Method for producing a steel component for a vehicle

Abstract

A method of producing a component for a vehicle may involve providing a workpiece comprised of a heat-treatable steel material with a zinc-containing coating on both sides, at least partly heating the workpiece to a temperature above Ac1, inserting the at least partly heated workpiece into a hot-forming and/or press-hardening mold comprising at least one punch and at least one die, and closing the mold by relative movement of the punch and/or the die and hot-forming and/or press-hardening the workpiece. At least a region of the heated workpiece may be cooled in the closed mold such that there is at least partial formation of a hardened microstructure. The workpiece may have a first side with a smaller coating thickness of the zinc-containing coating compared to the second side of the workpiece.”

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a component for a vehicle, the method comprising:
 providing a workpiece comprised of a heat-treatable steel material that has a zinc-containing coating on each side, wherein the zinc-containing coating on a first side of the workpiece has a smaller coating thickness than the zinc-containing coating on a second side of the workpiece;   at least partly heating the workpiece to a temperature above Ac1;   inserting the workpiece that has been at least partly heated into a mold that is for at least one of hot forming or press hardening, the mold comprising a punch and a die, wherein the workpiece is inserted into the mold such that the first side of the workpiece is positioned on a side that will be predominantly subjected to compression; and   closing the mold by a relative movement between the punch and the die, and at least one of hot forming or press hardening the workpiece, wherein at least a region of the workpiece is cooled in the mold such that there is at least partial formation of a hardened microstructure.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  comprising, prior to providing the workpiece, separating the workpiece from the heat-treatable steel material in strip form with the zinc-containing coating that has been applied electrolytically or by hot dip coating. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  comprising, after the zinc-containing coating has been applied, subjecting the heat-treatable steel material in strip form to a heat treatment at a temperature between 200° C. and Ac1 for a period of time between 5 and 300 seconds. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the zinc-containing coating of the first side of the workpiece is less than 4 μm prior to press hardening, wherein the zinc-containing coating of the second side of the workpiece is at least 4 μm prior to press hardening. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  comprising, after at least partly heating the workpiece, either
 inserting the workpiece configured as a flat workpiece into the mold, which is for hot forming and press hardening, or 
 inserting the workpiece as an already-cold-formed workpiece into the mold, which is for press hardening. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the mold is a first mold, the method comprising hot forming the workpiece in the first mold and at least partly press hardening the workpiece in a second mold. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  comprising trimming the workpiece in the mold. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the workpiece is a tailored product. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  comprising producing a component having a profile cross section that is hat-shaped or omega-shaped at least in some regions. 
     
     
         22 . A component for a vehicle that has a profile cross section that is hat-shaped or omega-shaped at least in some regions, wherein the component has been at least partly press hardened, wherein a first side of the component has a smaller coating thickness of a zinc-containing coating than a second side of the component, the component being formed according to the method of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         23 . The component of  claim 22  wherein the component has been formed from a tailored product. 
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a component for a vehicle, the method comprising:
 providing a workpiece comprised of a heat-treatable steel material that has a zinc-containing coating on each side, wherein the zinc-containing coating on a first side of the workpiece has a smaller coating thickness than the zinc-containing coating on a second side of the workpiece;   at least partly heating the workpiece to a temperature above Ac1;   inserting the workpiece that has been at least partly heated into a mold that is for at least one of hot forming or press hardening, the mold comprising a punch and a die, wherein the workpiece is inserted into the mold such that the first side of the workpiece is positioned on a side that will be predominantly subjected to tension; and   closing the mold by a relative movement between the punch and the die, and at least one of hot forming or press hardening the workpiece, wherein at least a region of the workpiece is cooled in the mold such that there is at least partial formation of a hardened microstructure.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  comprising, prior to providing the workpiece, separating the workpiece from the heat-treatable steel material in strip form with the zinc-containing coating that has been applied electrolytically or by hot dip coating. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  comprising, after the zinc-containing coating has been applied, subjecting the heat-treatable steel material in strip form to a heat treatment at a temperature between 200° C. and Ac1 for a period of time between 5 and 300 seconds. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the zinc-containing coating of the first side of the workpiece is less than 4 μm prior to press hardening, wherein the zinc-containing coating of the second side of the workpiece is at least 4 μm prior to press hardening. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  comprising, after at least partly heating the workpiece, either
 inserting the workpiece configured as a flat workpiece into the mold, which is for hot forming and press hardening, or 
 inserting the workpiece as an already-cold-formed workpiece into the mold, which is for press hardening. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the mold is a first mold, the method comprising hot forming the workpiece in the first mold and at least partly press hardening the workpiece in a second mold. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24  comprising trimming the workpiece in the mold. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24  comprising producing a component having a profile cross section that is hat-shaped or omega-shaped at least in some regions.