An exemplary die assembly includes a die member, a blankholder, and a collapsible spacer moveable back-and-forth between an extended position and a collapsed position. The collapsible spacer establishing a first gap between the die member and the blankholder in the extended position. The collapsible spacer establishing a second, smaller gap between the die member and blankholder in the collapsed position. An exemplary forming method includes maintaining a distance between a die member and a blankholder with a collapsible spacer when forming a workpiece into a desired shape, and collapsing the collapsible spacer to permit the die member and the blankholder to move closer together.

A long formed article made of one steel sheet includes a top sheet portion extending in a longitudinal direction, a standing wall portion extending downward from each of both edges of the top sheet portion in a width direction, and a protrusion portion formed in a portion of the top sheet portion in the longitudinal direction by overlapping a portion extending toward an outside from each of both ends of the top sheet portion in the width direction and a portion extending toward the outside from an upper end of the standing wall portion, in a non-protrusion region, a recessed part extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the top sheet portion, and a total value α of inner surface peripheral lengths of the top sheet portion and the standing wall portion in a cross section of the formed article perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a protrusion region and a total value β of inner surface peripheral lengths of the top sheet portion, the standing wall portion, and the recessed part in the cross section of the formed article perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the non-protrusion region satisfy 1.01≤β/α≤1.50.

A long formed article made of one steel sheet includes a top sheet portion extending in a longitudinal direction, a standing wall portion extending downward from each of both edges of the top sheet portion in a width direction, and a protrusion portion formed in a portion of the top sheet portion in the longitudinal direction by overlapping a portion extending toward an outside from each of both ends of the top sheet portion in the width direction and a portion extending toward the outside from an upper end of the standing wall portion, in a non-protrusion region, a recessed part extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the top sheet portion, and a total value α of inner surface peripheral lengths of the top sheet portion and the standing wall portion in a cross section of the formed article perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a protrusion region and a total value β of inner surface peripheral lengths of the top sheet portion, the standing wall portion, and the recessed part in the cross section of the formed article perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the non-protrusion region satisfy 1.01≤β/α≤1.50.

Provided is a press-formed article manufacturing method including pressing a blank with the first pressing apparatus to form a first intermediate formed article having a pair of bent portions bent to one side in the plate thickness direction and having a spacing between the bent portions narrower than the width of the top plate and equal to or more than the width of the top portion of the convex portion, and moving the second die relative to the second punch side punch with respect to the die pad and the second punch and forming a second intermediate formed article in a state where a portion between the bent portions is sandwiched between the die pad and the convex portion, with one side of the first intermediate formed article in the plate thickness direction as the convex portion side of the second pressing apparatus.

A press mold includes: a lower die; an upper die; a lower holding unit including lower main pads and lower sub-pads respectively installed to be movable in an upper-lower direction on the lower body through first and second cushion springs, respectively, at an edge of a lower forming steel; an upper holding unit including upper main pads integrally connected to an edge of an upper forming steel in correspondence with the lower main pads and upper sub-pads installed to be respectively movable in the upper body in the upper-lower direction through third cushion springs at the edge of the upper forming steel in correspondence with the lower sub-pads; and a gap control assembly installed in a lower main block connected to the lower main pads to form a gap set between the lower main blocks and the upper sub-blocks connected to the upper sub-pads.

A producing method of the press formed product includes a preparation step of preparing a metal sheet as a starting material; and a press working step of performing press working on the starting material. The press working step includes: during a time period from when pushing-in of the starting material into the die by the punch is started or immediately thereafter until the pushing-in of the punch with respect to the die reaches a predetermined distance short of a bottom dead point for the pushing-in, holding the pad at a position distant from the punch by the predetermined distance; when the pushing-in of the punch with respect to the die reaches the predetermined distance short of the bottom dead point, receiving the pad in the die; and continuing the pushing-in of the punch with respect to the die and the pad to the bottom dead point.

A producing method of the press formed product includes a preparation step of preparing a metal sheet as a starting material; and a press working step of performing press working on the starting material. The press working step includes: during a time period from when pushing-in of the starting material into the die by the punch is started or immediately thereafter until the pushing-in of the punch with respect to the die reaches a predetermined distance short of a bottom dead point for the pushing-in, holding the pad at a position distant from the punch by the predetermined distance; when the pushing-in of the punch with respect to the die reaches the predetermined distance short of the bottom dead point, receiving the pad in the die; and continuing the pushing-in of the punch with respect to the die and the pad to the bottom dead point.

A press-formed product includes a body having a transverse cross section including a bottom portion and a shoulder portion contiguous to the bottom portion through an R end. In the transverse cross section, a first region from the R end to a position a distance away in a bottom portion extending direction, and a second region which is part of the bottom portion and is contiguous to the first region have a work-hardening distribution introduced by press-forming. The work-hardening distribution has an average hardness Hv1 of an area of the first region from a steel sheet surface to a depth obtained by multiplying a steel sheet thickness by 0.2 and an average hardness Hv2 of an area of the second region from the steel sheet surface to a position obtained by multiplying the steel sheet thickness by 0.2 to satisfy a relationship of Hv1>1.05×Hv2.

A press-formed product includes a body having a transverse cross section including a bottom portion and a shoulder portion contiguous to the bottom portion through an R end. In the transverse cross section, a first region from the R end to a position a distance away in a bottom portion extending direction, and a second region which is part of the bottom portion and is contiguous to the first region have a work-hardening distribution introduced by press-forming. The work-hardening distribution has an average hardness Hv1 of an area of the first region from a steel sheet surface to a depth obtained by multiplying a steel sheet thickness by 0.2 and an average hardness Hv2 of an area of the second region from the steel sheet surface to a position obtained by multiplying the steel sheet thickness by 0.2 to satisfy a relationship of Hv1>1.05×Hv2.

A press mold includes: a lower die; an upper die; a lower holding unit including lower main pads and lower sub-pads respectively installed to be movable in an upper-lower direction on the lower body through first and second cushion springs, respectively, at an edge of a lower forming steel; an upper holding unit including upper main pads integrally connected to an edge of an upper forming steel in correspondence with the lower main pads and upper sub-pads installed to be respectively movable in the upper body in the upper-lower direction through third cushion springs at the edge of the upper forming steel in correspondence with the lower sub-pads; and a gap control assembly installed in a lower main block connected to the lower main pads to form a gap set between the lower main blocks and the upper sub-blocks connected to the upper sub-pads.