Thermoforming line and method for the preparation of thermoformed sheet metal products

摘要

A hot forming line for producing hot formed and press hardened sheet metal products made from metal plates includes a heating station and a forming station. The heating station has a bottom tool and an top tool between which a metal plate is received. The metal plate is heated in the heating station by indirect resistance heating. The heat is generated outside the metal plate and is transmitted by heat conduction into the metal plate itself. For this the bottom tool and/or the top tool has an electric resistance heating with at least one surface heating element. The surface heating element is a heating plate with a plate body made of an electrically conductive material, wherein the plate body is configured as heat conductor. For this the plate body is slotted and is for example provided with a slot, which extends over the thickness of the plate body.