TAILORED PROPERTIES BY POST HOT FORMING PROCESSING

• Main Authors: PASCAL P. CHAREST, NICHOLAS D. ADAM
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: 27.02.2013
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHEMISTRY; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUSMETALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE BY DECARBURISATION, TEMPERING OR OTHERTREATMENTS; METALLURGY; METALLURGY OF IRON; MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method of forming a shaped product from an initial blank comprises subjecting the initial blank to a hot forming and press hardening operation to form the shaped product with substantially a uniform first tensile strength. Subsequently, the shaped product is at least partially immersed into a fluidized bed that is maintained within a known range of operating temperatures. While the shaped product is immersed into the fluidized bed, a first region of the shaped product is heated selectively to above a known temperature. The first region is then cooled, such that the first region attains a second tensile strength that is substantially less than the first tensile strength. Un método para formar un producto conformado a partir de una pieza en blanco inicial comprende someter la pieza en blanco inicial a operaciones de conformación en caliente y endurecimiento por prensado, para formar el producto conformado con una resistencia a la tracción sustancialmente uniforme. Posteriormente, el producto conformado se sumerge al menos parcialmente en un lecho fluidificado que se mantiene dentro de un rango de temperaturas de operación conocidas. Mientras el producto conformado se sumerge en el lecho fluidificado, una primera región del producto conformado se calienta selectivamente por arriba de una temperatura conocida. La primera región se enfría entonces, de modo tal que la primer región obtiene una segunda resistencia a la tracción que es sustancialmente menor que la primera resistencia a la tracción.