Patent ID: 11913085
Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B | IPC B  C

Claim 15:
16. A method for preparing a press-hardened steel component, the method comprising:
austenitizing a steel alloy blank to form a heated blank using a furnace having two or more zones, wherein a first zone of the two or more zones has a first temperature and a first flow rate for a protective gas, and a second zone of the two or more zones has a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature and a second flow rate for the protective gas that is greater than the first flow rate; and
stamping the heated blank to form a predetermined shape that defines the press-hardened steel component, the stamping comprising quenching the heated blank at a constant rate to a temperature less than or equal to about a martensite finish (Mf) temperature of the steel alloy defining the steel alloy blank and greater than or equal to about 20° C.