, wherein at least contact surfaces of forming tool elements used for the tempered forming are allocated to individual temperature zones.