A forming system that includes a first die having a first die surface and a second die having a second die surface is provided. The first and the second die surfaces are configured to cooperate to form a die cavity therebetween so as to receive a workpiece therein. Coatings are formed on opposing portions of the first and second die surfaces. The coatings on the opposing portions of the first and the second die surfaces cooperate to be on opposite sides of the workpiece received in the die cavity. A ratio of Vanadium to Tungsten in the coatings is in the range between 0.31 and 0.45. In one embodiment, each of the coatings includes at least two layer configuration. In another embodiment, each of the coatings includes a predetermined thickness.

A hot forming tool includes a top tool and a bottom tool, both of which can be moved towards each other. When the hot forming tool is closed, a mold cavity is formed between the top tool and the bottom tool, with the top tool and/or the bottom tool being divided into at least two segments. The hot forming tool has one segment designed as a heating segment. The heating segment includes a compensating element on a side thereof opposite the mold cavity, to compensate for a thermal expansion of the heating segment in the press stroke direction.

A hot stamp tool including an annealing die and a hot forming die. A blank is placed in the hot forming die with a first transfer arm where it is formed and quenched into a shaped part. The shaped part is then moved from the hot forming die to the annealing die with a second transfer arm. In the annealing die, the shaped part continues to be cooled. The annealing die includes a heating element that heats a portion of the shaped part to the point of annealing to form an annealed part. The annealed part includes a non-annealed portion and an annealed portion with a transition zone between the annealed portion and the non-annealed portion. The annealed portion can then be deformed.

Provided is a forming device that forms a heated metal material, the forming device including: a die that performs quench forming by coming into contact with the metal material; a cooling unit that is provided inside the die to cool the die; and a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the die, in which the cooling unit adjusts a cooling capacity on the basis of a detection result of the temperature sensor.

To solve a problem about warpage of a steel sheet due to a difference in temperature raising rate between an overlapped part and a one-sheet part. This manufacturing method includes: a step of heating an overlapped blank; a step of transferring the heated overlapped blank; and a step of performing presswork on the heated overlapped blank by using a die, in which in the heating step, when sheet thicknesses of the first and second steel sheets are set to t1 and t2, respectively, and an average heating rate at a sheet temperature from 20 to 800° C. of a portion with a total sheet thickness (t1+t2) of an overlapped portion, and that of a non-overlapped portion are set to V and v1, respectively, the total sheet thickness (t1+t2) is 2.5 to 5.0 mm, a maximum length L of the overlapped portion is 100 to 1100 mm, an area S1 of the first steel sheet, an area S2 of a portion, of the second steel sheet, which is overlapped with the first steel sheet, and the average heating rates V and v1 satisfy Expressions (1) to (3), and the heating is performed at a heating temperature and for a heating time within a specific range on a plane of coordinates defined by the heating time and the heating temperature.

A forming sheet metal part (1) for a vehicle frame includes: a first portion (2) being locally heat-softened after the sheet metal part (1) has been formed out. The part (1) further includes a dedicated three-dimensional distortion-absorbing area (4), defining an internal boundary (6) within which the first portion (2) is to be locally heat-softened after the sheet metal part (1) has been formed out. The distortion-absorbing area (4) is dimensioned such that once said locally heat-softening step has been performed, the internal boundary (6) is adjacent to the first portion (2) and encloses the first portion (2) to absorb the dimensional distortions induced by the locally heat-softened first portion. The invention further relates to a method for producing a forming sheet metal part (1).

An apparatus for forming an aluminum plate is provided. The apparatus includes an upper die that has a bottom surface that corresponds to a top shape of a product shape to be formed and descends by a press to press the aluminum plate. The apparatus also includes a lower die that has an upper surface that corresponds to a bottom shape of the product shape and an electrode unit that is inserted into the lower die and is exposed on the upper surface of the lower die to apply a current to a bent portion of the product shape.

A hot press processing apparatus 1 includes: a heating step of heating a workpiece W; a pressing step of press-molding, by an upper die 11 and a lower die 12, the workpiece W heated in the heating step after loading the workpiece W between the upper die 11 and the lower die 12; and a cooling step of bringing the coolant into contact with a front surface of the workpiece W that is molded and placed in a pressed state by the pressing step, to thereby cool the workpiece W and place the workpiece W in a quenched state. In the hot press processing apparatus 1, the workpiece W molded and placed in the pressed state by the pressing step forms gaps c2 with respect to both of the upper die 11 and the lower die 12 so as to allow deformation at time of the cooling step except for an accuracy-guaranteed section Wr in the workpiece W.

A method of producing a hot press-formed product, in which a die includes a hard layer having a skewness (Rsk), as measured in a direction from the outside of a die hole toward the inside of the die hole, of from −5.0 to 1.2, and a hardness Hv_Die of from HV 1,000 to 1,550, over the entirety of a region of a steel sheet contact surface that is adjacent to a die shoulder portion. The steel sheet contact surface is a surface located outside of the die hole and configured to contact a plated steel sheet (a plated steel sheet including at least one kind of plating layer selected from the group consisting of a hot-dip galvanizing layer and a zinc nickel plating layer) that is to be subjected to hot press forming.

A method for forming a component to a target shape from an aluminium blank workpiece is disclosed, the method comprising: (a) cold forming an aluminium blank workpiece between a set of dies, thereby producing a component fully or partially formed to a target shape; (b) solution heat treating the fully or partially formed component by heating to or above a solution heat treatment (SHT) temperature and substantially maintaining that temperature until SHT has been completed, thereby producing a solution heat treated fully or partially formed component; and (c) quenching the solution heat treated fully or partially formed component whilst held between a set of dies, wherein holding between the dies may provide additional forming at the same time as quenching, to produce a component fully formed to the target shape.