A component of a vehicle structure is obtained by a hot forming operation on a hybrid panel having a sheet element of light alloy and a sheet of plastic material. The hybrid panel is hot formed by pressing it against a forming surface of a mould element by a pressurized gas or by a second mould element. Following this operation, the hybrid panel assumes a configuration corresponding to the forming surface, whereas the light alloy sheet element and the plastic material sheet constituting the hybrid panel adhere to each other following softening by heat of the plastic material. Before the hot forming step, a surface of said light alloy sheet element which must contact the plastic material sheet is subjected to a roughening treatment, thereby defining surface asperities between which the plastic material of the plastic material sheet is inserted when it is softened by heat.

The present invention relates to a process of producing a boom part from a sheet metal blank, in particular a process of producing a boom part having a bearing seat, in which the starting material is merely formed by bending. Thus, the production process is simplified. In addition, the present invention relates to a process of producing a boom that is closed at both ends by joining two boom parts produced by means of the process of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention comprises boom parts and booms which are produced by means of one of the processes according to the present invention.

A high-strength metal plate for vehicles is provided. The plate includes oval embossments that protrude from the plate. The embossments include first embossments that have a longer axis oriented in a first direction and second embossments that have a longer axis in a second direction. Bridges are provided on portions of the flat plate between the embossments and flat portions are provided on the flat plate to be surrounded by the first and second embossments while the bridges separate the flat portions from each other.

This manufacturing method of a structural member includes an intermediate step and a bending step. A height difference is provided on a bottom wall of a groove part between an intermediate position and both end positions sandwiching the intermediate position therebetween in a longitudinal sectional view in an extending direction of the groove part by the pressing in the intermediate step, and thereby at least one of a first curved part which has a concave curved shape in a plan view and a convex curved shape in the longitudinal sectional view and a second curved part which has a convex curved shape in the plan view and a concave curved shape in the longitudinal sectional view is formed on the bottom wall.

This manufacturing method of a structural member includes an intermediate step and a bending step. A height difference is provided on a bottom wall of a groove part between an intermediate position and both end positions sandwiching the intermediate position therebetween in a longitudinal sectional view in an extending direction of the groove part by the pressing in the intermediate step, and thereby at least one of a first curved part which has a concave curved shape in a plan view and a convex curved shape in the longitudinal sectional view and a second curved part which has a convex curved shape in the plan view and a concave curved shape in the longitudinal sectional view is formed on the bottom wall.

A vehicle door beam and related methods of making door beams include a flat-rolled aluminum alloy sheet, where two edges of the sheet that are transverse to the roll direction of the sheet are brought together to form a tube. The two edges are friction stir welded together to form a butt joint along a length of the tube. The tube is arranged, along with other optional components, as a side-impact door beam in a vehicle door, such that the butt joint is facing away from an expected impact direction of the vehicle door.

A vehicle door beam and related methods of making door beams include a flat-rolled aluminum alloy sheet, where two edges of the sheet that are transverse to the roll direction of the sheet are brought together to form a tube. The two edges are friction stir welded together to form a butt joint along a length of the tube. The tube is arranged, along with other optional components, as a side-impact door beam in a vehicle door, such that the butt joint is facing away from an expected impact direction of the vehicle door.

Provided is a vehicle seat frame configured so that the weight of the frame can be reduced while the strength of a portion of the frame can be ensured. A vehicle seat frame F includes a frame member molded from a high tensile strength steel plate. A metal structure of a portion of the frame member is a structure formed according to one or more conditions upon a thermal treatment performed on the frame member, and the strength of the portion is different from those of other portions of the frame member. For example, the portion of the frame member includes a high strength portion with a higher strength than those of the other portions. Moreover, the portion of the frame member includes, for example, a low strength portion with a lower strength than those of the other portions.

Provided is a vehicle seat frame configured so that the weight of the frame can be reduced while the strength of a portion of the frame can be ensured. A vehicle seat frame F includes a frame member molded from a high tensile strength steel plate. A metal structure of a portion of the frame member is a structure formed according to one or more conditions upon a thermal treatment performed on the frame member, and the strength of the portion is different from those of other portions of the frame member. For example, the portion of the frame member includes a high strength portion with a higher strength than those of the other portions. Moreover, the portion of the frame member includes, for example, a low strength portion with a lower strength than those of the other portions.

A hot stamping vehicle floor (1) for a vehicle frame (100) includes a main floor panel (2) stamped out from at least one sheet metal blank. The floor further includes at least one sheet metal reinforcing patch (4), arranged on the main floor panel (2), overlapping the main floor panel (2). The reinforcing patch (4) is more ductile than the main floor panel (2). The at least one reinforcing patch (4) is joined to at least one area (6) of the main floor panel (2) conceived to withstand compressive crash forces in case of a crash situation of the vehicle and the main floor panel (2) and the at least one reinforcing patch (4) are joined to each other before said vehicle floor (1) is stamped out. The invention also refers to a method for producing the vehicle floor.