# US 10,246,758 B2 · Method for producing a component from steel by hot forming > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,758 B2 - Document ID: US10246758B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/389,072 - Filed: 2013-02-27 - Published: 2015-02-19 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-30 - Assignees: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH - Applicants: Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH - Inventors: Friedrich Luther; Thomas Evertz; Stefan Muetze; Michael Braun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246758B2 ## CPC - C21D 9/46: for sheet metals - C21D 1/26: Methods of annealing - C21D 1/42: Induction heating - C21D 1/673: for die quenching - C21D 8/0226: {Hot rolling} - C21D 8/0236: {Cold rolling} - C21D 8/0263: {following hot rolling} - C21D 9/48: deep-drawing sheets - C23C 2/06: Zinc or cadmium or alloys based thereon - C23C 2/12: Aluminium or alloys based thereon - C23F 17/00: Multi-step processes for surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by subclass C21D or C22F or class C25 (coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of main groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00, or by combinations of methods providedfor in subclasses C23C and C25D, C23C28/00) - C21D 2211/001: Austenite - C21D 2211/008: Martensite - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B) - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - C23F: NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE (working metal by laser beams B23K26/00; desurfacing by applying flames B23K7/00; working of metal by electro-erosion B23H; producing decorative effects by removing surface material, e.g. by engraving, by etching, B44C1/22; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F); INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for the production of a component from transformable steel, comprising the steps in the order of: cutting to size a blank as source material from a strip or metal sheet; austenitizing and quenching the blank such as to produce a partly martensitic transformation microstructure and a residual austenite microstructure, by heating the blank to an austenitizing temperature within a continuous annealing process and subsequently quenching the blank; applying a coating on the blank by a hot dip process after the annealing process; reheating the blank to a forming temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature, while maintaining the partly martensitic transformation microstructure and the residual austenite microstructure; and forming the blank at the forming temperature below the Ac1 transformation temperature into the component while still maintaining the partly martensitic transformation microstructure and the residual austenite microstructure in the component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising tempering the blank after undergoing quenching. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the blank is tempered at a temperature range of 250° C. to 680° C. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the blank is tempered at a temperature range of 430° C. to 490° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising tempering the blank prior to applying the coating. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the blank is tempered at a temperature range of 250° C. to 680° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the blank is tempered at a temperature range of 430° C. to 490° C. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the blank is tempered at a tempering temperature which corresponds to a melt bath temperature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising tempering the blank after applying the coating. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the blank is tempered at a temperature range of 250° C. to 680° C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the blank is tempered at a temperature range of 430° C. to 490° C. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the blank is tempered at a tempering temperature which corresponds to a melt bath temperature. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blank is formed at a temperature below 700° C. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blank is formed at a temperature range between 400° C. and 700° C. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blank is formed at a temperature range between 460° C. and 700° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic coating is made of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zn, Mg, Al, and Si, and an alloy system of the afore-mentioned elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blank is heated inductively, conductively or by irradiation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein that the blank is a hot or cold rolled steel strip.