Sheet metal molding for motor vehicles and process for producing a sheet metal molding for motor vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029624-B2
Application number	US-201113813857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2011
Priority date	Aug 2, 2010
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A motor vehicle sheet metal molding of the invention is produced by hot forming from a metal sheet composed of an aluminum alloy which cannot be precipitation hardened, which contains at least magnesium and optionally manganese in addition to aluminum as alloy component. The motor vehicle sheet metal molding after forming has, at least locally, degrees of deformation which are above the forming limit curve of the aluminum alloy at room temperature. To produce the motor vehicle sheet metal molding, the metal sheet is heated at least locally to a temperature in the range from 200° C. to 400° C. over a period of from 1 to 60 seconds. The heated metal sheet is subsequently placed in a forming tool of a forming press and formed to produce the motor vehicle sheet metal molding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing an open sheet metal molding comprising the steps of:
providing a sheet metal made of a roll hardened, non precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy comprising aluminum and magnesium, said sheet metal being in a material state defined by a temper designation according to European standard EN515:1993 selected from the group consisting of H12, H14, H16, H18, H19, H22, H24, H26, H28, H32, H34, H36 and H38;
heating at least a portion of the sheet metal to a temperature in a range from 250° C. to 370° C. within a time period of 1 to 60 seconds;
inserting the heated sheet metal into a forming tool of a forming die;
forming the sheet metal into the sheet metal molding; and
actively cooling the portion of the sheet metal molding to a temperature below 200° C. within 60 seconds after the heating by placement in a cold forming tool.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy further comprises manganese.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet metal is heated in the heating step to a temperature in a range from 270° C. to 350° C.

4. The method according of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the sheet metal has regions which are heated to different temperatures prior to the forming step.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the sheet metal has regions which are heated for different respective periods of time.

6. A method for producing an open sheet metal molding comprising the steps of:
providing a sheet metal made of a roll hardened, non precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy comprising aluminum and magnesium, said sheet metal being in a material state defined by a temper designation according to European standard EN515:1993 selected from the group consisting of H12, H14, H16, H18, H19, H22, H24, H26, H28, H32, H34, H36 and H38;
heating at least a portion of the sheet metal to a temperature in a range from 250° C. to 370° C. within a time period of 1 to 30 seconds;
inserting the heated sheet metal into a forming tool of a forming die;
forming the sheet metal into the sheet metal molding; and
actively cooling the portion of the sheet metal molding at least locally to a temperature below 200° C. by placement in a cold forming tool, wherein the forming and cooling step are performed within 60 seconds after the heating step.

Assignees

• Diersmann Holger
• Doerr Jochen
• Grewe Jochem
• Hitz Andreas
• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Diersmann Holger
• Dörr Jochen
• Grewe Jochem
• Hitz Andreas

Classifications

• B21D22/022

  by heating the blank or stamping associated with heat treatment (C21D takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22F1/047

  of alloys with magnesium as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C21D9/46

  for sheet metals · CPC title

• B21D35/005

  characterized by the material of the blank or the workpiece (B21D26/053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22C21/06

  with magnesium as the next major constituent · CPC title