Heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus

A method for the targeted heat treatment of specific component zones of a steel component, wherein a predominantly austenitic structure is created in the steel component in one or more first regions, from which, by quenching, a majority martensitic microstructure is subsequently created, and in one or more second regions, a majority bainitic microstructure is subsequently created, the method comprising:

• initially heating the steel component in a furnace to a temperature above the AC3 temperature,
• subsequently transferring the steel component into a treatment station, and
• cooling down in the treatment station the one or more second regions of the steel component to a cooling finish temperature ϑ2 during a treatment time tB, wherein the temperature of the one or more second regions rises during a subsequent dwell time t150 due to recalescence, without reaching the AC3 temperature.