Patents by Inventor Stefan Muetze

Stefan Muetze has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11339479
    Abstract: In a component made of press-form-hardened, aluminium-based coated steel sheet, the coating has a covering which contains aluminum and silicon applied in the hot-dip process. The press-form-hardened component in the transition region between steel sheet and covering has an inter-diffusion zone I, wherein, depending on the layer application of the covering before heating and press hardening, the thickness of the inter-diffusion zone I obeys the following formula: I [?m]<(1/35)×application on both sides [g/m2]+(19/7). Formed on the inter-diffusion zone I is a zone having various intermetallic phases having an average total thickness between 8 and 50 ?m, on which zone there is in turn arranged a covering layer containing aluminum oxide and/or hydroxide having an average thickness of at least 0.05 ?m to at most 5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH, VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Koll, Marc Debeaux, Friedrich Luther, Christian Fritzsche, Stefan Mütze, Frank Beier, Matthias Graul, Jan-Frederik Lass, Haucke-Frederik Hartmann
  • Patent number: 10822681
    Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.0104-?0.050; B 0.0015-?40.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Joachim Schöttler, Friedrich Luther, Stefan Mütze
  • Publication number: 20200308708
    Abstract: In a component made of press-form-hardened, aluminium-based coated steel sheet, the coating has a covering which contains aluminum and silicon applied in the hot-dip process. The press-form-hardened component in the transition region between steel sheet and covering has an inter-diffusion zone I, wherein, depending on the layer application of the covering before heating and press hardening, the thickness of the inter-diffusion zone I obeys the following formula: I [?m]<( 1/35)×application on both sides [g/m2]+( 19/7). Formed on the inter-diffusion zone I is a zone having various intermetallic phases having an average total thickness between 8 and 50 ?m, on which zone there is in turn arranged a covering layer containing aluminum oxide and/or hydroxide having an average thickness of at least 0.05 ?m to at most 5 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicants: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH, VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: THOMAS KOLL, MARC DEBEAUX, FRIEDRICH LUTHER, CHRISTIAN FRITZSCHE, STEFAN MÜTZE, FRANK BEIER, MATTHIAS GRAUL, JAN-FREDERIK LASS, HAUCKE-FREDERIK HARTMANN
  • Publication number: 20200078853
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a chassis part from micro-alloyed steel, having an improved cold workability of cold-solidified, mechanically separated sheet-metal edges, comprising the following method steps: —providing a hot-rolled strip or a hot-rolled strip sheet of the claimed alloy composition in weight percent, cutting a blank at room temperature and optionally carrying out further punching or cutting operations, —heating exclusively the sheet metal edge regions of the blank, which have been cold-solidified by the cutting or punching operations, to a temperature of at least 700° C. with a dwell time of at most 10 seconds and subsequent cooling with air, —cold forming the blank in one or more steps to form a chassis part at room temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicant: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
    Inventors: INGWER DENKS, STEFAN MÜTZE, CHRISTIAN PELZ
  • Publication number: 20200038933
    Abstract: In a method for producing a component by further forming of a preformed contour of a blank, the blank which has previously been cut to size at ambient temperature from a strip or a metal sheet undergoes after optional further manufacturing steps carried out at ambient temperature, e.g. punching or cutting operations to realize recesses or openings, in selected edge regions that have been strain hardened by the punching or cutting operations to obtain a preformed contour a first forming operation at ambient temperature. The edge regions intended to undergo the forming operation or at least the edge regions that have undergone the first forming operation are heated to a temperature of at least 600° C. for maximal 10 seconds. After the heat treatment, the edge regions undergo at any time a second forming operation or further forming operations at ambient temperature with respectively preceding heat treatments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: STEFAN MÜTZE, MATTHIAS SCHNEIDER, SEBASTIAN WESTHÄUSER, INGWER ASMUS DENKS
  • Publication number: 20200030866
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the optimized production of a component, in particular from steel, with at least one secondary formed element, comprising the steps of a) providing a blank which has been cut to size at room temperature from a strip or a sheet and in which cut-outs and/or holes have optionally been created by stamping or cutting operations; b) thermal treatment of selected edge regions of the blank that have been cold-hardened by the stamping or cutting operations, in which the edge regions are heated to a temperature of at least 600° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
    Inventors: STEFAN MÜTZE, MATTHIAS SCHNEIDER, SEBASTIAN WESTHÄUSER
  • Patent number: 10246758
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a component from transformable steel by hot forming, in which a plate first is cut out of a strip or sheet as the pre-material, and is then heated to forming temperature and pre-formed, having an at least partially martensitic transformation structure after forming. Instead of a press mold hardening, the at least partially martensitic transformation structure is created in the pre-material, or in the plate to be formed, by austenitization and quenching already before forming, and then the thus-conditioned plate is reheated after forming, while maintaining the at least partially martensitic transformation structure, to a temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature, and formed at this temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Friedrich Luther, Thomas Evertz, Stefan Muetze, Michael Braun
  • Publication number: 20180237892
    Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.0104-?0.050; B 0.0015-?40.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Schöttler, Friedrich Luther, Stefan Mütze
  • Patent number: 10036085
    Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.010-?0.050; B 0.0015-?0.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Joachim Schöttler, Friedrich Luther, Stefan Mütze
  • Publication number: 20170333971
    Abstract: A method for producing a component by forming a plate from steel at room temperature having a high formability and reduced crack sensitivity of edges that have been mechanically cut or punched on the plate, includes: cutting the plate from a strip or metal sheet at room temperature; heating edge regions of the plate that underwent strain hardening as a result of the cutting step to a temperature of at least 600° C. for a time period of at most 10 seconds; and forming the plate in one or more steps into a component at room temperature, wherein in the forming step the edge regions heated in the heating step are subjected to cold forming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: INGWER DENKS, STEFAN MÜTZE
  • Publication number: 20160130675
    Abstract: A method for producing a component by hot forming a pre-product made of steel is disclosed. The pre-product is heated to a forming temperature and is then reshaped, said component having a bainitic microstructure with a minimum tensile strength of 800 MPa after the forming process. In the process, the pre-product with the specified alloy composition is heated to a temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature, said pre-product already consisting of a steel with a microstructure made of at least 50% bainite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan MÜTZE, MICHAEL BRAUN, MANUEL MAIKRANZ-VALENTIN
  • Publication number: 20150047753
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a component from transformable steel by hot forming, in which a plate first is cut out of a strip or sheet as the pre-material, and is then heated to forming temperature and pre-formed, having an at least partially martensitic transformation structure after forming. Instead of a press mould hardening, the at least partially martensitic transformation structure is created in the pre-material, or in the plate to be formed, by austenitisation and quenching already before forming, and then the thus-conditioned plate is reheated after forming, while maintaining the at least partially martensitic transformation structure, to a temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature, and formed at this temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Friedrich Luther, Thomas Evertz, Stefan Muetze, Michael Braun
  • Publication number: 20150020992
    Abstract: A non-scaling heat-treatable steel with particular suitability for producing hardened or die-hardened components is disclosed, characterized by the following chemical composition in % by weight: C 0.04-0.50; Mn 0.5-6.0; Al 0.5-3.0; Si 0.05-3.0; Cr 0.05-3.0; Ni less than 3.0; Cu less than 3.0; Ti 0.010-?0.050; B 0.0015-?0.0040; P less than 0.10; S less than 0.05; N less than 0.020; remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. Further disclosed is a method for producing a non-scaling hardened component from the steel and a method for producing a hot strip from a steel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Joachim Schöttler, Friedrich Luther, Stefan Mütze
  • Patent number: 8404061
    Abstract: A component of an air-hardenable steel composed of (contents in mass %): C<0.20; Al<0.08; Si<1.00; Mn 1.20 to <2.50; P<0.020; S<0.015; N<0.0150; Cr 0.30 to <1.5; Mo 0.10 to <0.80; Ti 0.010 to <0.050; V 0.03 to <0.20; B 0.0015 to <0.0060, with the remainder being iron including the usual elements present in steel, is produced by heating a hot- or cold-rolled steel sheet or steel tube section to a temperature of ?blank=800 to 1050° C. and then forming the sheet or tube into a component in a forming tool. After removal from the tool, the component is cooled down in air while the component still has a temperature above ?removal=200° C. and below 800° C. The component achieves the required mechanical properties during air-cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Braun, Uwe Eggers, Cord Schäffner, Joachim Schöttler, Friedrich Luther, Stefan Mütze, Manuel Otto, Thorsten Reier
  • Publication number: 20120107632
    Abstract: A component of an air-hardenable steel composed of (contents in mass %): C<0.20; Al<0.08; Si<1.00; Mn 1.20 to <2.50; P<0.020; S<0.015; N<0.0150; Cr 0.30 to <1.5; Mo 0.10 to <0.80; Ti 0.010 to <0.050; V 0.03 to <0.20; B 0.0015 to <0.0060, with the remainder being iron including the usual elements present in steel, is produced by heating a hot- or cold-rolled steel sheet or steel tube section to a temperature of ?blank=800 to 1050° C. and then forming the sheet or tube into a component in a forming tool. After removal from the tool, the component is cooled down in air while the component still has a temperature above ?removal=200° C. and below 800° C. The component achieves the required mechanical properties during air-cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: SALZGITTER FLACHSTAHL GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Braun, Uwe Eggers, Cord Schäffner, Joachim Schottler, Friedrich Luther, Stefan Mütze