[vc_row el_class=”hidden-single” css=”.vc_custom_1528739278665{margin-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_empty_space height=”9px”][vc_single_image image=”1311″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-md-9 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1528741441433{padding-right: 35px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The idea to create a range of various soft to hard properties in a single component using heat treatment as an integral component of a metal forming process was already implemented successfully for the first time by Prof. Dr. Kurt Steinhoff<\/strong><\/a> in the 90s in Switzerland using an automobile component.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Based on this knowledge and under his instruction, such a component was first used as a B pillar reinforcement starting in 2006 in the body of a vehicle manufactured in automotive series production.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n continue<\/a><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The realization that integral component properties must always be oriented in accordance with the highest load, but that they are frequently only appear in locally restricted component areas was reached many years ago, and resulted in the idea to implement graded properties, meaning properties actually oriented in accordance with the actual load profile.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space height=”9px”][vc_single_image image=”1129″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space height=”9px”][vc_single_image image=”1135″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n For a very long time, the decisive transition into industrial mass production was missing. Based on his first developments in the mid-90s, Professor Steinhoff illustrated how such an approach can be applied to monolithic workpieces made of traditional construction materials if synchronization of the geometric complexity with an equally complex distribution of material properties is achieved in a single component by means of the processing technique.<\/p>\n His solution approach involving metal forming processes with locally and temporally variable temperature control <\/strong><\/em>was groundbreaking for the industrial mass production of functionally graded components.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n After press hardening<\/strong> in the core area of the car body that comprises highly sensitive safety aspects was able to be established based on his substantiated findings, Professor Steinhoff was very interested in using his findings for property gradation that had been tested for years to develop a solution approach for effective lightweight construction on the one hand, and frequently opposing requests for multifaceted crash management on the other.<\/p>\n When the coupling area of the lower B pillar section that connects to the floor assembly threatened to develop into an increasingly critical issue due to the incompatibility of the achievable ultra-high strengths in press hardening and the ductility required for energy absorption here, the solution was evident.<\/p>\n The adjustment of thermomechanically tailored property distribution as an integral part of press hardening.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”10″ images=”1028,1029,1265,1263″ img_size=”full” onclick=”” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1139″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”10″ images=”1007,1008″ img_size=”full” onclick=”” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n More than two decades after the first idea, the novel design approach developed into a global megatrend<\/strong> for automobile construction beginning in the 2000s with the manufacture of ultralight and simultaneously extremely safe car body components.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1148″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Owing to this groundbreaking idea and the unique expertise of Professor Steinhoff and his team, a world-class technological hotspot for press hardening<\/strong> was developed at the University of Kassel in 2005 with the initial establishment of the application center METAKUS. Countless impulses began there and essential developments were made market-ready there for their move into industrial series manufacture. METAKUS is the training ground f<\/strong>or numerous experts in press hardening technology.<\/p>\n These priceless resources represent the \u201cgenetic code\u201d of METAKUS Automotive<\/strong> with their extensive performance profile in the field of press hardening technology. After more than two decades, Professor Steinhoff is still the mentor, but a number of certified experts ensure continuity and performance capacity that seek their equal on the international level.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1146″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row el_class=”hidden-single” css=”.vc_custom_1528739278665{margin-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_empty_space height=”9px”][vc_single_image image=”1311″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-md-9 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text] IN HARMONY WITH SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1528741441433{padding-right: 35px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The idea to create a range of various soft to hard properties in a single component using heat treatment as an integral component of a metal forming… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[33],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.metakus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}FUNCTIONAL GRADATION \u2013 FROM THE DREAM TO REALITY<\/h2>\n
TAILORED FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES<\/h2>\n
GETTING STARTED IN LIGHTWEIGHT AUTOMOBILE CONSTRUCTION<\/h2>\n
Transmission of kinetic energy during side impact by means of controlled plastic deformation of the soft lower B pillar section into the floor assembly of the vehicle.\r\nNr 9 \u00a9 3DMI\/Shutterstock.com; Montage METAKUS\r\nNr 10 \u00a9 3DMI\/Shutterstock.com; Montage METAKUS\r\nNr 11 & 12 \u00a9 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia USA | www.iihs.org<\/pre>\n
2006: SOP of first thermomechanically tailored component in large series automotive production. High ductility of the lower B pillar section enables energy absorption, ultra-high strength of the center, and the upper section offers sufficient intrusion resistance and roll-over stability.\r\nNr 3 \u00a9 imageBROKER \/ Alamy Stock Foto; Montage \u00a9 METAKUS\r\nNr 4 \u00a9 CoverSpot Photography \/ Alamy Stock Foto; Montage \u00a9 METAKUS<\/pre>\n
A GLOBAL SUCCESS STORY<\/h2>\n
2006: Differential intermediate cooling during press hardening of a B pillar reinforcement as first applied in large series production of functionally graded car body components. (left)\r\n2004: Characteristic hardness profile of a B pillar reinforcement after press hardening in a tool running on locally and temporally variable thermal conditions - differential in-die cooling. (middle)\r\n2011: Hardness profiles and thermographically measured temperature distribution of a B pillar reinforcement with tailored heating. Complex soft-zone and soft-flange pattern produced by differential intermediate cooling. (right)<\/pre>\n
AT THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE<\/h2>\n