The hardening presses developed by WICKERT enable the forming and hardening of workpieces in a single, continuous process step.
Such systems typically consist of a high-temperature furnace and forming presses with integrated quenching function. Depending on requirements, water, polymer solutions, or hardening oil are used as the quenching medium.
In the combined process, a semi-finished sheet metal product is first heated to around 950°C in the furnace, then placed in the forming press, formed, and hardened directly in the tool through contact with the quenching medium. The forming tools are specially adapted for this purpose.
Der Vorteil des kombinierten Verfahrens liegt auch darin, dass die Bauteile sehr schnell mit dem Härtemedium in Kontakt kommen und dadurch sichergestellt ist, dass die Abschreckung im vorgesehenen Temperaturbereich erfolgt. Dies verhindert im Idealfall die Bildung von Mischgefüge. – Ein großer Vorteil insbesondere bei dünnen Platinen im Bereich 2 bis 4 mm Stärke.
The components heated to hardening temperature are first formed in a tool and then hardened in the same tool.
On the one hand, this can be realized with a quenching press, which is completely submerged together with the tool in a cooling basin below.
On the other hand, this can also be realized in a forming press with a closed tool. Wickert has developed a new concept for this that combines both functions.
One of the advantages of this concept is that the press with tool no longer has to be immersed in a cooling basin, but the quenching medium is fed to the workpiece through an optimized groove system in the tool and a high volume flow.
This high and close-fitting volume flow reduces the steam skin phase and significantly shortens the cooling time.
The concept also eliminates the need for a press pit on site and significantly reduces the purchase price of the system.
The hardening time can be reduced by up to 50% with this process. The return flow of the quenching medium is specifically captured in the tool clamping plates and directed in a controlled manner to the filtration systems.
This guided return enables a classic flow restriction, which creates a defined internal pressure within the forming or hardening tools. This targeted internal pressure shortens the so-called "Leidenfrost phase" – the vapor film formation that initially delays direct cooling.
The transition to the effective boiling phase thus occurs much earlier: the insulating vapor layer collapses more quickly, the quenching medium comes into direct contact with the component sooner – and the maximum cooling effect is triggered rapidly.
The result:
Significantly shorter process times with consistently high process reliability.
