A hot forming apparatus for hot forming a steel part, comprising a lower die (26, 126) with a lower forming surface (46, 146), an upper die (24, 124) with an upper forming surface (42, 142), wherein the upper die (24, 124) is coupled to a cutting component (30, 130), and the cutting component (30, 130) is disposed adjacent the upper forming surface (42, 142); the hot forming apparatus having an open position in which the upper die (24, 124) and cutting component (30, 130) are spaced from the lower die (26, 126), and the hot forming apparatus having a closed position in which the upper die (24, 124) is brought toward the lower die (26, 126), the hot forming apparatus being set up such that a heated blank (22, 122) formed of steel material can be disposed on the lower forming surface (46, 146) while the blank (22, 122) is at a temperature of at least 400 °C, the hot forming apparatus further being set up for bringing the upper die (24, 124) toward the lower die (26, 126)after the heated blank (22, 122) is disposed on the lower forming surface (46, 146), wherein - the upper forming surface (42, 142) of the upper die (24, 124) can be brought into contact with the blank (22, 122) to form the blank (22, 122) between the upper and lower forming surfaces (46, 146) and - at least a portion of the upper die (24, 124) and the cutting component (30, 130) can be moved together longitudinally until the cutting component (30, 130) comes into a position to cut at least a portion of the blank (22, 122) with the hot forming apparatus being configured for conducting cutting of the blank (22, 122) while the blank (22, 122) is at a temperature of at least 400 °C and the microstructure of the blank (22, 122) is substantially austenite, the hot forming apparatus further including a cooling mechanism set up to cool or quench the hot formed blank (22, 122) at a rate of at least 27 degrees per second while the upper forming surface (42, 142) and the lower surface remain in contact with the blank (22, 122) and until the microstructure of the blank (22, 122) includes martensite, wherein either the cutting component (30, 130) is set up to move longitudinally relative to the upper forming surface (42, 142), such that the cutting is set up to occur after the forming and is set up to include moving the cutting component (30, 130) longitudinally past the upper forming surface (42, 142), or wherein the cutting component (30, 130) is fixed relative to the upper forming surface (42, 142) with an upper ledge provided between the upper forming surface (42, 142) and the cutting component (30, 130) and the lower forming surface (46, 146) presenting a lower ledge aligned with the upper ledge, such that the cutting is set up to occur simultaneously with the forming step and is set up to include moving the upper ledge toward the lower ledge. a lower die (26, 126) with a lower forming surface (46, 146), an upper die (24, 124) with an upper forming surface (42, 142), wherein the upper die (24, 124) is coupled to a cutting component (30, 130), and the cutting component (30, 130) is disposed adjacent the upper forming surface (42, 142); the hot forming apparatus having an open position in which the upper die (24, 124) and cutting component (30, 130) are spaced from the lower die (26, 126), and the hot forming apparatus having a closed position in which the upper die (24, 124) is brought toward the lower die (26, 126), the hot forming apparatus being set up such that a heated blank (22, 122) formed of steel material can be disposed on the lower forming surface (46, 146) while the blank (22, 122) is at a temperature of at least 400 °C, the hot forming apparatus further being set up for bringing the upper die (24, 124) toward the lower die (26, 126)after the heated blank (22, 122) is disposed on the lower forming surface (46, 146), - the upper forming surface (42, 142) of the upper die (24, 124) can be brought into contact with the blank (22, 122) to form the blank (22, 122) between the upper and lower forming surfaces (46, 146) and - at least a portion of the upper die (24, 124) and the cutting component (30, 130) can be moved together longitudinally until the cutting component (30, 130) comes into a position to cut at least a portion of the blank (22, 122) with the hot forming apparatus being configured for conducting cutting of the blank (22, 122) while the blank (22, 122) is at a temperature of at least 400 °C and the microstructure of the blank (22, 122) is substantially austenite, the hot forming apparatus further including a cooling mechanism set up to cool or quench the hot formed blank (22, 122) at a rate of at least 27 degrees per second while the upper forming surface (42, 142) and the lower surface remain in contact with the blank (22, 122) and until the microstructure of the blank (22, 122) includes martensite, wherein either the cutting component (30, 130) is set up to move longitudinally relative to the upper forming surface (42, 142), such that the cutting is set up to occur after the forming and is set up to include moving the cutting component (30, 130) longitudinally past the upper forming surface (42, 142), or wherein the cutting component (30, 130) is fixed relative to the upper forming surface (42, 142) with an upper ledge provided between the upper forming surface (42, 142) and the cutting component (30, 130) and the lower forming surface (46, 146) presenting a lower ledge aligned with the upper ledge, such that the cutting is set up to occur simultaneously with the forming step and is set up to include moving the upper ledge toward the lower ledge.