WO2024105076A1 - Thermisches behandeln eines metallischen bauteils - Google Patents
Thermisches behandeln eines metallischen bauteils Download PDFInfo
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- WO2024105076A1 WO2024105076A1 PCT/EP2023/081847 EP2023081847W WO2024105076A1 WO 2024105076 A1 WO2024105076 A1 WO 2024105076A1 EP 2023081847 W EP2023081847 W EP 2023081847W WO 2024105076 A1 WO2024105076 A1 WO 2024105076A1
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- Prior art keywords
- component
- temperature
- region
- continuous furnace
- edge
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Classifications
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
- C21D9/0056—Furnaces through which the charge is moved in a horizontal straight path
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
- C21D1/18—Hardening; Quenching with or without subsequent tempering
- C21D1/185—Hardening; Quenching with or without subsequent tempering from an intercritical temperature
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
- C21D9/0062—Heat-treating apparatus with a cooling or quenching zone
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
- C21D9/46—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor for sheet metals
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D2221/00—Treating localised areas of an article
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D2221/00—Treating localised areas of an article
- C21D2221/02—Edge parts
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method and a device for the thermal treatment of a metallic component, in particular a steel component for a motor vehicle.
- steel components such as B-pillars are thermally treated differently in certain areas. This creates a different ductility in certain areas, which is advantageous for the crash behavior of such components.
- occupants of a vehicle can be protected by a hard area of the B-pillar at seat height, while soft areas in the upper and lower areas of the B-pillar absorb energy through deformation.
- a B-pillar can be made soft in those places where the B-pillar is to be connected to other body parts. Such soft joining areas can also be referred to as soft spots. In soft spots, the B-pillar can, for example, be easily drilled through to create holes for rivets or screws.
- the entire component is first heated in a first oven, the component is then locally treated differently in a tempering station, and the entire component is then heated in a second oven.
- the tempering station one area of the component is cooled, for example by applying a cooling fluid, and the rest of the component is kept at approximately its temperature. Excellent results can be achieved in this way for many applications.
- known methods are not precise enough, especially for the creation of soft spots. This is because the cooling cannot be limited locally, for example using nozzles, or can only be limited with difficulty. Similar difficulties arise in general if more than a simple division of the component into soft and hard areas is desired.
- the object of the present invention is to present a method for the thermal treatment of metallic components with which a soft area with a particularly precise contour can be obtained. A corresponding device will also be presented.
- a method for thermally treating a metallic component comprises: a) heating the entire component in a first continuous furnace, b) transferring the component from the first continuous furnace to a tempering station, c) cooling at least a first region of the component in the tempering station, d) transferring the component from the tempering station to a second continuous furnace, e) thermally treating the component in the second continuous furnace, wherein after completion of step c) an edge of the first region is heated at least in sections with a laser unit, wherein a temperature of the component in a core of the first region enclosed by the edge of the first region is below the austenite re-transformation temperature of the component at least after cooling in step c) and does not exceed the AC3 temperature of the component after step c), and wherein a temperature of a second region of the component during method steps a) to e) at least temporarily exceeds the AC3 temperature of the component.
- a metallic component can be thermally treated using the method described.
- the metallic component is preferably a component made of steel.
- the steel is preferably 22MnB5.
- a metallic component for a motor vehicle in particular a B-pillar
- the component preferably has a material thickness of at least 0.7 mm, in particular in the range of 1 to 4 mm. Such a material thickness is useful for many applications.
- the process described can also be carried out with components of a different material thickness.
- the material thickness of the component is preferably constant over the entire component.
- the component can also have a different material thickness in certain areas.
- the component can be a "Tailor Rolled Blank (TRB)", in which locally different material thicknesses are obtained by locally different rolling.
- the component can also be a “Tailor Welded Blank (TWB)", in which locally different material thicknesses are obtained by welding several sheets together.
- TRB Trimed Blank
- TWB Teilor Welded Blank
- the process can be applied equally to components with and without coating.
- the component is particularly preferably coated with Al/Si.
- the component is preferably press-hardened in a press and thus hot-formed.
- the method preferably comprises the further steps of transferring the component from the second continuous furnace to the press (step f)) and press-hardening it in the press (step g)).
- the method described is a method for thermally treating and press-hardening a component.
- the press-hardening of the component it is not necessary for the press-hardening of the component to be carried out as part of the method described.
- the method described can also serve as preparation for press-hardening carried out outside of the method described.
- the component thermally treated with the method described can be subjected to further process steps which, together with other processes, can result in a finished motor vehicle, for example.
- the thermal treatment of the component is, however, a separate sub-process in such an overall process. It is therefore sensible to consider the thermal treatment separately from the subsequent process steps, in particular also separately from the press-hardening.
- step a) the entire component is heated in the first continuous furnace.
- a furnace is a device that is heated to an adjustable temperature inside and into which a component can be placed. Over time, the temperature of the component approaches the temperature inside the furnace. The heat is therefore transferred from the gas in the furnace, which can be air in particular, to the component.
- a continuous furnace is a furnace through which the component can be moved, whereby the component is heated as it passes through the furnace.
- the first continuous furnace is preferably a roller hearth furnace.
- the component is preferably heated by burners, in particular gas burners. This allows the component to have a particularly evenly distributed temperature.
- the entire component is heated.
- the component is completely taken up by the first continuous furnace.
- a continuous furnace can be used to heat a component by a particularly large temperature difference. With a continuous furnace, a component can be heated in particular from room temperature to a temperature in the range of the AC3 temperature of the component. Such extensive heating is not possible with many other heating methods, or at least not without disproportionate effort.
- the first continuous furnace can also be used to diffuse the coating into the remaining material of the component.
- the component is heated in step a) in such a way that the material of the coating diffuses into the material of the remaining component in step a).
- the component is therefore preferably heated in step a) to a temperature which is above the temperature at which the material of the coating diffuses into the material of the remaining component.
- the temperature of the component in step a) is preferably above this temperature for at least 1 minute, in particular even at least 2 minutes.
- the component is preferably heated in step a) to a temperature of at least 700 °C, in particular at least 780 °C.
- the temperature of the component in step a) is above a temperature of 700 °C, in particular 780 °C, for at least 1 minute, in particular even at least 2 minutes or even 830 °C.
- the component is particularly preferably heated in step a) to a temperature above the AC 1 temperature of the component, in particular above the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the temperature of the component in step a) is at least 1 min, in particular even at least 2 min above the AC1 temperature of the component, in particular above the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the heating in step a) can not only be used to diffuse the coating, but can also make a contribution to the structural transformation.
- Heating in a continuous furnace is particularly in contrast to heating by so-called "direct energization". This would make it difficult to heat the component evenly and to a sufficiently high level. With direct energization, the speed of heating is more important. In addition, direct energization requires contact with the component. In step a) of the process described, heating is preferably carried out without contact. This does not exclude the component being moved through the first continuous furnace with transport rollers and thus being in contact with the transport rollers. Heating is contactless if the heat is introduced into the component via a gas and/or via thermal radiation.
- step b) of the process the component is transferred from the first continuous furnace to the tempering station. This is preferably done with a first transfer device.
- the component is thermally treated differently in certain areas. This is why the process described is a process for the locally different thermal treatment of metallic components. However, this does not need to be mentioned explicitly, since the locally different thermal treatment is explicitly defined.
- the first continuous furnace and the tempering station are different components that are spatially separated from each other.
- the transfer between the first continuous furnace and the tempering station facilitates the cooling of the component between heating in the first continuous furnace and thermal treatment in the tempering station.
- the component In the tempering station, the component is cooled as quickly as possible in certain areas. Rapid cooling can be achieved more efficiently outside the heating en the first continuous furnace. This means that cooling can begin during the transfer.
- the spatial separation of the first continuous furnace from the tempering station speeds up the process. This is in contrast to a solution in which all process steps are carried out in the same facility without having to transfer the component. Such solutions typically aim to keep the effort for component transfers to a minimum or to avoid them altogether.
- the spatial separation between the first continuous furnace and the tempering station also makes the design easier because the requirements for the first continuous furnace and the tempering station are different.
- step d the component is transferred from the tempering station to a second continuous furnace. This is preferably done using a second transfer device.
- step e) the component is thermally treated in the second continuous furnace.
- step e) the entire component is taken up by the second continuous furnace.
- the tempering station and the second continuous furnace are different components that are spatially separated from each other.
- the transfer between the tempering station and the second continuous furnace facilitates the cooling of the component between the thermal treatment in the tempering station and in the second continuous furnace. In this way, a part of the component that is to be cooled can be cooled during the transfer. This reduces the required residence time in the tempering station and speeds up the process. This is in contrast to a solution in which all process steps are carried out in the same facility if possible, without having to transfer the component. Such solutions typically aim to keep the effort for component transfers to a minimum or to avoid them altogether.
- the spatial separation between the tempering station and the second continuous furnace also makes construction easier because the requirements for the tempering station and the second continuous furnace are different.
- the second continuous furnace is preferably a roller hearth furnace.
- the entire component is thermally treated, preferably heated.
- the component is completely taken up by the second continuous furnace.
- the thermal treatment in a continuous furnace is in particular especially in contrast to heating by so-called "direct energization".
- the thermal treatment in the second continuous furnace serves in particular to promote the structural transformation. Because the component is not cooled immediately after the tempering station, for example in a press, there is sufficient time for the desired structural distribution to be established in the component. In particular, in step e), carbon atoms can diffuse within the component, whereby the structure of the component changes as desired.
- the thermal treatment in the second continuous furnace can serve to reduce thermal stresses in the component. During subsequent press hardening, this can reduce the distortion of the component.
- the first region can be given a particularly precise contour.
- an edge of the first region is heated at least in sections with a laser unit after completion of step c).
- the edge is formed to extend all the way around the remaining part of the first region.
- the edge therefore encloses the remaining part of the first region.
- the fact that the edge is heated at least in sections means that at least part of the edge is heated.
- This part is formed to extend all the way around the remaining part of the first region, thus partially enclosing the remaining part of the first region.
- the edge of the first region is completely heated with a laser unit after completion of step c).
- three areas can be thermally treated differently. Firstly, a distinction can be made between a first area and a second area. In addition, the edge of the first area is treated separately from the rest of the first area, i.e. from the core of the first area.
- first area There is at least one first area. There can therefore be exactly one first area or several first areas. Preferably there are a number of first areas. The following primarily looks at the case of exactly one first area as an example. If several first areas are provided, the following statements apply to all first areas accordingly.
- the edge of the first area represents a two-dimensional part of the first area. The edge of the first area could therefore also be referred to as an edge area.
- the edge area represents a sub-area of the first area. The edge is therefore smaller than the first area.
- the core of the first area is two-dimensional and could therefore also be referred to as a core area of the first area. If there are several first areas, each of the first areas has a core and an edge.
- the component preferably, but not necessarily, has only the first region or the first regions and the second region, i.e. no further regions. It is irrelevant whether there is one second region or several second regions.
- the areas of the component can be thermally treated differently. This can influence the structural composition of the component differently locally, so that different ductilities are obtained locally.
- the first area becomes more ductile outside the edge than the edge of the first area and the second area.
- the edge of the first area and the second area can have the same ductility or different ductilities. The case of equal ductilities is preferred.
- the core of the first region can be designed as a soft spot, via which the component can be connected to another component, for example in the case of a B-pillar as a component with another body part.
- the first region is therefore a soft joining region in which the component can be easily drilled through, for example, in order to obtain a hole for a rivet or a screw, for example.
- the first region is preferably circular.
- step a the entire component is heated in the first continuous furnace. All areas are therefore treated equally in step a). It is therefore not necessary for the areas to be able to be distinguished from one another in step a).
- the process described is multi-stage and includes not only heating in the first continuous furnace but also thermal treatment in the tempering station and heating in the second continuous furnace. Therefore, heating in the first continuous furnace can basically be carried out to any temperature. If the component is only heated slightly in the first pass, the component can be heated more in the edge of the first area and more in the second area as the process progresses, and vice versa. In particular, heating of the component in the first continuous furnace can be carried out to a temperature above or below the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the component is therefore heated in step a) to at least 400 °C, in particular to at least 600 °C.
- the component is heated in step a) to a temperature above the AC1 temperature of the component.
- the component is heated in step a) to a temperature which is a maximum of 400 K below the AC3 temperature of the component, in particular a maximum of 200 K below the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the component does not exceed a temperature of 200 K above the AC3 temperature of the component in step a).
- the component can be heated in step a) to a temperature in the range 600 to 800 °C.
- higher temperatures are preferred, which are in particular above the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the component in step a) is heated to a temperature of at least 900 °C, in particular of at least 1000 °C.
- the component in step a) can be heated to a temperature in the range of 850 to 1200 °C.
- the component is locally thermally treated differently by the tempering station downstream of the first continuous furnace.
- the first area and the second area of the component are first thermally treated differently in the tempering station.
- the first area is cooled in step c) in the tempering station. This is preferably done by cooling the first area with a cooling fluid. is applied, in particular with compressed air.
- the compressed air preferably has a pressure in the range of 2 to 4.5 bar. Due to this comparatively high pressure, a large amount of compressed air can be directed to the first area of the component within a very short time, so that a sufficiently high cooling speed can be achieved.
- the method used to cool the first area is generally not important for the functioning of the described method.
- step c) does not have to be precise.
- the desired soft spots do not have to be sharply demarcated from their surroundings.
- the part of the component in which a soft spot is to be obtained is also cooled.
- This is the core of the first area or, in the case of several first areas, the cores of the first areas. This can be done, for example, by simply blowing compressed air onto it. If a small area of the component is exposed to compressed air, the compressed air spreads over the surface of the component and thus cools the component in a weakened form even outside the area that is actually to be cooled - which is, for example, to form a soft spot.
- the desired sharp contour of the core is obtained. The laser unit therefore completely or partially reverses the unwanted cooling outside the part of the component that is actually to be cooled.
- the part of the component cooled in step c) is referred to as the first area.
- This also includes the part of the component that is undesirably cooled due to the described insufficient precision.
- This part represents the edge of the first area, which is subsequently reheated with the laser unit.
- the area that actually only needs to be cooled is the part of the first area that does not belong to the edge of the first area.
- This part of the first area is referred to as the core of the first area.
- the edge of the first area encloses the core of the first area. A soft spot can therefore be obtained through the core of the first area.
- contour of the first area can be sharpened with the described method is to be understood in such a way that the first area can be made into a soft spot by precisely heating its edge, a sharply defined core is obtained. It can be said that the contour of the core of the first area can be sharpened using the method described.
- the high ductility in the core of the first region is obtained by thermal treatment using the method described.
- a temperature of the component in the core of the first region is below the austenite retransformation temperature of the component at least after cooling in step c) and does not exceed the AC3 temperature of the component after step c).
- austenite forms throughout the entire component.
- the austenite re-transformation temperature is defined by the fact that austenite decomposes as soon as the temperature falls below the austenite re-transformation temperature.
- the austenite re-transformation temperature is a material property. The fact that the temperature of the core of the first region is below the austenite re-transformation temperature of the component, at least after cooling, does not imply that austenite was previously formed in the component.
- step a If the entire component is not heated to a temperature above the AC3 temperature in step a), no austenite is formed in this step. Cooling the core of the first area in step c) below the austenite re-transformation temperature of the component can, however, in this case help to ensure that no austenite is formed in the core of the first area in the further course of the process, even if the component is subjected to further heating. If no austenite is formed in step a), the austenite re-transformation temperature in step c) does not have to be undercut for the austenite to disintegrate. In the event that the entire component is not heated to a temperature above the AC3 temperature in step a), any cooling of the core of the first area in step c is sufficient.
- austenite re-transformation temperature is generally significantly below the AC3 temperature.
- the core of the first region is cooled in step c) by at least 100, in particular by at least 250 K.
- the temperature of the core of the first region after step c) is preferably in the range from 400 to 700 °C, in particular in the range from 500 to 600 °C.
- step a there is no austenite in the core of the first region after cooling in step c).
- the AC3 temperature of the component in the core of the first region is not (again) exceeded after cooling in step c)
- a ductile structure can be obtained in the core of the first region.
- the AC3 temperature of the component is therefore not exceeded in steps d) to e). This prevents austenite from forming in the core of the first region after cooling.
- step e) the core of the first region of the component is heated in such a way that the temperature of the core of the first region of the component is below the AC3 temperature of the component even after heating. The core of the first region of the component is therefore no longer heated above the AC3 temperature of the component after cooling in step c).
- the component has the second region.
- the process is carried out in such a way that a temperature of the second region of the component during process steps a) to e) at least temporarily exceeds the AC3 temperature of the component. This allows austenite to be formed in the second region. During press hardening, martensite can be formed from this, giving the second region a comparatively low ductility.
- step a) the entire component is heated to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of the component, the above-mentioned condition is already fulfilled in step a). If in step a) the second area is heated to less than the AC3 temperature, the second area can be heated in the temperature control station or heated in the second oven to a temperature above the AC3 temperature.
- the temperature of the second region after heating to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of the component does not fall below the austenite re-transformation temperature until step e) is completed.
- the temperature in the second region does not fall below the austenite re-transformation temperature until it is in the press. This can prevent the austenite formed in the second region from breaking down before press hardening.
- a temperature of the second region preferably changes by a maximum of 200 K, in particular by a maximum of 100 K. This can also be referred to as maintaining the temperature, whereby a change in the temperature within a tolerance of 200 K or 100 K is accepted.
- the second region can be exposed to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of the component in the tempering station and/or in step e) it can be exposed to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of the component in the second oven.
- the second region can be kept at its temperature in the tempering station or heated, or cooling of the second region can be slowed down.
- the second region can also cool down in the tempering station in ambient air.
- the temperature of the second region in steps a) to e) initially rises above the AC3 temperature, then falls below the austenite re-transformation temperature and then rises above the AC3 temperature again. In this case, it is sufficient that the temperature of the second region after the second heating to above the AC3 temperature does not fall below the austenite re-transformation temperature until the end of step e).
- the core of the first area can be created particularly precisely by heating it with the laser unit.
- the core of the first area can have a finer contour and/or be smaller than would be possible with other methods.
- the process is particularly flexible.
- the edge is part of the first area and is therefore, by definition, cooled in step c). Unlike the core of the first edge, however, the temperature to which this takes place is not important.
- the edge of the first area can in particular be the part of the component that is only cooled in step c) due to a lack of precision in the cooling. It is in the nature of things that no precise information can be given about the temperature to which this part of the component is cooled.
- the method described is intended to take into account the fact that the edge of the first area is cooled imprecisely during cooling.
- the core of the first region does not exceed the AC3 temperature of the component after step c).
- this is possible in the edge of the first region.
- the AC3 temperature is exceeded in the edge of the first region by heating the edge of the first region with the laser unit. This can also form austenite in the edge of the first region.
- the edge of the first region can thus have a low ductility, like the second region.
- the same structure is obtained in the edge of the first region as in the second region. It is therefore preferred that the edge of the first region is brought to the temperature of the second region by heating with the laser unit. Preferably, the edge of the first region and the second region have the same temperature after heating with the laser unit until the end of the process. Temperature. The edge of the first area is treated like the second area.
- each heating of the edge of the first region results in a delimitation of the edge of the first region from the core of the first region.
- the contour of the core of the first region can therefore be sharpened by any heating of the edge of the first region.
- Each heating of the edge of the first region counteracts an undesirable cooling effect which arises from a lack of precision in the cooling in step c). It is therefore not necessary to heat the edge of the first region by a minimum amount or even to heat it exactly to the temperature of the second region.
- the more the edge of the first region is heated with the laser unit the more sharply the core of the first region is delimited from its surroundings. This applies at least until the edge of the first region exceeds the AC3 temperature.
- the temperature of the edge of the first region after heating is preferably in the range of 900 to 1100 °C.
- the temperature in the edge of the first region does not fall below the austenite re-transformation temperature of the component at least until the end of step e).
- the austenite re-transformation temperature in the edge of the first region is preferably only fallen below in the press.
- the austenite re-transformation temperature in the edge of the first region does not fall below the austenite re-transformation temperature after heating the edge of the first region with the laser unit until the end of step e).
- Austenite does not decay instantly. Good results can be obtained even if part of the austenite in the edge of the first region has decayed before the press hardening.
- Acceptable results can even be obtained if no austenite is formed at all in the edge of the first region or if it decays completely before the press hardening. This is also due to the fact that any heating of the edge of the first region counteracts an undesirable cooling effect, which is caused by a lack of precision of the cooling in step c).
- the edge of the first region is already formed as such in step e). Whether and to what extent the temperature of the edge of the first region changes in step e) is irrelevant.
- a temperature of the edge of the first region changes in step e) by a maximum of 200 K, in particular by a maximum of 100 K. This can also be referred to as maintaining the temperature, whereby a change in the temperature within a tolerance of 200 K or 100 K is accepted.
- the edge of the first region in the second continuous furnace can be exposed to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the edge of the first region can be kept at its temperature in the tempering station or heated, or cooling of the edge of the first region can be slowed down.
- the laser unit can comprise one or multiple lasers. Electronics for supplying and controlling the at least one laser can be part of the laser unit or can be provided outside the laser unit, for example in a control unit of a device used for the method.
- the first region of the component is cooled in step c) by exposure to a cooling fluid.
- the cooling fluid is preferably compressed air.
- the cooling fluid is preferably discharged onto the first area using nozzles. This allows the first area to be cooled in a simple manner and in a short time.
- the use of nozzles has the fundamental disadvantage that the cooling fluid does not allow for a precise separation between the cooled and the non-cooled part of the component. With the described This is avoided in a process.
- step c the first area including the edge is cooled.
- the edge is then heated again with the laser unit. In principle, this results in a process in which the edge of the first area was left out during cooling. Depending on the desired contour of the areas, however, this would be difficult or impossible to achieve by cooling with nozzles.
- the process described is simpler in comparison.
- a temperature of the component in step a) does not exceed the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the second region of the component and optionally the edge of the first region are only heated to above the AC3 temperature in the tempering station or only in the second oven.
- the component is heated in step a) to a temperature above the Ad temperature of the component.
- the component is therefore heated in step a) to a temperature between the A temperature and the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the entire component is heated in step a) to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of the component.
- the edge of the first region is heated at least in sections in step c) or after step e).
- the laser unit is part of the tempering station. This is advantageous in that the tempering station offers a relatively large amount of space for a laser unit. In addition, it has proven advantageous to heat the edge of the first area with the laser unit immediately after cooling in step c). The undesirable cooling of the edge of the first area can be counteracted particularly quickly. There is therefore very little time for an undesirable structural transformation.
- the edge of the first region can be heated in the present embodiment after step e).
- the laser unit is arranged downstream of the second continuous furnace. Compared to arranging the laser unit inside the second continuous furnace, for example, this has the advantage that the laser unit can be arranged outside the second continuous furnace relatively easily.
- the laser unit does not have to be designed for use inside a furnace. Maintenance is also easier if the laser unit is arranged outside the second continuous furnace. Heating the edge of the first region with the laser unit after step e) has the advantage that there is relatively little time left within which the sharp contour of the core of the first region achieved could be lost again, for example due to thermal conduction within the component. This advantage can be achieved in particular if the component is subjected to a press hardening process after step e).
- step c) and after step e) each have advantages. It is even conceivable to heat the edge of the first area in step c) with a first laser unit and after step e) with a second laser unit. This solution would be complex, but would combine the advantages of both options.
- the heating of the edge of the first region can also take place at other times in the method, in particular between step c) and d), in step d), between step d) and e) or in step e). Even if in these cases the previously described advantages of heating in step c) or after step e) are not achieved, the purpose of the heating, namely to sharpen the contour of the first region, is nevertheless achieved.
- a device for thermally treating a metallic component comprises:
- thermocontrol station with a cooling device for cooling at least a first region of the component
- a laser unit for at least partially heating an edge of the first region of the component cooled by the tempering station.
- the described advantages and features of the method are applicable and transferable to the device, and vice versa.
- the device is preferably set up to operate according to the method.
- the method is preferably carried out with the device.
- the first continuous furnace serves step a), the first transfer device serves step b), the tempering station serves step c), the second transfer device serves step d) and the second continuous furnace serves step e).
- the device comprises a control device which is configured to control the device according to the described method.
- the device preferably has a press for press hardening the component and a third transfer device for transferring the component from the second continuous furnace into the press.
- the laser unit comprises a VCSEL.
- a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is a laser diode that emits light perpendicular to its surface.
- a VCSEL can also be referred to as a surface emitter. It has been found that particularly good results can be achieved with a VCSEL in step c2).
- Fig. 1 a device according to the invention for thermally treating a metallic component
- Fig. 2 a temperature profile which can be obtained with the device of Fig. 1 by a method according to the invention
- Fig. 3 an example of a component which has been treated with the method illustrated in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: an enlargement of a first region from Fig. 3.
- Fig. 1 shows a device 1 for thermally treating a metallic component 2.
- the device 1 comprises a first continuous furnace 3, a tempering station 4 and a second continuous furnace 5, which are arranged one after the other in a transport direction r of the component 2.
- a control device 6 is in particular designed to control the first continuous furnace 3, the tempering station 4 and the second continuous furnace 5.
- the tempering station 4 has a cooling device 7 for cooling a first region 10 of the component 2 and a heating device 8 with a laser unit 9 for heating an edge 12 of the first region 10 of the component 2.
- the regions 10, 11, 12, 15 of the component 2 are illustrated in Fig. 3.
- the laser unit 9 can in particular comprise a VCSEL.
- the device 1 comprises a first transfer device 13 for transferring the component 2 from the first continuous furnace 3 into the tempering station 4 and a second transfer device 14 for transferring the component 2 from the tempering station 4 into the second continuous furnace 5.
- Fig. 2 shows a temperature curve that occurs in the component 2 when it is moved through the device 1 from Fig. 1.
- the representation in Fig. 2 is schematic.
- a plot of the temperature T over time t in arbitrary units is shown.
- the component 2 is first heated in the first continuous furnace 3.
- the residence time of the component 2 in the first continuous furnace 3 is designated by t D1 .
- the entire component 2 is heated in the first continuous furnace 3 to a temperature above the AC3 temperature T AC 3 of the component 2.
- the method could be carried out such that the temperature of the component 2 in the first continuous furnace 3 does not exceed the AC3 temperature T AC 3 of the component 2.
- the component 2 is then transferred to the tempering station 4.
- the associated transfer time is designated t T1 . During this transfer, the component 2 can cool down.
- the component 2 remains in the tempering station 4 for a residence time t T s- During this time, a first region 10 of the component 2 is cooled, with a temperature of the first region 10 after cooling being below the austenite re-transformation temperature T AR of the component 2.
- the temperature of the first region 10 is shown as T .
- an edge 12 of the previously cooled first region 10 of the component 2 is heated with the laser unit 9 to a temperature above the AC3 temperature T AC3 of the component 2.
- the temperature of the edge 12 of the first region 10 is shown as T 1A
- the temperature of the core 15 of the first region 10 is shown as T 1B .
- a uniform temperature T 1A is shown for the sub-region 12 of the first region 10 of the component 2.
- Fig. 2 is particularly schematic.
- the edge 12 of the first region 10 can have a locally varying temperature.
- the temperature of the edge 12 of the first region 10 can increase radially from the inside to the outside after cooling. The same applies to the core 15 of the first region 10.
- the component 2 After the thermal treatment of the component 2 in the tempering station 4, the component 2 is transferred to the second continuous furnace 5.
- the transfer time for this is designated t T2 .
- the component 2 can also cool down during this time, which can vary depending on the area.
- the component 2 is further thermally treated.
- the residence time of the component 2 in the second continuous furnace 5 is designated as t D2 .
- the core 15 of the first region 10 of the component 2 is heated in such a way that the temperature T 1B of the core 15 of the first region 10 of the component 2 is below the AC3 temperature T AC3 of the component 2 even after heating.
- a temperature T 2 of the second region 11 of the component 2 exceeds the AC3 temperature T AC3 of the component 2 in the first continuous furnace 3 and does not fall below this temperature again until the end of the process shown.
- Fig. 3 an example of the design of the component 2 is shown in a top view.
- the component 2 is a B-pillar for a motor vehicle.
- a plurality of circular first regions 10 and the second region 11 can be seen.
- Fig. 4 a section of Fig. 3 is shown enlarged. One of the first areas 10 can be seen. The edge 12 and the core 15 of the first
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)
- Heat Treatments In General, Especially Conveying And Cooling (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP23808748.0A EP4619554A1 (de) | 2022-11-15 | 2023-11-15 | Thermisches behandeln eines metallischen bauteils |
| CN202380079182.3A CN120303416A (zh) | 2022-11-15 | 2023-11-15 | 金属部件的热处理 |
| JP2025528174A JP2025536088A (ja) | 2022-11-15 | 2023-11-15 | 金属部品を熱処理する方法及び金属部品を熱処理する装置 |
| MX2025005657A MX2025005657A (es) | 2022-11-15 | 2025-05-14 | Tratar termicamente un componente metalico |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE102022130153.2A DE102022130153A1 (de) | 2022-11-15 | 2022-11-15 | Thermisches Behandeln eines metallischen Bauteils |
| DE102022130153.2 | 2022-11-15 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2024105076A1 true WO2024105076A1 (de) | 2024-05-23 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2023/081847 Ceased WO2024105076A1 (de) | 2022-11-15 | 2023-11-15 | Thermisches behandeln eines metallischen bauteils |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP4619554A1 (de) |
| JP (1) | JP2025536088A (de) |
| CN (1) | CN120303416A (de) |
| DE (1) | DE102022130153A1 (de) |
| MX (1) | MX2025005657A (de) |
| WO (1) | WO2024105076A1 (de) |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102015215179A1 (de) * | 2015-08-07 | 2017-02-09 | Schwartz Gmbh | Verfahren zur Wärmebehandlung und Wärmebehandlungsvorrichtung |
| DE102016201024A1 (de) * | 2016-01-25 | 2017-07-27 | Schwartz Gmbh | Wärmebehandlungsverfahren und Wärmebehandlungsvorrichtung |
| DE102016202766A1 (de) * | 2016-02-23 | 2017-08-24 | Schwartz Gmbh | Wärmebehandlungsverfahren und Wärmebehandlungsvorrichtung |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2005054522A1 (de) * | 2003-12-05 | 2005-06-16 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Verfahren zum selektiven härten von dichtflächen |
| DE102011086650A1 (de) * | 2011-11-18 | 2013-05-23 | Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg | Strukturbauteile für Fahrzeugsitze sowie Verfahren zu deren Herstellung |
| DE102020131238A1 (de) * | 2020-11-25 | 2022-05-25 | Schwartz Gmbh | Thermisches Behandeln eines Bauteils |
-
2022
- 2022-11-15 DE DE102022130153.2A patent/DE102022130153A1/de active Pending
-
2023
- 2023-11-15 EP EP23808748.0A patent/EP4619554A1/de active Pending
- 2023-11-15 WO PCT/EP2023/081847 patent/WO2024105076A1/de not_active Ceased
- 2023-11-15 JP JP2025528174A patent/JP2025536088A/ja active Pending
- 2023-11-15 CN CN202380079182.3A patent/CN120303416A/zh active Pending
-
2025
- 2025-05-14 MX MX2025005657A patent/MX2025005657A/es unknown
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102015215179A1 (de) * | 2015-08-07 | 2017-02-09 | Schwartz Gmbh | Verfahren zur Wärmebehandlung und Wärmebehandlungsvorrichtung |
| DE102016201024A1 (de) * | 2016-01-25 | 2017-07-27 | Schwartz Gmbh | Wärmebehandlungsverfahren und Wärmebehandlungsvorrichtung |
| DE102016202766A1 (de) * | 2016-02-23 | 2017-08-24 | Schwartz Gmbh | Wärmebehandlungsverfahren und Wärmebehandlungsvorrichtung |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN120303416A (zh) | 2025-07-11 |
| EP4619554A1 (de) | 2025-09-24 |
| DE102022130153A1 (de) | 2024-05-16 |
| JP2025536088A (ja) | 2025-10-30 |
| MX2025005657A (es) | 2025-06-02 |
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