Hot Stamping System And Method

Abstract

A system for forming a plurality of hot stamped steel parts for automotive applications includes a furnace with a stack of sealed chambers, each containing an individual heater, for simultaneously heating a plurality of blanks. Each chamber is removable from the furnace, so that if the heater contained therein malfunctions, the heater can be repaired while the other chambers continue to heat the blanks. Each chamber also comprises a shelf including a plurality of driven rollers for conveying the blanks through the furnace. A blank feeder also including a plurality of driven rollers extends continuously from the furnace to a hot forming apparatus. The hot forming apparatus includes a plurality of cavities for shaping one or more of the blanks into a plurality of the parts.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.