Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a metal structural component, in particular a vehicle structural component, in which a steel part is hot formed and is hardened at least over sections by contact with a tool surface, in which the steel part is during the hardening cooled in at least two partial regions at different cooling rates, so that the partial regions after the hardening differ in their microstructure, wherein the cooling rates differing from one another are produced by sections of the tool surface corresponding to the partial regions of the steel part, which differ from one another as regards their thermal conductivities. The invention also relates to a further method for producing a metal structural component, as well as a tool and a batch furnace.

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 method and an installation for producing a component from sheet magnesium, comprising a forming tool, which comprises a punch and a die, for forming a semi-finished product made of sheet magnesium, in particular a semi-finished product in the form of a sheet magnesium blank, and a device for heating the semi-finished product to an elevated temperature, preferably to a temperature of at least 200° C., prior to the forming. In order to reduce the component costs, the invention proposes that the forming tool is designed without an internal heat source, is provided with a semi-finished product holder on which the heated semi-finished product can be placed in the forming tool without direct contact with the punch and the die, and comprises a drive which brings about a closing speed of the punch and the die in the range of 15 mm/s to 500 mm/s.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a metal component, wherein a raw material (4, 34, 42, 74) is provided, the raw material (4, 34, 42, 74) is stamped and is further processed following the stamping process to form a component (90, 108, 114). The component (90, 108, 114) has at least partially stamped areas (16, 36, 48, 98), and the raw material (4, 34, 42, 74) is hot-stamped. The invention further relates to the use of a hot-stamped metal component, which is preferably produced using a method according to the invention, in a motor vehicle body, in particular as a reinforcing element in a B-column (114), a sill, or a longitudinal beam.

Abstract: A process for producing a component from a steel product coated with a protective Al—Si coating, and an intermediate product that arises during the course of such a process and that can be used to produce components of the type concerned here. The steel product coated with the Al—Si coating, undergoes a first heating stage in which the temperature and the duration of the heat treatment are set such that the Al—Si coating is only partially pre-alloyed with Fe from the steel product. Then, the steel product, in a second heating stage, is heated to a heating temperature, above the Ac1 temperature, at which the steel product has an at least partially austenitic structure, wherein the temperature and the duration of the second heating stage are set such that the Al—Si coating is fully alloyed with Fe from the steel product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a metal structural component, in particular a vehicle structural component, in which a steel part is hot formed and is hardened at least over sections by contact with a tool surface, in which the steel part is during the hardening cooled in at least two partial regions at different cooling rates, so that the partial regions after the hardening differ in their microstructure, wherein the cooling rates differing from one another are produced by sections of the tool surface corresponding to the partial regions of the steel part, which differ from one another as regards their thermal conductivities. The invention also relates to a further method for producing a metal structural component, as well as a tool and a batch furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining shape changes of a workpiece made of steel or a steel alloy due to forming, in which a varnish is applied to the workpiece, the workpiece is formed and then an optical shape change analysis is carried out by measuring the applied varnish. The object of providing a method for determining shape changes of a workpiece made of steel or a steel alloy, said method also being suitable for analyzing the shape change of a workpiece after hot forming, is solved according to the teaching of the present invention in that before the forming of the workpiece a varnish with an Al proportion of more than 30% by weight is applied to the workpiece, the workpiece is heated for forming to a hot forming temperature and the workpiece is cooled after or during the forming.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for hot forming of steel parts, in particular blanks or semi-finished products of steel, in which the steel parts are heated in a furnace for at least partial austenitisation to a temperature above the Ac1 temperature and hot formed in a forming tool. The object of providing a method for hot forming of steel parts which allows an energy-efficient performance of the hot forming while at the same time reducing the cycle times for producing a hot formed component, is achieved in that the waste heat from the furnace is used for further heat treatment steps of the steel part before and/or after the at least partial austenitisation of the steel part.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for hot forming a blank consisting of an aluminium or steel alloy, in which the blank is heated before forming and subsequently formed in a forming tool at a temperature of at least 150° C., and to a device for carrying out the hot forming, having a forming tool which has a punch and a die. The object of proposing an economic method for hot forming is achieved for hot forming an aluminium or steel blank by placing an insulating material onto at least one surface of the blank before forming, wherein the insulating material has a lower thermal conductivity than the blank and the forming takes place with the applied insulating material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a metal component, wherein a raw material (4, 34, 42, 74) is provided, the raw material (4, 34, 42, 74) is stamped and is further processed following the stamping process to form a component (90, 108, 114). The component (90, 108, 114) has at least partially stamped areas (16, 36, 48, 98), and the raw material (4, 34, 42, 74) is hot-stamped. The invention further relates to the use of a hot-stamped metal component, which is preferably produced using a method according to the invention, in a motor vehicle body, in particular as a reinforcing element in a B-column (114), a sill, or a longitudinal beam.

Abstract: A method for producing a metallic component (B) allows adjoining zones (Z1, Z2, Z3) having differing material properties to be produced in a manner which is simple in terms of production. This is achieved in that a sheet metal element (E) heated to a forming temperature is shaped in a forming tool (1) into an end-shaped component (B), wherein the forming tool (1) has a temperature adjustment means for adjusting the temperature of at least one of the portions (5, 7, 16) thereof that comes into contact with the sheet metal element (E) during the forming process, and in that the forming speed is controlled in consideration of the time for which the portion (5, 7, 16) of the forming tool (1) that is regulated with regard to the temperature thereof is in contact with the respective region (E1, E2, E3) of the sheet metal element (E) that rests against said portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a press-hardened metal component, in which a blank (2) or a semi-finished product (30, 40, 50, 60) is press hardened in a forming tool (12), wherein the blank (2) or the semi-finished product (30, 40, 50, 60) has partial regions (4, 36) with reduced wall thickness and the partial regions (4, 36) with reduced wall thickness are not press hardened. The invention also relates to a press-hardened metal component made of steel or a steel alloy, in particular for a motor vehicle, preferably produced by a method according to the invention, which is not press hardened in at least one partial region (4, 36), wherein at least one partial region (4, 36) that is not press hardened has a reduced wall thickness in comparison with the partial regions that are press hardened.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a component having improved elongation at break properties, in which a component (6) is firstly produced, preferably in a hot forming or press curing process (4), and the component (6) is heat treated after hot forming and/or press curing (4), 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 determining shape changes of a workpiece made of steel or a steel alloy due to forming, in which a varnish is applied to the workpiece, the workpiece is formed and then an optical shape change analysis is carried out by measuring the applied varnish. The object of providing a method for determining shape changes of a workpiece made of steel or a steel alloy, said method also being suitable for analyzing the shape change of a workpiece after hot forming, is solved according to the teaching of the present invention in that before the forming of the workpiece a varnish with an Al proportion of more than 30% by weight is applied to the workpiece, the workpiece is heated for forming to a hot forming temperature and the workpiece is cooled after or during the forming.

Abstract: A process for producing a component from a steel product coated with a protective Al—Si coating, and an intermediate product that arises during the course of such a process and that can be used to produce components of the type concerned here. The steel product coated with the Al—Si coating, undergoes a first heating stage in which the temperature and the duration of the heat treatment are set such that the Al—Si coating is only partially pre-alloyed with Fe from the steel product. Then, the steel product, in a second heating stage, is heated to a heating temperature, above the Ac1 temperature, at which the steel product has an at least partially austenitic structure, wherein the temperature and the duration of the second heating stage are set such that the Al—Si coating is fully alloyed with Fe from the steel product.

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.

Abstract: A method for producing a metallic component (B) allows adjoining zones (Z1, Z2, Z3) having differing material properties to be produced in a manner which is simple in terms of production. This is achieved in that a sheet metal element (E) heated to a forming temperature is shaped in a forming tool (1) into an end-shaped component (B), wherein the forming tool (1) has a temperature adjustment means for adjusting the temperature of at least one of the portions (5, 7, 16) thereof that comes into contact with the sheet metal element (E) during the forming process, and in that the forming speed is controlled in consideration of the time for which the portion (5, 7, 16) of the forming tool (1) that is regulated with regard to the temperature thereof is in contact with the respective region (E1, E2, E3) of the sheet metal element (E) that rests against said portion.