Method of producing sheet metal blanks having a varing thickness

Abstract

A method of producing a flat sheet metal blank which varies in thickness. The sheet metal blank is produced for manufacturing components for motor vehicles. The method comprises the steps of providing a flat sheet metal blank having a variable thickness and prefabricated as a starting workpiece, and reworking the prefabricated flat sheet metal blank such that the variable thickness of the prefabricated flat sheet metal blank is locally changed.

1 . Method of producing flat sheet metal blanks ( 1 ) which vary in their thickness (Z), particularly for manufacturing components for motor vehicles, by which
 a) a sheet metal blank having a variable thickness (Z) is prefabricated as the starting workpiece, and   b) the sheet metal blank from Step a) is then partially reworked, particularly restamped, so that the thickness of the sheet metal blank a), which already has a variable thickness, is locally changed.   
   
   
       2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the sheet metal blank ( 1 ) from Step a) having a variable thickness is taken from a metal strip which was produced by means of a method of flexibly rolling. 
   
   
       3 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the sheet metal blank ( 1 ) from Step a) is taken from a metal strip which is soldered or welded from different metal sheets. 
   
   
       4 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the local change of thickness for producing the sheet metal blank ( 1 ) takes place by means of a local cutting reworking. 
   
   
       5 . Method according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the partial thickness change for producing the sheet metal blank ( 1 ) takes place by means of milling. 
   
   
       6 . Method according to one of the preceding  claims 1  to  3 , characterized in that the partial thickness change for producing the sheet metal blank ( 1 ) takes place by means of cold stamping. 
   
   
       7 . Method according to one of the preceding  claims 1  to  3 , characterized in that the partial thickness change for producing the sheet metal blank ( 1 ) takes place by means of hot stamping. 
   
   
       8 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blank heated for a pressure hardening is hot-stamped by a rapid impact.