Thermally Treating a Metallic Component

A method for thermally treating a metallic component, comprising:

• a) heating the entire component in a first continuous furnace,
• b) transferring the component from the first continuous furnace into a temperature control station,
• c1) in the temperature control station, cooling a first region of the component, a temperature of the first region at least after the cooling lying below the austenite reversion temperature (TAR) of the component,
• c2) in the temperature control station, regionally heating the first region, which was cooled in step c1), of the component by means of a laser unit, in such a way that a temperature gradient is established at least in a first subregion within the first region,
• d) transferring the component from the temperature control station into a second continuous furnace,
• e) thermally treating the component in the second continuous furnace,
• wherein a temperature of a second region of the component during method steps a) to e) at least temporarily exceeds the AC3 temperature (TAC3) of the component.