Hot-forming line and method for producing hot-formed and press-quenched sheet-steel products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11299794-B2
Application number	US-201916414999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A hot-forming line for producing hot-formed and press-quenched sheet-steel products includes a temperature control station for heating at least one sheet-metal blank, a hot-forming and press-quenching tool for hot forming and press quenching the heated sheet-metal blank and at least one blank gripper for gripping and transferring the sheet-metal blank before and/or after hot forming and press quenching. The at least one blank gripper forms at least one contact region with the sheet-metal blank during the gripping of the sheet-metal blank. Also, the at least one blank gripper is configured to cool the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region during gripping and transfer of the sheet-metal blank before hot forming and press quenching and/or heat the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region during gripping and transfer after hot forming and press quenching.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing hot-formed and press-quenched sheet-steel products comprising:
heating at least one sheet-metal blank in a temperature control station;
hot forming and press quenching the heated sheet-metal blank in a hot-forming and press-quenching tool; and
gripping and transferring the sheet-metal blank with at least one blank gripper, wherein the at least one blank gripper grips and transfers the sheet-metal blank before hot forming and press quenching, grips and transfers the sheet-metal blank after hot forming and press quenching, or grips and transfers the sheet-metal blank before and after hot forming and press quenching, and
wherein the sheet-metal blank is at least one of:
cooled by the blank gripper, before hot forming and press quenching, in at least one contact region formed during gripping and transfer by the blank gripper, in relation to an uncontacted neighboring region of the sheet-metal blank adjoining the contact region, and
heated by means of the blank gripper, after hot forming and press quenching, in the at least one contact region, in relation to the uncontacted neighboring region of the sheet-metal blank adjoining the contact region, wherein the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region is cooled by the blank gripper at a cooling rate of less than 27 K/s before hot forming and press quenching.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising heating the sheet-metal blank in the contact region by the at least one blank gripper after hot forming and press quenching to a temperature greater than a temperature of the uncontacted neighboring region of the sheet-metal blank adjoining the contact region and to no more than 900° C.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising placing the sheet-metal blank in the hot-forming and press-quenching tool by the at least one blank gripper before hot forming and press quenching.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising removing the sheet-metal blank from the hot-forming and press-quenching tool by the at least one blank gripper after hot forming and press quenching.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising placing the sheet-metal blank in the hot-forming and press-quenching tool by the at least one blank gripper before hot forming and press quenching, and removing the sheet-metal blank from the hot-forming and press-quenching tool by the at least one blank gripper after hot forming and press quenching.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one blank gripper comprises:
a first blank gripper for gripping and transferring the sheet-metal blank before hot forming and press quenching, wherein the first blank gripper forms and cools the at least one contact region in relation to the uncontacted neighboring region adjoining the contact region during the gripping of the sheet-metal blank by the first blank gripper; and
a second blank gripper for gripping and transferring the sheet-metal blank after hot forming and press quenching, wherein the second blank gripper heats the at least one contact region in relation to the uncontacted neighboring region adjoining the contact region during the gripping of the sheet-metal blank by the second blank gripper.

7. A hot-forming line for producing hot-formed and press-quenched sheet-steel products comprising:
a temperature control station for heating at least one sheet-metal blank;
a hot-forming and press-quenching tool for hot forming and press quenching the heated sheet-metal blank; and
at least one blank gripper for gripping and transferring the sheet-metal blank before hot forming and press quenching, after hot forming and press quenching or before and after hot forming and press quenching, wherein:
the at least one blank gripper forms at least one contact region with the sheet-metal blank during the gripping of the sheet-metal blank and the at least one blank gripper is configured to at least one of:
cool the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region in relation to an uncontacted neighboring region adjoining the contact region during gripping and transferring before hot forming and press quenching, and
heat the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region in relation to the uncontacted neighboring region adjoining the contact region during gripping and transferring after hot forming and press quenching, wherein the at least one blank gripper is configured to cool the at least one contact region at a cooling rate of less than 27 K/s before hot forming and press quenching of the sheet-metal blank.

8. The hot-forming line according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one blank gripper is configured to heat the at least one contact region after hot forming and press quenching of the sheet-metal blank to a temperature greater than a temperature of the uncontacted neighboring region of the sheet-metal blank adjoining the contact region and to no more than 900° C.

9. The hot-forming line according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one contact region is arranged in a joining section of the sheet-metal blank configured for joining the hot-formed and press-hardened sheet-steel product to another component.

10. The hot-forming line according to claim 9 , wherein the joining section of the sheet-metal blank is a connecting flange.

11. The hot-forming line according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one blank gripper is configured to place the sheet-metal blank in the hot-forming and press-quenching tool before hot forming and press quenching.

12. The hot-forming line according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one blank gripper is configured to remove the sheet-metal blank from the hot-forming and press-quenching tool after hot forming and press quenching.

13. The hot-forming line according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one blank gripper is configured to place the sheet-metal blank in the hot-forming and press-quenching tool before hot forming and press quenching, and to remove the sheet-metal blank from the hot-forming and press-quenching tool after hot forming and press quenching.

14. The hot-forming line according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one blank gripper comprises:
a first blank gripper configured to cool the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region in relation to the uncontacted neighboring region during gripping and transferring by the first blank gripper before hot forming and press quenching; and
a second blank gripper configured to heat the sheet-metal blank in the at least one contact region in relation to the uncontacted neighboring region during gripping and transferring by the second blank gripper after hot forming and press quenching.

15. The hot-forming line according to claim 14 , wherein the second blank gripper is configured to heat the contact region after hot forming and press quenching of the sheet-metal blank to a temperature greater than a temperature of the uncontacted neighboring region of the sheet-metal blank adjoining the contact region and to no more than 900° C.

16. The hot-forming line according to claim 14 , wherein the first blank gripper is configured to place the sheet-metal blank in the hot-forming and press-quenching tool before hot forming and press quenching, and the second blank gripper is configured to remove the sheet-metal blank from the hot-forming and press-quenching tool after hot forming and press quenching.

17. A hot-forming line for producing hot-formed and press-quenched sheet-steel products comprising:
a temperature control station for heating at least one sheet-metal blank;
a hot-forming

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Koch Raphael
• Broda Maik
• Oezkan Ferat
• Popov Ilya

Classifications

• C21D9/48 Primary

  deep-drawing sheets · CPC title

• C21D1/673 Primary

  for die quenching · CPC title

• C21D8/0221

  characterised by the working steps · CPC title

• B30B15/34

  Heating or cooling presses or parts thereof · CPC title

• B21D37/16

  Heating or cooling · CPC title