An injector, for injecting a fuel fluid into an intake manifold or into a combustion chamber of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, includes an electromagnetic actuator that includes a magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit includes a solenoid, an internal pole, and a magnet armature that cooperates with the solenoid and the internal pole, and is configured to generate a controlled force action between the internal pole and the magnet armature when the electromagnetic actuator is activated with the aid of an activating current and/or an activating voltage. The injector includes a gap in the area between the internal pole and the magnet armature, and includes a valve sleeve that has either paramagnetic material properties in and outside the area of the gap or paramagnetic material properties in the area of the gap and ferromagnetic material properties outside of this area.

A process for preparing a multi-thickness welded steel vehicle rail, the process comprises the steps of: (a) forming a first tube having a first outer diameter, an inner diameter and a first wall thickness; (b) forming a second tube having the first outer diameter, a second inner diameter and a second wall thickness different than the first wall thickness; (c) swaging a first end of the first tube to a second outer diameter less than the second inner diameter of the second tube; (d) inserting the swaged first end of the first tube into an end of the second tube to form a joint; (e) welding the first tube and the second tube together to form a weld at the joint to form a tube blank with a heat affected zone of lower metal strength in the area of the weld; (f) preheating the tube blank to create a common crystalline microstructure along a length of the tube blank; (g) introducing the tube blank into a blow molding tool having inner molding walls; (h) molding the tube blank at an elevated temperature by expanding the tube blank against the inner molding walls of the molding tool by injecting a pressurized medium into an interior cavity of the tube blank; and (i) quenching the tube blank by replacing the pressurized medium with a cooling medium through the molding tool and the tube blank to achieve a rapid cooling effect on the tube blank and to create a completed vehicle rail with essentially uniform material strength across the weld. A completed vehicle rail has an overlapped welded structure and uniform microcrystalline structure along the length of the rail.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for cooling an automobile component (20) by means of a gas, the apparatus comprising a cooling box (11) with a re-closeable opening (12) for receiving an automobile component (20) to be cooled, wherein at least one heat sink (13) is provided inside the cooling box (11) for cooling of the gas, and wherein the apparatus (10) includes at least one infra sound pulsator (2, 3) arranged to provide an infra sound into said cooling box (11) to improve heat exchange of the gas both with a cooling surface of the at least one heat sink (13), and with the automobile component (20). The invention also relates to a process for cooling an automobile component in such an apparatus.

Methods of selectively cooling and quenching surface regions of high-strength transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel are provided. The method may comprise selectively cooling at least one region of an exposed surface of a hot-formed press-hardened component comprising a high-strength steel. Prior to selective cooling, the component has a microstructure comprising≧about 5% by volume retained austenite in a matrix of martensite. The selective cooling is conducted at a temperature of≦about −40° C. and forms at least one quenched region comprising≦about 2% by volume austenite. The TRIP steel may be zinc-coated and having a surface coating comprising zinc and substantially free of liquid metal embrittlement (LME). Zinc-coated hot-formed press-hardened components, including automotive components, formed from such methods are also provided.

Methods of selectively cooling and quenching surface regions of high-strength transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel are provided. The method may comprise selectively cooling at least one region of an exposed surface of a hot-formed press-hardened component comprising a high-strength steel. Prior to selective cooling, the component has a microstructure comprising≧about 5% by volume retained austenite in a matrix of martensite. The selective cooling is conducted at a temperature of≦about −40° C. and forms at least one quenched region comprising≦about 2% by volume austenite. The TRIP steel may be zinc-coated and having a surface coating comprising zinc and substantially free of liquid metal embrittlement (LME). Zinc-coated hot-formed press-hardened components, including automotive components, formed from such methods are also provided.

A multi-chamber heat treatment device according to the present disclosure in which heating chambers are disposed with an intermediate transport chamber interposed therebetween in a top view, and a treatment object is stored in a heating chamber via the intermediate transport chamber, wherein the multi-chamber heat treatment device includes a gas cooling chamber which cools the treatment object using a cooling gas; and a cooling gas circulation device which includes an gas inlet and a gas outlet.

Systems for cooling a heat-treated metallic part include a plurality of atomization nozzles disposed on a stage and radially disposed about the part to be cooled; and a fluid in fluid communication with the atomization nozzles. The fluid may gas, liquid, or a combination thereof, e.g., water and gas. During use, the atomization nozzles are generally configured to rapidly cool the thicker sections of the part relative to the thinner section since the thicker sections are generally slower to cool. In some embodiments, the stage can be configured to rotate about the part during cooling.

Systems for cooling a heat-treated metallic part include a plurality of atomization nozzles disposed on a stage and radially disposed about the part to be cooled; and a fluid in fluid communication with the atomization nozzles. The fluid may gas, liquid, or a combination thereof, e.g., water and gas. During use, the atomization nozzles are generally configured to rapidly cool the thicker sections of the part relative to the thinner section since the thicker sections are generally slower to cool. In some embodiments, the stage can be configured to rotate about the part during cooling.

A novel combination of heat treatment steps includes the steps of carburizing a component fabricated of a medium carbon alloy steel at an elevated temperature for between three and six hours, subjecting the component to an austempering bath and holding it there for between fifteen and two hundred forty minutes and finally cooling the component to room temperature to allow martensitic transformation. These steps may be followed with cryogenic treatment to reduce retained austenite if needed. The process produces components with low distortion, high surface hardness, from HRC 56 to 62, and high surface compressive residual stress.

A novel combination of heat treatment steps includes the steps of carburizing a component fabricated of a medium carbon alloy steel at an elevated temperature for between three and six hours, subjecting the component to an austempering bath and holding it there for between fifteen and two hundred forty minutes and finally cooling the component to room temperature to allow martensitic transformation. These steps may be followed with cryogenic treatment to reduce retained austenite if needed. The process produces components with low distortion, high surface hardness, from HRC 56 to 62, and high surface compressive residual stress.