The present disclosure is generally directed toward a high volume manufacturing method for forming high strength aluminum parts. The method includes acquiring material blanks that are made of 7xxx series aluminum alloy, heating the blanks to a solvus temperature of the material, and stamping and quenching the heated blanks to form multiple parts. The parts are cooled to a second temperature lower than the solvus temperature during the quenching operation. The method further includes performing one or more structural modifications of the parts within a set time period that is less than or equal to 24 hours. The method further includes racking the parts with a gap defined between two adjacent parts, artificially aging the parts with an industrial oven, and pretreating the parts with a chemical solution.

A method for hot forming a semifinished product in sheet form for a motor vehicle component. The method includes heating the semifinished product to be formed in a heating process and forming the heated semifinished product in a shaping forming process. During the heating process the semifinished product undergoes an input of heat from at least one heat source. During the heating of the semifinished product, a shielding device is arranged between the heat source and the semifinished product, such that the semifinished product is thermally shielded at least in certain portions in such a way that a first semifinished-product portion is heated differently than a second semifinished-product portion.

A hot-pressed member is formed using a tailored blank material obtained by butt joining respective ends of two or more coated steel sheets. The hot-pressed member has two or more sites formed by the respective coated steel sheets and at least one joining portion between the sites. Depending on a type of a coated layer of each of the coated steel sheets, t.sub.w/t.sub.0 is appropriately controlled where t.sub.w is a thickness of a thinnest portion in the joining portion and t.sub.0 is a thickness of a thinnest site of the sites. A tensile strength of each of the sites is 1180 MPa or more.

A hot-press molding method of the present disclosure includes a first heating process in which a steel plate is heated and the entire steel plate becomes austenite, a first cooling process in which a cooling rate of the steel plate after the first heating process is partially changed, a first region which is a part of the steel plate is transformed into martensite, and a second region other than the first region remains as austenite, a second heating process in which the entire steel plate is reheated and the first region becomes tempered martensite, and a second cooling process in which the entire steel plate after the second heating process is cooled. At least one of the first cooling process and the second cooling process is performed during a molding process in which the steel plate is press-molded on a molding die.

A method for manufacturing a press-molded article may include molding a blank material which is a steel plate into a press-molded article by sandwiching the blank material between a first molding surface and a second molding surface of a die, and press-molding the blank material into a predetermined shape. The method for manufacturing a press-molded article may include irradiating a predetermined portion of the press-molded article with infrared light after removing the press-molded article from the die.

A method of manufacturing a press-formed product includes: a heating step; a transportation step; and a pressing step. The transportation step includes: using claws of a pair of first arms to support the lower surface, at both ends, of a first heated workpiece and lift the workpiece; using claws of a pair of second arms to support the lower surface, at both ends, of a second heated workpiece and lift the workpiece; transporting the first heated workpiece with the lower surface supported, at both ends, by the claws of the pair of first arms and the second heated workpiece with the lower surface supported, at both ends, by the claws of the pair of second arms, where the first and second heated workpieces overlap each other in the direction normal to the sheet surfaces; driving the pair of first arms to lower the first heated workpiece to a pressing location on a press machine; and driving the pair of second arms to lower the second heated workpiece to a pressing location on the press machine.

A method of manufacturing a press-formed product includes a heating step, a transportation step, and a pressing step. At the heating step, workpieces are heated while a first workpiece W1 is placed on a first group of struts 3 extending upward from a tray body 2, and a second workpiece W2 is placed on a second group of struts 3 to be located above the first workpiece W1 and overlap it. At the transportation step, the second workpiece W2, while located above the first workpiece W1 and overlapping it, is transported, together with the tray body 2, from the heating device 14 to the lifting location. At the lifting location, the second workpiece W2 is lifted upward by the transportation device 46 and the first workpiece W1 is lifted by the transportation device 46 before they are transported to their respective pressing locations.

A steel member according to an aspect of the present invention has a predetermined chemical composition, in which a metallographic structure includes, by a volume %, 60.0% to 85.0% of martensite, 10.0% to 30.0% of bainite, 5.0% to 15.0% of residual austenite, and 0% to 4.0% of a remainder in microstructure. A length of a maximum minor axis of the residual austenite is 30 nm or longer. A number density of a carbide which exist in the steel member and has a circle equivalent diameter of 0.1 μm or more and an aspect ratio of 2.5 or less is 4.0×10.sup.3 pieces/mm.sup.2 or less.

A steel sheet for the manufacture of a press hardened part is provided, having a composition of: 0.15%≤C≤0.22%, 3.5%≤Mn<4.2%, 0.001%≤Si≤1.5%, 0.020%≤Al≤0.9%, 0.001%≤Cr≤1%, 0.001%≤Mo≤0.3%, 0.001%≤Ti≤0.040%, 0.0003%≤B≤0.004%, 0.001%≤Nb≤0.060%, 0.001%≤N≤0.009%, 0.0005%≤S≤0.003%, 0.001%≤P≤0.020%. A microstructure has less than 50% ferrite, 1% to 20% retained austenite, cementite, such that the surface density of cementite particles larger than 60 nm is lower than 10{circumflex over ( )}7/mm.sup.2, and a complement of bainite and/or martensite, the retained austenite having an average Mn content of at least 1.1*Mn %. Press-hardened steel part obtained by hot forming the steel sheet, and manufacturing methods thereof.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for heat treating a metal component. The method comprises at least the following steps: a) heating the component; b) setting a temperature difference between at least one first sub-region and at least one second sub-region of the component; c) at least partially forming and/or cooling the component in a press hardening tool; and d) mechanically post-processing the at least one first sub-region of the component.