Method and forming tool for hot forming and press hardening workpieces of sheet steel, in particular galvanized workpieces of sheet steel

Abstract

A method and forming tool for hot forming and press hardening plate-shaped or preformed workpieces of sheet steel, wherein the workpiece is heated to a temperature above the austenitisation temperature and is then formed and quenched in a cooled forming tool having a punch and a female mold, wherein the female mold is coated in its drawing edge region with material in a material-uniting manner and/or is provided there with at least one insert part having a thermal conductivity at least 10 W/(m*K) lower than the thermal conductivity of the portion of the female mold adjacent to the drawing edge region and comes into contact with the workpiece when said workpiece is being hot formed and press hardened, the surface of the material having a transverse dimension within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive radius of the female mold.

Claims

1. A method for hot forming and press hardening plate-shaped or preformed workpieces of galvanized sheet steel, comprising heating the workpiece to a temperature above the austentisation temperature, forming the workpiece in a cooled forming tool, the forming tool having a punch and a female mold, the female mold comprising a cavity into which the punch penetrates to form the workpiece into the cavity, wherein the cavity of the female mold is adjoined by a drawing edge at a corner part of the female mold defined by a positive die radius that contacts the workpiece at a peripheral portion thereof, and quenching the workpiece in said forming tool, wherein the drawing edge region of the female mold is provided with at least one insert part which forms the positive die radius of the female mold, said insert part having a thermal conductivity being at least 10 W/(m*K) lower than the thermal conductivity of an adjacent portion of the female mold adjacent to the drawing edge region that comes into contact with a remaining portion of the workpiece during the forming and quenching of said workpiece, wherein the insert part has a transverse dimension which extends over the drawing edge region, being within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive radius of the female mold, wherein after quenching, substantially all of the workpiece has a martensitic structure with the peripheral portion of the workpiece that contacts the insert part has a hardness lower than that of the remaining portion of the workpiece but still has a martensitic structure due to the lower thermal conductivity of the insert part.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the insert part arranged in the drawing edge region is less than 40 W/(m*K).

3. The method according to claim 1, including configuring the insert part in the form of a strip and inserting the insert part into a recess formed in a corner region of the female mold.

4. The method according to claim 1, including arranging a heat insulating layer between the insert part and the female mold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the insert part has a projection which protrudes with respect to an inner periphery of the female mold and/or with respect to a peripheral surface adjoining a cavity of the female mold.

6. The method according to claim 1, including heating the drawing edge region of the female mold in a locally selective manner by a heat source integrated into the female mold or by a duct conducting a heating fluid.

7. A method for hot forming and press hardening plate-shaped or preformed workpieees of galvanized sheet steel, comprising: heating the workpiece to a temperature above the austentisation temperature, forming the workpiece in a cooled forming tool, the forming tool having a punch and a female mold, the female mold comprising a cavity into which the punch penetrates to form the workpiece into the cavity, wherein the cavity of the female mold is adjoined by a drawing edge region at a corner part of the female mold defined by positive die radius that contacts the workpiece at a peripheral portion thereof, and quenching the workpiece in said forming tool; wherein the female mold is coated in the drawing edge region, defined by the positive die radius, with material, in a material-uniting manner, said material forming an exterior portion of the positive die radius, said material having a thermal conductivity being at least 10 W/(m*K) lower than the thermal conductivity of an adjacent portion of the female mold adjacent to the drawing edge region that comes into contact with a remaining portion of the workpiece during the forming and quenching of said workpiece, wherein a surface of the material applied in the drawing edge region facing the workpiece has a transverse dimension which extends over the drawing edge region, being within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive radius of the female mold, wherein after quenching, substantially all of the workpiece has a martensitic structure with the peripheral portion of the workpiece that contacts the coating material on the female mold has a hardness lower than that of the remaining portion of the workpiece but still has a martensitic structure due to the lower thermal conductivity of the coating material.

8. The method according to claim 7, including applying the material in the drawing edge region of the female mold to the female mold by build-up welding.

9. The method according to claim 7, including heating the drawing edge region of the female mold in a locally selective manner by a heat source integrated into the female mold or by a duct conducting a heating fluid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to schematic drawings which illustrate a plurality of embodiments.

(2) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a forming tool according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of a further forming tool according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion, comprising a drawing edge, of a forming tool according to the invention, having a coating which is arranged in the drawing edge region and has a relatively low thermal conductivity;

(5) FIGS. 4 and 7 are in each case sectional views of a portion, comprising a drawing edge, of a forming tool according to the invention, with material which is applied by build-up welding in the drawing edge region and which respectively has a relatively low thermal conductivity; and

(6) FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 are in each case sectional views of a portion, comprising a drawing edge, of a forming tool according to the invention, with an insert part which is arranged in the drawing edge region and has a relatively low thermal conductivity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show portions of cooled forming tools for hot forming and press hardening a plate-shaped or preformed workpiece 1 of sheet steel, in particular a galvanized workpiece of sheet steel. Reference numeral 2 denotes a punch and reference numeral 3 denotes a female mold (forging die) of the respective forming tool. Furthermore, the forming tool shown in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2 can optionally have a blank holder which presses the workpiece 1 against the female mold 3 during the forming process. However, the forming tool according to the invention is preferably configured without a blank holder.

(8) The female mold (forging die) 3 contains a cavity 4 into which the punch 2 penetrates while the workpiece 1 is being formed or deep drawn. FIGS. 1 and 2 both show the respective forming tool in a closed state with the workpiece 1 formed therein.

(9) Cooling ducts (not shown) for conducting a cooling fluid are provided in the punch 2 and/or in the female mold 3 near the shaping surface of the tool. Before the workpiece 1 which is to be formed is introduced into the open forming tool, it is initially heated to a target temperature, preferably to a temperature above the austenitisation temperature, and is then formed and quenched in the cooled forming tool.

(10) Before the forming procedure, the temperature of the heated plate-shaped or preformed workpiece 1 is preferably kept as high as possible to improve the flow characteristics, effective during forming, of the workpiece 1 or to reduce the stresses and/or strains. This can be influenced, for example, by the selected level of heating temperature and/or by short transfer times, i.e. short handling times between the heating device (not shown), for example a continuous furnace, and the start of the forming process.

(11) The forming tool according to the invention is characterised by an optimised heat transfer coefficient. This prevents an excessively fast local cooling of the heated workpiece 1 (for example of the galvanized steel blank) after its being positioned and during its forming in the tool. According to the invention, at least the female mold 3 is optimised in respect of its heat transfer coefficient. For this purpose, the female mold 3 is coated with material in a material-uniting manner in its drawing edge region defined by a positive die radius and/or is provided there with at least one insert part 5 which has a thermal conductivity lower by at least 10 W/(m*K) than the thermal conductivity of the portion 3.1, adjacent to the drawing edge region, of the female mold 3, which portion 3.1 comes into contact with the workpiece during the hot forming and press hardening of said workpiece. In this respect, the means with a relatively low thermal conductivity are dimensioned in order to ensure that a fully martensitic structure is still produced in the formed component (workpiece) 1 after the end of the quenching procedure (press hardening), whereas the workpiece region influenced by the drawing edge region and configured according to the invention can have a reduction in hardness which, however, must be within the range of the required minimum hardness, as a result of which cracks in the workpiece 1 can be avoided or crack depths can be reduced. Therefore, according to the invention, the surface facing the workpiece 1, of the material 6 applied in the drawing edge region (cf. FIG. 3), or of the insert part 5 arranged there, has a transverse dimension which extends over the drawing edge 7 and is within the range of 1.6 times to 10 times the positive die radius of the female mold 3.

(12) In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the respective female mold 3 has in its drawing edge region, defined by a positive die radius, at least one insert part 5, the thermal conductivity of which is preferably less than 40 W/(m*K), particularly preferably less than 30 W/(m*K). The at least one insert part 5 is configured in the form of a ring or a strip and is inserted into a recess 3.2 formed in the drawing edge region of the female mold 3.

(13) FIG. 3 to 8 schematically illustrate further embodiments of a forming tool according to the invention, preferably of a female mold 3.

(14) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a female mold 3 used for hot forming and press hardening is coated in its drawing edge region, defined by a positive die radius, with a material 6 which has a relatively low thermal conductivity. The material (coating) 6 is preferably ceramics, for example aluminium oxide or zirconium oxide. The drawing edge region can be selectively coated by, for example, flame spraying, in particular by powder flame spraying or by wire flame spraying, or by arc spraying or plasma spraying.

(15) The transverse dimension of the coating 6 extending over the drawing edge 7 is, for example within the range of 1.6 times to 4 times, preferably within the range of 1.6 times to twice the positive die radius of the female mold 3. The coating 6 stands, or can protrude slightly with respect to the adjacent surface 3.1 of the female mold 3, for example by approximately 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm or even more.

(16) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the female mold 3 used for hot forming and press hardening is provided in the drawing edge region with a material application 6′ which is produced by build-up welding and has a relatively low thermal conductivity. Before the build-up welding process, a depression 3.3 which extends transversely over the drawing edge is produced, for example by machining in the drawing edge region of the female mold 3. The material 6′ having a relatively low thermal conductivity is then arranged in this depression (recess) 3.3 by build-up welding. This applied material 6′ can be, for example, chromium steel, titanium or high-alloy steel, such as X5CrNi18-10, all of which have a thermal conductivity of approximately 30 W/(m*K) or less than 30 W/(m*K). The material 6′ applied to the drawing edge region by build-up welding is applied and is then diminished in size by milling or grinding until it substantially terminates flush in the surface 3.1 of the female mold 3 or slightly protrudes with respect to the surface 3.1. of the female mold 3.

(17) The portion of the female mold 3 illustrated in FIG. 5 substantially corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. Here as well, a strip-shaped insert pan 5 of a relatively low thermal conductivity is arranged in the drawing edge region of the female mold 3. The insert part 5 consists, for example, of ceramics, preferably of aluminium oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) or of zirconium oxide. The outer side of the insert part 5 forming the drawing edge region terminates substantially flush with the surface 3.1. of the female mold 3.

(18) FIG. 5 also shows a further option or alternative for reducing the heat loss of the heated workpiece. This alternative or additional option comprises integrating into the female mold 3 a heat source or a duct 8 conducting a heating fluid, by which the drawing edge region of the female mold 3 can be heated in a locally selective manner. A further preferred embodiment provides that the treat source, for example in the form of one or more electric heating wires, or the duct 8 conducting a heating fluid, is integrated into the insert part 5 which forms the drawing edge region.

(19) The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 differs from the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 in that a heat insulating layer 9 is arranged between the insert part 5 and the female mold 3. The heat insulating layer 9 is configured with one or more layers and consists, for example, of plastics material and/or of mineral wool.

(20) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, a female mold 3 used for hot forming and press hardening is again provided in the drawing edge region with a material application 6′ which is produced by build-up welding and has a relatively low thermal conductivity. However, in contrast to the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the material application 6′ is configured such that it has a projection 6.1 which protrudes with respect to the inner periphery of the female mold 3 or with respect to the peripheral surface adjoining the cavity 4 of the female mold 3. The dissipation of heat from the heated workpiece 1 is reduced by this local elevation or by this local projection 6.1 consisting of a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity. In addition to this material application 6′, here again it is possible to integrate into the female mold 3 a heat source or a duct 8 conducting a heating fluid, by which the drawing edge region of the female mold 3 can be heated in a locally selective manner.

(21) The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 differs from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 in that the insert part 5 has a projection 5.1 which protrudes with respect to the inner periphery of the cavity 4 of the female mold 3 or with respect to the peripheral surface adjoining the cavity 4. In this regard, reference numeral 9 again denotes a heat insulating layer arranged between the insert part 5 and the female mold 3.

(22) The implementation of the present invention is not restricted to the embodiments which have been described above and/or have been illustrated in the drawings. In fact, numerous variants or modifications are conceivable, which also make use of the invention specified in the accompanying claims in a form which differs from the embodiments. Thus, for example, additionally the punch and/or optionally also the blank holder can be provided with means 5, 5.1, 6, 6′, 6.1 and/or 9 having a low thermal conductivity to optimise the heat transfer coefficient.