One example of success in the manufacture of ultra-high-strength car body parts is press hardening: a production process for the hot forming of sheet metals. It combines both the shaping and the heat treatment of sheet metal components into one single process step. The process involves inserting sheets or closed profiles, which have been heated beyond the austenitizing temperature, into a cooled forming tool, in which they are then quenched. The thermal integrated processing produces a martensitic structure that gives the press-hardened parts an extremely high tensile strength of up to 1,800 MPa. Components such as this can be used in crash-relevant structures such as A- and B-pillars, bumpers or door sills or, in the power train, for example as camshafts.

No images found.

However, this combination of forming and thermal processing creates challenges throughout the process: 

During the project planning phase:

• Thermomechanical process simulation
• Process monitoring
• Tool design with integrated cooling system

During the application phase:

• Handling of hot components
• Cutting the press-hardened parts to the final geometry
• Meeting high energy and resource demands