A flat steel product for hot forming may be produced from a steel substrate that includes a steel comprising 0.1-3% by weight Mn and up to 0.01% by weight B, along with a protective coating that is applied to the steel substrate. The protective coating may be based on Al and may contain up to 20% by weight of other alloy elements. Also disclosed are methods for producing such flat steel products, steel components, and methods for producing steel components. Absorption of hydrogen is minimized during heating necessary for hot forming. This is achieved at least in part through an alloy constituent of 0.1-0.5% by weight of at least one alkaline earth or transition metal in the protective coating, wherein an oxide of the alkaline earth or transition metal is formed on an outer surface of the protective coating during hot forming of the flat steel product.

A flat steel product for hot forming may be produced from a steel substrate that includes a steel comprising 0.1-3% by weight Mn and up to 0.01% by weight B, along with a protective coating that is applied to the steel substrate. The protective coating may be based on Al and may contain up to 20% by weight of other alloy elements. Also disclosed are methods for producing such flat steel products, steel components, and methods for producing steel components. Absorption of hydrogen is minimized during heating necessary for hot forming. This is achieved at least in part through an alloy constituent of 0.1-0.5% by weight of at least one alkaline earth or transition metal in the protective coating, wherein an oxide of the alkaline earth or transition metal is formed on an outer surface of the protective coating during hot forming of the flat steel product.

A forging tool used to forge a workpiece in a cuboidal forging space, wherein (a): the forging space is formed when the bottom surface of the first die and the bottom surface of the second die are brought into contact with the contact surface of the third die, or (b): the forging space is formed when a first die contact surface provided in the first die and a second die contact surface provided in the second die are brought into contact with each other.

A steel part includes a steel sheet substrate and a coating on at least one surface of the steel sheet substrate. The coating includes between 0.2 and 0.7% by weight of Al, with a remainder of the metal coating being Zn and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet substrate and the coating have at least one deformation. An outer surface of the coating has a waviness Wa.sub.0.8 of less than or equal to 0.43 μm.

A steel part includes a steel sheet substrate and a coating on at least one surface of the steel sheet substrate. The coating includes between 0.2 and 0.7% by weight of Al, with a remainder of the metal coating being Zn and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet substrate and the coating have at least one deformation. An outer surface of the coating has a waviness Wa.sub.0.8 of less than or equal to 0.43 μm.

A peening method which can sufficiently improve fatigue properties of a lap fillet welded joint having a thin steel sheet as a base sheet, in which a knocking pin having a predetermined shape is continuously knocked as a series of knocking toward a direction inclined relative to the welding direction, the series of knocking is repeatedly performed in the welding direction, at that time, a knocking mark group made of a plurality of knocking marks formed by the series of knocking is superimposed on at least a part of an adjacent knocking mark group while an end part in the direction orthogonal to the welding direction of the knocking mark group is separated from an end part in the direction orthogonal to the welding direction of the adjacent knocking mark group.

A peening method which can sufficiently improve fatigue properties of a lap fillet welded joint having a thin steel sheet as a base sheet, in which a knocking pin having a predetermined shape is continuously knocked as a series of knocking toward a direction inclined relative to the welding direction, the series of knocking is repeatedly performed in the welding direction, at that time, a knocking mark group made of a plurality of knocking marks formed by the series of knocking is superimposed on at least a part of an adjacent knocking mark group while an end part in the direction orthogonal to the welding direction of the knocking mark group is separated from an end part in the direction orthogonal to the welding direction of the adjacent knocking mark group.

A coated metal sheet includes a steel substrate and a coating on at least one surface of the steel substrate. The coating includes between 0.2 and 0.7% by weight of Al, with a remainder of the metal coating being Zn and inevitable impurities. The coated metal sheet was subjected to a skin pass operation after coating. An outer surface of the metal coating has a waviness Wa.sub.0.8 of less than or equal to 0.55 μm.

A coated metal sheet includes a steel substrate and a coating on at least one surface of the steel substrate. The coating includes between 0.2 and 0.7% by weight of Al, with a remainder of the metal coating being Zn and inevitable impurities. The coated metal sheet was subjected to a skin pass operation after coating. An outer surface of the metal coating has a waviness Wa.sub.0.8 of less than or equal to 0.55 μm.

Reflective silver coatings on the inside surfaces of a Siemens reactor for polycrystalline silicon production are improved by a cold forming after-treatment of the silver coating.