Method for producing a component and tool therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a component having a bottom region, optionally a bottom-body transition region, optionally a body region, optionally a body-flange transition region and optionally a flange region, wherein a semifinished product made of a plastically deformable material is provided, wherein the semifinished product has a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent having a circumferential edge contour having a separating surface, wherein the semifinished product is processed in one or more stages in one or more tools to produce the component. Moreover, the invention relates to a tool for producing a component.

1 . A method for producing a component having a bottom region, wherein a semifinished product made of a plastically deformable material is provided, wherein the semifinished product has a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent having a circumferential edge contour having a parting surface, wherein the semifinished product is processed in at least one stage in at least one tool to produce the component, wherein the parting surface is in contact with the tool at least temporarily one of during or after the processing of the semifinished product to produce the component, and in at least one section. 
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the semifinished product is prepared from a hardenable steel material, which is subjected to heat treatment in at least one region in the form of a shaped blank, wherein, the shaped blank is heated above an A c1  temperature, formed in at least one stage and hardened, at least in one region, by cooling. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the semifinished product is cold-formed to give a preform having a bottom region, a transition region, a body region, wherein at least the geometry of the preform or individual preform regions differ, at least in one region, from the geometry of the component or of individual component regions. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the preform has a bottom region, a bottom-body transition region and a body region, the preform is heated in a furnace, to at least A c1  temperature, the heated preform is placed in an open tool for hardening, said tool being actively cooled and comprising at least one female die and one punch, and the component produced is hardened, at least in one region through contact with the tool by closing the tool, wherein the punch acts to exert pressure, at least in one section on the parting surface of the body region, along the longitudinal extent of the component to be produced. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the preform has a bottom region, a bottom-body transition region, a body region, a body-flange transition region and a flange region, the preform is heated in a furnace, to at least A c1  temperature, the heated preform is placed in an open tool, said tool being actively cooled and comprising at least one female die and one punch, and the sheet-metal component produced is hardened, at least in one region, through contact with the tool by closing the tool, wherein at least the female die and the punch acts to exert pressure, at least in one section, on the parting surface of the flange region along the longitudinal extent of the component to be produced. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein a punch consisting of a plurality of sub-punches is used, wherein, when the tool is closed, contact is established between a first sub-punch and the bottom region, the bottom-body transition region and the body region in a first step, and contact is established between a second sub-punch and the flange region in a second step. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the shaped blank is heated in a furnace, to at least A c1  temperature, after heating the shaped blank is placed in an open tool, said tool being actively cooled and comprising at least one female die and a punch, the shaped blank being formed in at least one stage by shutting the tool, and the component produced is hardened, at least in one region, through contact with the hardening tool by closing the tool, wherein at least one of the punch and the female die acts to exert pressure, at least in one section, on the parting surface of the body region along the longitudinal extent of the component to be produced. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the tool has at least a movable female die region and a leading punch, which, after the placing of the heated shaped blank in the tool, fixes the shaped blank, together with the punch, with a clamping action, at least in the bottom region to be formed, until the tool is closed. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the tool has at least one heatable hold-down device, which, after the placing of the heated shaped blank in the tool, is lowered in a spaced manner in order to guide the shaped blank one of before and after the moving together of the movable female die region and the punch. 
     
     
         10 . A tool for hardening as part of a process line for producing a component having a bottom region consisting of a semifinished product, which consists of a plastically deformable material, wherein the semifinished product has a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent having a circumferential edge contour having a parting surface, having a female die and having a punch, having means for moving at least one of the punch and the female die, having optional means for cooling the tool wherein the parting surface is in contact with the tool at least temporarily, at least one of during and after the processing of the semifinished product to produce the component. 
     
     
         11 . The tool as claimed in  claim 10  wherein at least one of the female die and the punch is configured in such a way that, at least in one section it acts to exert pressure on the parting surface of the bottom region along the longitudinal extent of the component to be produced. 
     
     
         12 . The tool as claimed in  claim 11  wherein at least one of the punch has a shoulder region for acting on the parting surface of the body region, and the female die has a shoulder region. 
     
     
         13 . The tool as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tool has at least one heatable hold-down device. 
     
     
         14 . The tool as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the tool has a substantially vertically movable female die region. 
     
     
         15 . The tool as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the punch consists of a plurality of sub-punches. 
     
     
         16 . The tool as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the punch is coupled to a punch holder, wherein the punch is arranged in such a way that it can be moved toward and away from the punch holder in a working direction. 
     
     
         17 . The tool as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the female die has an outer female die part and an inner female die part, wherein the outer female die part, is horizontally movable. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the semifinished product is first of all cold-formed into a preform, the preform is subjected to heat treatment in at least one region, wherein the preform is heated above an A c1  temperature and is then hardened by cooling, at least in one region. 
     
     
         19 . The tool of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one of a bottom-body transition region, a body region, a body-flange transition region and, a flange region.