Patent ID: 11913085
Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B | IPC B  C

Claim 0:
1. 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, a first zone of the two or more zones having a first temperature and a first flow rate for a protective gas, a second zone of the two or more zones having 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, a first heating rate in the first zone being greater than or equal to about 10° C./second to less than or equal to about 30° C./second, and a second heating rate in the second zone being greater than or equal to about 0° C./second to less than or equal to about 10° C./second; and
stamping the heated blank to form a predetermined shape that defines the press-hardened steel component.