A hot-stamping furnace includes a housing defining a heating chamber partitioned into compartments configured to have different temperatures. The heating chamber includes an opening that is at least partially covered by a door movably mounted on the housing. The door is configured to extend over only a portion of the opening when in a closed position. A detachable panel extends from an edge of the door such that the panel extends over a portion of the opening that the door does not extend over.

A heat treatment apparatus for hot stamping includes a frame, and heating units provided to be vertically movable at both upper and lower sides of the frame and configured to heat a cold formed steel plate by electrifying the steel plate. Cooling units are provided to be vertically movable at centers of the upper and lower sides of the frame and are configured to cool the heated steel plate while pressurizing the steel plate from upper and lower sides.

A hot-forming press (100) comprises a lower press assembly (102) and an upper press assembly (108). The lower press assembly (102) is movable along a vertical axis and comprises a lower die (106), and a lower hot-box portion (104), configured to receive the lower die (106). The upper press assembly (108) is movable along the vertical axis above the lower press assembly (102) and comprises an upper die (112), and an upper hot-box portion (110). The upper hot-box portion (110) is configured to receive the upper die (112) so that the upper die (112) is positioned opposite the lower die (106). The lower die (106) and the upper die (112) are configured to apply a forming pressure to a workpiece (114) that is received between the lower die (106) and the upper die (112). The lower hot-box portion (104) and the upper hot-box portion (110) are configured to heat the workpiece (114).

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.

A molding tool is provided for producing hot-formed components, in particular formed sheet metal parts. The molding tool includes a tool lower part and a tool upper part which are movable in relation to each other, and which include corresponding operative faces for shaping a hot-formed component. The operative face of at least one of the tool parts is configured so as to be coolable and that tool part includes cooling lines therein. At least one of the tool parts includes a clearance which in a closed state of the molding tool, conjointly with the hot-formed component, forms an air chamber. The air chamber functions as a thermal insulator between the hot-formed component and the tool part.

A method of manufacturing a hot press-formed part by hot pressing a coated steel sheet formed with a Zn—Ni plating layer on a surface of a steel sheet includes: heating the coated steel sheet to a temperature range of Ac.sub.3 transformation temperature to 1000° C.; cooling the coated steel sheet to 550-410° C. at a cooling rate of 100° C./s or higher by squeezing the coated steel sheet with a press tool for cooling having flat surfaces configured to contact the coated steel sheet; press forming the coated steel sheet with a tool of press forming to obtain a formed body, the press forming being initiated within 5 seconds after the cooling while the temperature of the coated steel sheet is 550-400° C.; and quenching the formed body, while squeezing the formed body with the tool of press forming and holding at its press bottom dead center, to obtain a hot press-formed part.

An energy-dissipating cover for covering a component sensitive to mechanical impulse includes a sheet of selected ferrous or aluminum alloy, the sheet having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer perimeter, an overall area within the outer perimeter and a nominal thickness of no more than 2.5 mm. The sheet is configured for connection with one or more external structures at a plurality of connection points within the outer perimeter, wherein the overall area comprises a plurality of supported areas and at least one unsupported area. Embossments are formed within the at least one unsupported area and extend outward from the bottom surface. The embossments are shaped, sized and arranged so as to limit orthogonal deflection of the sheet from a mechanical impulse directed normal to the bottom surface of the sheet at the plurality of embossments.

A method and forming tool for hot forming and press hardening plate-shaped or preformed workpieces of sheet steel, wherein the workpiece is heated to a temperature above the austenitisation temperature and is then formed and quenched in a cooled forming tool having a punch and a female mold, wherein the female mold is coated in its drawing edge region with material in a material-uniting manner and/or is provided there with at least one insert part having a thermal conductivity at least 10 W/(m*K) lower than the thermal conductivity of the portion of the female mold adjacent to the drawing edge region and comes into contact with the workpiece when said workpiece is being hot formed and press hardened, the surface of the material having a transverse dimension within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive radius of the female mold.

A tool may be used to shape and/or partially press harden a workpiece. In some examples, the tool may comprise a main body having a surface, as well as a heat conducting system containing a thermal medium. The heat conducting system is integrated in the tool in such a way that, for the heating of the surface, a heat radiating from a heat source is conducted by means of the heat conducting system to the surface of the main body. Further, the heat conducting system may comprise a thermal oil or a melt as the thermal medium. The surface of the main body may be configured to face the workpiece during the shaping or partial press hardening of the workpiece.

A hot-shapable uncoated steel-plate workpiece is press hardened by first transporting the plate through a heating zone continuously or discontinuously and there heating the plate to an austenitizing temperature while blocking entry of oxygen into the heating zone. Then the heated plate is cooled in a cooling zone to a martensitizing temperature below the austenitizing temperature without contacting the heated plate with oxygen. Finally, immediately and without cooling of the cooled workpiece to a martensite start temperature, the cooled workpiece is deformed at least partially in a finishing press into a desired shape.