A method for heat treating cast aluminum alloy components that includes obtaining a casting formed from an aluminum alloy having a silicon constituent and at least one metal alloying constituent, and heating the casting to a first casting temperature that is below but within 10 C. of a predetermined silicon solution temperature at which the silicon constituent rapidly enters into solid solution. The method also includes increasing the rate of heat input into the casting to raise the temperature of the casting to a second casting temperature that is above but within 10 C. of a predetermined alloying metal solution temperature at which the at least one metal alloying constituent rapidly enters into solid solution, maintaining the casting at the second casting temperature for a period of time that is less than about 20 minutes, and then quenching the casting to a temperature less than or about 250 C.

A method of heating for hot stamping is configured to heat a plated metallic material while conveying the plated metallic material. A heating device for hot stamping comprises: a first heating tank provided in a conveyance path for the plated metallic material; and a second heating tank provided downstream of the first heating tank in the conveyance path. A heating amount provided by the second heating tank is configured such that a temperature of the plated metallic material becomes equal to or higher than Ac3 point and less than a boiling point of a plating of the plated metallic material, and a heating amount provided by the first heating tank is configured to be larger than the heating amount provided by the second heating tank.

The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for the press hardening of components (2), having at least one furnace (3), having a press (8), which is arranged downstream of the at least one furnace (3), and having a transporting apparatus (4). In order to provide for cycle times which are as short as possible, means (5) for transporting the components (2) are mounted in a moveable manner in the transporting apparatus (4), wherein the means (5) with the components (2) can be moved, along the transporting apparatus (4), through the furnace (3) and into the press (8), wherein the transporting apparatus (4) is continuous between the furnace (3) and the press (8), and wherein the components (2) can be transported from the furnace (3) to the press (8) without being manipulated.

A heat treatment furnace and a method for heat treatment of a steel sheet blank is disclosed having at least one furnace chamber and a transport system for conveying the steel sheet blanks through the furnace chamber. A preheating chamber, a metallurgical bonding path and a cooling chamber, wherein the steel sheet blank can be heated in the preheating chamber to a temperature of above 200 C. A method for the production of a hot-formed and press-quenched motor-vehicle part is also disclosed.

An apparatus for heating steel products, in particular billets, includes a heating chamber, a plane of advance defined inside the heating chamber and feed and extraction components for the steel products.

A roll-transport device including: a roll that comes into contact with the base material; a support shaft that rotatably supports the roll; and a bearing that is disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the support shaft and has an end surface on one side in an axial direction, which faces an inside of a furnace, and an end surface on the other side in the axial direction, which is positioned on a side of an inner portion (space surrounded by the roll). A purge gas is caused to circulate from the end surface on the other side toward the end surface on the one side of the bearing, and the purge gas is discharged into the furnace from the end surface on the one side of the bearing.

A hot-forming apparatus may be used to produce a press-hardened shaped component from a blank. The hot-forming apparatus may include a furnace for heating the blank and a pressing device for forming and cooling the blank heated in the furnace. The hot-forming apparatus also includes, upstream of the furnace, a preheating roll truing device with a temperature-controllable roller for straightening and preheating the blank. A corresponding method may be used to produce the press-hardened shaped component from the blank.

The invention relates to a device for temperature-controlling a component part. The device has a temperature-control zone, along which the component part is movable along a conveying direction. The temperature-control zone is configured to temperature-control at least one temperature-control section of the component part. Furthermore, the device has a temperature-control zone controller, which is configured to cover a covering region of the temperature-control zone such that in the covering region a temperature-control effect from the temperature-control zone on the temperature-control section of the component part is reducible. Herein, the temperature-control zone controller is configured so as to adjust the size of the covering region.

A method for the surface treatment of a metal workpiece, in particular of a coated metal workpiece, for hot forming includes partially or completely heating the workpieces to a temperature of at least Ac1, cleaning at least one surface of the heated workpiece with at least one pressurized air jet, forming the heated and cleaned workpiece, and cooling down the formed workpiece.

A thermal process device for heat treating a product or plurality of products includes a thermal processing chamber having opposed distal ends and a plurality of controllable heating zones. At least one buffer zone is disposed at each of the distal ends. The buffer zones and heating zones of the thermal processing chamber form a heating element assembly. The heating assembly has an inner and outer surface and a secondary shell is disposed about the outer surface of the heating element assembly and spaced therefrom to form an inlet flow passage for a flow of a temperature adjusting medium along the heating element assembly. A flow directing arrangement is configured to direct the flow of the temperature adjusting medium in the inlet flow passage to the different zones of the heating assembly to adjust the temperature in the heating zones, wherein a majority of the flow of the temperature adjusting medium is delivered to a central zone of the heating temperature assembly and then outward toward at least one of the distal ends.