A method of manufacturing a large- or medium-sized wheel disk including using a punch or die in a first step of ironing a blank of a flat plate to a first-stage product. The first-stage product having a cylindrical rising portion with an axially non-constant thickness. The rising portion includes a thick portion located at a tip portion of the rising portion and a thickness-reduced portion which is a remaining portion of the rising portion excluding the thick portion. During the first step, only a portion of the blank corresponding to the thickness-reduced portion is ironed.

Disclosed is a hot stamped part, which has improved toughness while maintaining high strength and high hardness, and a method for manufacturing the same. The hot stamped part is formed by performing hot stamping using an iron-based alloy, and includes a reinforced portion formed to have a martensite structure, a softened portion formed to have ferrite and bainite structures, and a transition portion formed between the reinforced portion and the softened portion. The reinforced portion, the transition portion and the softened portion are formed in the thickness direction of the hot stamped part.

An assembly for hot forming a component includes first and second location features reversibly attached to a sheet metal element that forms the component. The assembly is loaded into a high temperature forming rig by loosely locating the location features into corresponding datum features in a forming tool. As the assembly heats up, the location features locate accurately with the datum features. Thus, the assembly can be accurately located onto the tool accurately and with minimal opening of the hot forming rig, thereby improving efficiency and safety.

An axle assembly comprising a differential carrier including an upper portion coupled with a lower portion, the upper portion comprising a planar surface defining a first hollow protrusion and a second hollow protrusion. The first hollow protrusion and the second hollow protrusion each define an arcuate cavity. An input shaft is coupled with a pinion gear drivingly engaged with a ring gear at least partially disposed within the first hollow protrusion. A differential case having a first portion and a second portion is at least partially disposed in the second hollow protrusion. The ring gear is welded to an exterior surface of said differential case first portion. A plurality of axially extending slots are defined by an interior surface of the differential case first portion. An annular canister having radially extending lugs disposed on an outer surface thereof, is disposed within said differential case. The lugs are in driving engagement with the plurality of differential case slots. A plurality of apertures are radially disposed through the canister, and a plurality of pinion shafts are disposed through and drivingly engaged with the canister apertures. A pinion gear is disposed on each of the pinion shafts. A pair of side gears is in driving engagement with the pinion gears. A first output shaft is in driving engagement with one of the pair of side gears, and a second output shaft is in driving engagement with the other of the pair of side gears.

A tool for manufacturing hot formed structural components having locally different microstructures and mechanical properties, the tool comprising upper and lower mating dies, each die being formed by two or more die blocks (10) comprising one or more working surfaces (34) that in use face the structural component to be formed and one or more supporting blocks, the upper and lower dies comprising die blocks are adapted to operate at different temperatures corresponding to zones of the structural component to be formed having locally different microstructures and mechanical properties, the die blocks including one or more warm die blocks adapted to operate at a higher temperature, and one or more cold die blocks adapted to operate at a lower temperature, and wherein at least one of the warm die blocks is an electrically conductive die block which is electrically connected to a current source configured to provide a DC current through the die block to control the temperature of the die block. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing hot formed structural components is also provided.

A laser welded joint has weld metal provided between a plurality of steel sheets. A chemical composition of the weld metal has predetermined components, and average hardness of the weld metal is 350 to 540 in Vickers hardness. In the weld metal, distribution density of porosities having a diameter of 2 μm to 50 μm is equal to or less than 5.0 pieces/mm.sup.2. In the weld metal, distribution density of oxide inclusions having a diameter of 3 μm or more is 0.1 to 8.0 pieces/mm.sup.2.

A laser welded joint has weld metal provided between a plurality of steel sheets. A chemical composition of the weld metal has predetermined components, and average hardness of the weld metal is 350 to 540 in Vickers hardness. In the weld metal, distribution density of porosities having a diameter of 2 μm to 50 μm is equal to or less than 5.0 pieces/mm.sup.2. In the weld metal, distribution density of oxide inclusions having a diameter of 3 μm or more is 0.1 to 8.0 pieces/mm.sup.2.

A hot-stamping formed body has a predetermined chemical composition and a microstructure including, by area ratio, 90% to 100% of martensite and 0% to 10% of a remainder in the microstructure. In the microstructure, a region in which an average GAIQ value in a unit grain is 60,000 or more is 30 area % or more, and a number density of carbides having a circle equivalent diameter of 0.20 μm or more is 50/mm.sup.2 or less.

A method of fabricating a plate for a support pedestal used to support a building surface component above a fixed surface includes forming one or more ribs into a sheet of material adjacent a periphery of the sheet so that the rib extends substantially continuously about a central axis of the sheet that is perpendicular to first and second opposite surfaces of the sheet and creating a series of spacer tabs out of the sheet between the central axis and the rib that are configured to space adjacent building surface components placed over the sheet.

A method of fabricating a plate for a support pedestal used to support a building surface component above a fixed surface includes forming one or more ribs into a sheet of material adjacent a periphery of the sheet so that the rib extends substantially continuously about a central axis of the sheet that is perpendicular to first and second opposite surfaces of the sheet and creating a series of spacer tabs out of the sheet between the central axis and the rib that are configured to space adjacent building surface components placed over the sheet.