Molded sheet-metal part with improved hardness curve

A process for producing a flat steel product for hot forming with a coating, comprising operating steps as follows:

• providing a slab or a thin slab comprising a steel which includes 0.1-3% by weight of Mn and optionally up to 0.01% by weight of B;
• through-heating the slab or thin slab at a temperature (T1) of 1000-1400° C.;
• hot rolling to give a hot-rolled flat steel product, where the final rolling temperature (T3) is 750-1000° C.;
• annealing the flat steel product at an annealing temperature (T5) of 650-900° C.;
• cooling the flat steel product to a dipping temperature (T6) of 600-800° C., preferably 680-720° C.;
• coating the flat steel product cooled to the dipping temperature with a coating by:
• immersing the product in a melt bath with a melt temperature (T7) of 660-800° C., preferably 670-710° C., where the melt bath comprises 0.5-4% by weight of Si, optionally 2-4% by weight of Fe, optionally up to 5.0% by weight of alkali metals or alkaline earth metals, optionally up to 10% by weight of Zn, and optional further constituents, the contents of which are limited to a total of not more than 2.0% by weight, and aluminum as the balance;
• and
• blowing off the flat steel product after discharge from the melt bath by means of a gas stream;
• and
• cooling the coated flat steel product to room temperature, where an average cooling rate between 660° C. and 570° C. is at least 15 K/s.