Method For Producing Hardened Steel Sheet Components

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a hardened sheet steel component, wherein sheet steel sheet bars are cut from a coil made of a hardenable steel alloy or steel strip, formed into sheet steel component blanks in a cold forming process, and the blanks are heated in a continuous furnace to a temperature above the austenitization temperature required for the hardening and pressed and quench hardened in a form hardening tool. The blanks have point-shaped or linear beads, raised bumps, or flanges whose free ends or partial lengths are bent relative to the contact element so that the blanks rest on the contact element using only the point-shaped or linear beads, raised bumps, or free ends or partial lengths of the flanges. During form hardening, the beads, bumps or bends are pressed or deformed into the desired geometry of the finished component.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a hardened steel sheet component, comprising the steps of:
 cutting steel sheet bars from a steel strip, or from a coil made of a hardenble steel alloy;   cold forming the steel sheet bars into steel component blanks;   conveying the blanks through a furnace on a contact element;   heating the blanks in the furnace to a temperature above an austenization temperature; and   pressing and quenching the blanks in a form hardening tool;   wherein the blanks comprise at least one of point-shaped beads, linear beads, raised bumps, and flanges having free ends regions that are bent relative to the contact element; and   the blanks rest on the contact element using only the point-shaped beads, linear beads, raised bumps, and/or free end regions of the flanges.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the blanks comprise flanges having free end regions that are bent by about 2-10 degrees relative to a surface of the contact element. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the blanks comprise flanges having free end regions that are bent by about 2-7 mm relative to a surface of the contact element. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the contact elements comprise at least one of walking beams, chains, plates, and rollers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the contact elements comprise support strips. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the blanks comprise point-shaped beads, linear beads or raised bumps that rest on the contact element. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the point-shaped beads, linear beads or raised bumps protrude by about 2-7 mm toward the contact element. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the steel strip or coil further comprises a metallic corrosion protection layer based on zinc, aluminum, or an alloy thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the steel strip or coil comprises a boron-manganese steel. 
     
     
         19 . A method for producing a hardened steel sheet component, comprising the steps of:
 cutting steel sheet bars from a steel strip, or from a coil made of a hardenble steel alloy;   cold forming the steel sheet bars into steel component blanks;   forming deformations in the steel sheet blanks during the cold forming process conveying the blanks through a furnace on a contact element;   heating the blanks in the furnace to a temperature above an austenization temperature; and   pressing and quenching the blanks in a form hardening tool;   wherein the blanks rest on the contact element using only the deformations, and the deformations are corrected in the form hardening tool.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the deformations comprise at least one of point-shaped beads, linear beads, raised bumps, and flanges having free ends regions that are bent relative to the contact element. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the deformations are formed such that less than about 5% of a surface area of the blanks rests on the contact element. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the deformations comprise flanges in the blanks, the flanges having free end regions that are bent by about 2-10 degrees relative to a surface of the contact element. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the deformations comprise point-shaped beads, linear beads or raised bumps in the blanks that rest on the contact element. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the point-shaped beads, linear beads or raised bumps protrude by about 2-7 mm toward the contact element. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the steel strip or coil comprises a boron-manganese steel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the steel strip or coil further comprises a metallic corrosion protection layer based on zinc, aluminum, or an alloy thereof. 
     
     
         27 . A method for producing a hardened steel sheet component, comprising the steps of:
 cutting steel sheet bars from a steel strip, or from a coil made of a hardenble steel alloy;   cold forming the steel sheet bars into steel component blanks;   forming deformations in the steel sheet blanks during the cold forming process conveying the blanks through a furnace on a contact element;   heating the blanks in the furnace to a temperature above an austenization temperature; and   pressing and quenching the blanks in a form hardening tool;   wherein the blanks rest on the contact element using only the deformations, and the deformations are formed such that less than about 5% of a surface area of the blanks rests on the contact element.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the deformations are formed such that less than about 3% of a surface area of the blanks rests on the contact element. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the deformations are formed such that less than about 1% of a surface area of the blanks rests on the contact element.