Method for Producing a Profiled Component, and Profiled Component

Abstract

A method produces a profiled component. In the method, a profiled structural part is provided and/or manufactured. The profiled structural part is heat-treated and press-hardened in a press hardening tool, wherein the profiled structural part is cooled in its interior by circulating air in the press hardening tool.

Claims

1. A method for producing a profiled component, comprising: providing and/or producing a profiled structural part; heat treating the profiled structural part; press hardening the profiled structural part in a press-hardening tool, wherein the profiled structural part in the press-hardening tool is cooled in an interior thereof by circulating air.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein ambient air is directed into the interior of the profiled structural part as the circulating air.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the ambient air directed into the interior of the profiled structural part has a temperature of between 10 C. and 30 C.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the ambient air directed into the interior of the profiled structural part has a temperature of between 15 C. and 25 C.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the profiled structural part arranged in the press-hardening tool is also cooled from outside by direct and/or indirect cooling.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the press hardening of the profiled structural part in the press-hardening tool, different material properties are specifically set in at least two regions of the profiled structural part.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the different material properties are different strengths.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the specific setting of the different material properties is achieved by a defined control of a closing operation of the press-hardening tool, without intervening in the temperature control of the press-hardening tool.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in a first time phase of the press hardening, first subregions of the profiled structural part have tool contact with tool parts of the press-hardening tool and second subregions of the profiled structural part have no tool contact with tool parts of the press-hardening tool.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in a second time phase of the press hardening, the first and second subregions of the profiled structural part have tool contact with the tool parts of the press-hardening tool.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the press-hardening tool is not completely closed during the press hardening.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the press-hardening tool has at least four tool parts, in relation to which the profiled structural part has tool contact during the press hardening.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one tool part of the press-hardening tool is locally heated during the press hardening.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one tool part of the press-hardening tool is locally heated during the press hardening.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the profiled structural part is preformed by a hydroforming process before the heat treating.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the profiled structural part has a zinc coating.

17. A profiled component, produced by a method according to claim 1.

18. The profiled component according to claim 17, wherein the produced profiled component is a motor vehicle component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a method for producing a profiled component according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a profiled component arranged in a press-hardening tool to illustrate a method step of the method according to a further exemplary embodiment.

[0035] FIGS. 3A to 5 are schematic representations of the method for producing a profiled component according to further exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In the exemplary embodiments and figures, elements that are the same or act in the same way may be provided in each case with the same designations. The depicted elements and their sizes in relation to one another are in principle not to be regarded as true to scale. Rather, individual elements may be illustrated with exaggerated thickness or size dimensions for improved clarity and/or for improved understanding.

[0037] In FIG. 1, a schematic representation of a method for producing a profiled component is shown. In the method, a profiled structural part 2 is provided or produced in a method step A. The profiled structural part 2 may be for example a steel tube with a zinc coating.

[0038] After that, in a further method step B, the profiled structural part 2 is heated, for example to a temperature of between 850 C. and 907 C.

[0039] In a then-following method step C, the profiled structural part 2 is press-hardened in a press-hardening tool 1, the profiled structural part 2 in the press-hardening tool 1 being cooled in the interior of the profiled structural part 2 by circulating air or ambient air.

[0040] In FIG. 2, method step C according to one exemplary embodiment is shown in a schematic representation, the profiled structural part 2 being arranged in the press-hardening tool 1, which has a first tool part 11 and a second tool part 12. The first tool part 11 and the second tool part 12 have in each case a plurality of cooling channels 4, through which a cooling medium, such as for example water, can flow, so that the profiled structural part 2 arranged in the press-hardening tool 1 can be cooled indirectly. In the interior 3 of the profiled structural part 2, the surface of the profiled structural part 2 bordering the interior 3 is cooled by circulating air or ambient air. The circulating air or ambient air directed into the interior 2 may, for example, have a temperature of between 15 C. and 25 C.

[0041] FIGS. 3A to 3C respectively show a profiled structural part 2, which is arranged in a press-hardening tool 1, according to various exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments have in common that profiled structural parts 2 or profiled components which each have subregions with different material properties are obtained after the press hardening. As depicted in FIG. 3D, the profiled components may for example have subregions 100, which are formed hard and have a high strength, and also subregions 200, which are formed soft and have a high ductility.

[0042] As a difference from the press-hardening tool according to FIG. 2, the press-hardening tool 1 of FIG. 3A has spacers 5, which prevent the press-hardening tool 1 or the tool parts 11, 12 from closing completely. As a result, subregions 200 of the profiled structural part 2 have no tool contact, whereby delayed cooling takes place in these regions, which has the consequence that these regions have a lower strength in the finished profiled component.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3B, circulating air is directed into the interior 3 of the profiled structural part 2 by means of a stream of compressed air or a stream of driving air.

[0044] FIG. 3C shows a press-hardening tool 1 which has altogether six tool parts 11, 12, 13, two of which in each case are assigned to one another and can be moved in relation to one another. The fact that the press-hardening tool has six tool parts 11, 12, 13 means that it is possible in a particularly easy way to control which subregions of the profiled structural part 2 have tool contact at which time, so that a specific setting of the material properties of the individual subregions can be achieved.

[0045] In FIGS. 4A and 4B, a further exemplary embodiment is shown of a method for producing a profiled component in which so-called tailored properties are achieved by clamping and squeezing. Subregions of the profiled structural part 2 that have tool contact with the first tool part 11 or the second tool part 12 at a first time are quickly quenched, whereby the subregions are given a microstructure with high strength. By contrast, subregions of the profiled structural part 2 that undergo tool contact at a later time have a higher ductility in the finished profiled component.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a profiled structural part 2 according to a further exemplary embodiment arranged in a press-hardening tool 1, a first tool part 11 of the press-hardening tool 1 having a heating device or heating cartridge 7, by which a hardening speed can be slowed or prevented in a locally confined, neighboring region of the profiled structural part 2, so that the profiled structural part 2 or the finished profiled component subsequently has in this region a low hardness and low strength and also a high ductility.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0047] 1 Press-hardening tool [0048] 2 Profiled structural part [0049] 3 Inner region [0050] 4 Cooling channel [0051] 5 Spacer [0052] 6 Stream of compressed air [0053] 7 Heating device [0054] 11 First tool part [0055] 12 Second tool part [0056] 13 Further tool part [0057] 100, 200 Region of the profiled structural part [0058] A, B, C Method steps

[0059] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.