A forming tool stamps sheet metal blanks into a desired shape. A contoured surface is defined for the forming tool so that respective portions of the metal blank flow over the contoured surface during forming. An intrinsic material flow pattern resulting from the contoured surface is compared to a desired flow in order to identify regions of the contoured surface having an insufficient flow that creates areas in the formed metal blank receiving less than a desired amount of metal. A surface microtexture is applied onto the contoured surface in a pattern selected to increase metal flow along the identified regions by providing a coefficient of friction in the identified regions that is reduced relative to adjacent regions of the contoured surface.

A hot-press deep-drawing forming apparatus includes a punch that constitutes a lower die and a die that constitutes an upper die. The punch has an inner-face forming surface that forms the inner face of a product, and a bent corner against which a scrap section S of a workpiece W abuts. The die has an outer-face forming surface that forms the outer surface of the product. A blank holder and a pre-forming die that clamp the scrap section are caused to move, together with the die, until the clamped scrap section abuts the bent corner. The movement of the blank holder and the pre-forming die is stopped after the scrap section has abutted the bent corner.

A hot-press deep-drawing forming apparatus includes a punch that constitutes a lower die and a die that constitutes an upper die. The punch has an inner-face forming surface that forms the inner face of a product, and a bent corner against which a scrap section S of a workpiece W abuts. The die has an outer-face forming surface that forms the outer surface of the product. A blank holder and a pre-forming die that clamp the scrap section are caused to move, together with the die, until the clamped scrap section abuts the bent corner. The movement of the blank holder and the pre-forming die is stopped after the scrap section has abutted the bent corner.

A method for producing a complex sheet metal part includes clamping a border region of the metal sheet between a die ring of an upper tool part of a pressing tool and a downholder of a lower tool part of the pressing tool; moving the upper tool part further downwards thereby pulling the metal sheet over extended punch inserts of a punch of the lower tool part, thereby generating local material reserves of the metal sheet; moving the upper tool part further downwards while actively retracting the punch inserts, thereby releasing the local material reserves; and forming the metal sheet between the die and the punch using only the local material reserves.

A method includes: forming either one or both of convex and concave bead portions at surface portions corresponding to sites of a side wall portion on both sides of a convex curve site and to sites of a side wall portion on both sides of a concave curve site; and squashing the bead portions, wherein the bead portions formed on both sides of the convex curve site are tilted such that an end part of the bead portion positioned on the convex curve site side is farther from a baseline and the other end part is closer to the baseline; and the bead portions formed on both sides of the concave curve site are tilted such that an end part of the bead portion positioned on the concave curve site side is closer to the baseline and the other end part is farther from the baseline.

A method includes: forming either one or both of convex and concave bead portions at surface portions corresponding to sites of a side wall portion on both sides of a convex curve site and to sites of a side wall portion on both sides of a concave curve site; and squashing the bead portions, wherein the bead portions formed on both sides of the convex curve site are tilted such that an end part of the bead portion positioned on the convex curve site side is farther from a baseline and the other end part is closer to the baseline; and the bead portions formed on both sides of the concave curve site are tilted such that an end part of the bead portion positioned on the concave curve site side is closer to the baseline and the other end part is farther from the baseline.

An exemplary die assembly includes, among other things, a first die having a male bead, a second die having a female bead configured to receive the male bead to hold a workpiece between the first die and the second die, and a step in the male bead, the female bead, or both. An exemplary forming method includes, among other things, holding a workpiece between a male bead of a first die and a female bead of a second die, wherein the male bead, the female bead, or both have at least one step.

An exemplary die assembly includes, among other things, a first die having a male bead, a second die having a female bead configured to receive the male bead to hold a workpiece between the first die and the second die, and a step in the male bead, the female bead, or both. An exemplary forming method includes, among other things, holding a workpiece between a male bead of a first die and a female bead of a second die, wherein the male bead, the female bead, or both have at least one step.

A method of forming a surface in a panel includes positioning a panel blank between a stationary die and a moveable die of a die set, and moving the moveable die toward the stationary die to deform the panel blank therebetween. Positive stresses in the panel blank are maintained in the region of the panel blank that will form the surface by forming a bead along a length of the surface to be formed in the panel blank, as the moveable die moves toward the stationary die. The moveable die continues to move toward the stationary die, while maintaining positive stresses in the panel blank in the region of the panel blank that will form the surface, to further deform the panel blank into a formed shape that includes the surface.

A method for manufacturing a press-formed article, said method comprising forming a galvanized steel sheet or an alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet by hot press forming, wherein, after heating the steel sheet and holding the same, the forming is started at a temperature of 680-750° C. inclusive, while allowing liquid zinc to remain on the surface of the steel sheet, and the forming is performed while regulating the strain rate in a plastic deformation part of the steel sheet to 0.5 sec.sup.−1 or lower.