Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technologies, Llc, a Subsidary of Ford Motor Company

Torsten Hallfeldt

Raj Sohmshetty

S George Luckey, Jr

Marc Simon

Constantin Chiriac

Elizabeth Bullard

Rohit Telukunta

Darryl Leigh Young

James Engle

Varinder Singh Saini

Alfons Fischer

Matthias Beyer

Juergen Wesemann

Mark Loeffelsender

Carsten Greisert

Raymund Pflitsch

Mareike Hahn

Michael Kunkel

Jürgen Wesemann

A die apparatus including a first die element, a plurality of second die elements, a plurality of actuators, and a controller is provided. Each of the plurality of actuators is mounted to one of the plurality of second die elements. The controller is programmed to activate the actuators to contact and compress portions of a blank disposed between the die elements at separate pressures to influence microstructure forming for one of a geometry transition region, a deformation region, and a joining region. One of the separate pressures applied to one of the portions of the blank may be approximately 5 N/mmor less to form a soft strength zone. The pressure of approximately 5 N/mmor less may be applied to the one of the portions of the blank for approximately one to two seconds.

Method and apparatus for forming varied strength zones of a vehicle component

A hot stamping system includes a controller programmed to alter a coolant flow rate, without altering cycle time, in an active cooling system of a die arrangement, configured to hot stamp metal into components, based on an amount of heat transferred from the components to the active cooling system such that a grain structure of the components transitions from an austenitic state to a martensitic state while the die arrangement is closed.

Method for monitoring quality of hot stamped components

A die apparatus including a first die element and a second die element is provided. The first die element is arranged with the second die element for disposal of a blank therebetween and includes a coolant channel and a trim groove for alignment with a trim line of the blank. A groove insert is disposed within the trim groove arranged to support a portion of the blank extending thereover and to reduce a cooling rate of the blank. The groove insert may be of a material including reflective radiation characteristics to reduce heat transfer from portions of the blank adjacent the trim line. The first die element may include a cavity aligned with a pierce region of the blank so that the pierce region does not contact an adjacent die element surface.

Apparatus and method for piercing and trimming hot stamped parts

A method and a deep-drawing apparatus for the deep drawing of a metal sheet by means of a press, a table, a drawing punch, and also a drawing die and a counterpressure plate interacting with the drawing die, which together form a flow path for the metal sheet, wherein at least one drawing strip movable relative to the counterpressure plate is pushed transversely through the flow path of the metal sheet in order to deflect the metal sheet during a drawing phase (first deflection phase) and the drawing strip, for a stop phase, is pushed by a further short distance transversely through the flow path (F) (second deflection stage), wherein a deflection increased once again inhibits the flow of the metal sheet during the second deflection stage, and wherein the metal sheet is essentially plastically formed at the end of the deep-drawing operation, wherein the degree of deflection required during the first deflection stage is set by means of an interchangeable distance piece which is arranged between the counterpressure plate and the drawing strip and serves as a limit stop. Independently thereof, the degree of deflection required during the second deflection stage can be set by further distance elements which are arranged between the table and the drawing strips.

Method and deep-drawing apparatus for the deep drawing of metal sheets

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Eschweiler, Germany

Torsten Hallfeldt