The invention relates to a method for producing an at least partially hardened profiled component and to a corresponding semi-finished product (1) which simplifies the development process and reduces the investment costs in production machines. At first, a first profiled segment (19), which has a uniform cross-sectional shape (9, 10) along its extent (22), and a second profiled segment (20), which has a non-uniform cross-sectional shape (9, 10) along its extent (22), are joined together at a joining point (6) in order to form at least part of a semi-finished product (1). At the joining point (6), the first and the second profiled segments (19, 20) have cross-sectional shapes (9, 10) which substantially correspond with one another. After heating (25) to a hardening temperature, the semi-finished product (1) is formed in a forming tool (11) by means of internal high-pressure forming (26) or pressing to produce the profiled component (2) which, after the forming (26) within the forming tool (11), is hardened by quenching (27).

A method for manufacturing a tailored blank press formed product includes a tailor welding step in which a first steel plate and a second steel plate are abutted against each other and welded together at side surfaces thereof to form a blank; a shearing step of shearing the blank or a first intermediate product, which is a processed blank, along a line that crosses a welding line formed in the tailor welding step; and an electric heating step of electrically heating a welded-and-sheared portion of a sheared section of the blank or the first intermediate product, the welded-and-sheared portion being welded in the tailor welding step.

A method and system for flanging a metal part is provided to improve the final dimensions of the part to a desired shape. Residual stresses from flanging operations can distort a final shape of the metal part. This disclosure provides an initial flanging step in which metal gainers are formed into the metal during a first flanging step. The metal gainers provide an increased amount of metal at select regions. Then, during a next flanging step, the metal gainers are smoothened or removed during that flanging step while the metal is additionally bent. The metal gainers help combat the residual stresses and allow the flange to better take the desired shape.

A frozen forming method for a large-size thin-walled aluminum alloy component using an aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate is described. An aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate is cooled to a temperature with a cryogenic fluid medium, and temperature of a weld zone is regulated to be lower than that of a base metal zone; and the component is fabricated by a tool integrally with aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate, by placing aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate onto tool; assembling tool and filling with cryogenic fluid medium so temperature of tool is 150 to 196 degrees Celsius; and apply pressure to deform the aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate when temperature of a weld zone reaches 150 degrees Celsius to 196 degrees Celsius, thereby facilitating forming the aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate to a designed shape of the aluminum alloy component; and disassembling the tool, and taking out the aluminum alloy component.

A frozen forming method for a large-size thin-walled aluminum alloy component using an aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate is described. An aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate is cooled to a temperature with a cryogenic fluid medium, and temperature of a weld zone is regulated to be lower than that of a base metal zone; and the component is fabricated by a tool integrally with aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate, by placing aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate onto tool; assembling tool and filling with cryogenic fluid medium so temperature of tool is 150 to 196 degrees Celsius; and apply pressure to deform the aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate when temperature of a weld zone reaches 150 degrees Celsius to 196 degrees Celsius, thereby facilitating forming the aluminum alloy tailor-welded plate to a designed shape of the aluminum alloy component; and disassembling the tool, and taking out the aluminum alloy component.

A component forming tool for forming a component from a blank includes a die forming shell for forming the component from the blank. A first shell portion of the die forming shell is disposed at a first set of support elements and a second shell portion is disposed at a second set of support elements. The tool includes at least one induction heating coil for induction heating of a workpiece disposed within a cavity formed by the first and second shell portions. The first set of support elements may be configured to detachably engage with respective base support elements of the component forming tool, with the first set of support elements keyed to engage the base support elements to limit lateral movement of the first shell portion at the base support elements. The first set of support elements may include at least two layers of different materials.

A shell member 10 constituting an accumulator 100 including a cover member 30, a shell member 10 having a cylindrical portion 11, an opening portion 13 formed at one end of the cylindrical portion 11 and welded to the cover member 30, and a closed portion 12 formed at another end of the cylindrical portion 11, and an accumulation part 70 accommodated in the shell member 10. The cylindrical portion 11 includes an upper end portion 11a, and a protruding portion 11c having the opening portion 13. The protruding portion 11c is thicker than the upper end portion 11a.

Provided is an AlFe-alloy plated steel sheet for hot forming, having excellent TWB welding characteristics since excellent hardness uniformity of a TWB weld zone after hot forming is obtained by suitably controlling a batch annealing condition, after plating Al, such that an AlFe-alloy layer is formed; a hot forming member; and manufacturing methods therefor.

A manufacturing method of a press-formed article includes arranging a member to be pressed between first and second dies, and relatively moving the first and second dies so as to approach each other, thereby press forming to a portion to be pressed so that a height of the portion to be pressed decreases. In the press forming step, while first bent portions in a pair each bent in a protruded shape toward the second die on the portion to be pressed are held by groove-shaped holding portions in a pair separated from each other on the second die, a second bent portion bent in a protruded shape from a position between the first bent portions toward the first die on the portion to be pressed is pressed and deformed by a pressing portion of the first die.

The disclosure relates to a downholding press for producing a semi-finished product from sheet-metal material having thickness-reduced regions, wherein the semi-finished product after forming has regions with mutually dissimilar wall thicknesses and the downholding press has an upper tool and a lower tool as well as a downholding element, and a convexity on the sheet-metal material is generated between the upper tool and the lower tool such that the sheet-metal material is reduced in thickness in regions by elongation, wherein a blocking cam is configured on the downholding element in such a manner that a follow-on of the sheet-metal material is impeded.