Forming station and method for hot forming of metal, in particular aluminium, slabs

Abstract

A forming station (1) for thermoforming a slab (P) made of metal, particularly aluminum, the forming station includes a heating device (10) having a hydraulically adjustable first heating plate (11) and a second heating plate (12) connected to a support (31), wherein the first heating plate (11) and the second heating plate (12) are movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the first heating plate and the second heating plate are arranged at intervals between each other so that the slab (P) can be placed into or removed from the gap (18) formed between these heating plates (11, 12), and in the closed position the slab (P) is clamped between these heating plates (11, 12), and the forming station also has a forming device (20) having a first tool component (21) and a second tool component (22), the first tool component and the second tool component... The components are adjustable relative to each other, particularly hydraulically, between open and closed positions. The device is characterized by a common, particularly hydraulic, adjusting device (30) for the heating device (10) and the forming device (20), which synchronously adjusts the first heating plate (11) of the heating device (10) and the first tool component (21) of the forming device (20). The heating device (10) and the forming device (20) have a common impactor (32) supporting the first heating plate (11) and the first tool component (21) and can be adjusted by the particularly hydraulic adjusting device (30). A second heating plate (12) is mounted on a hydraulic extrusion device (25) having a plurality of hydraulic piston-cylinder units (26) by which the second heating plate (12) can be pressed directly or indirectly against the first heating plate (11).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a forming station for thermoforming slabs made of metal, particularly aluminum, comprising a heating device having a hydraulically adjustable first heating plate and a second heating plate connected to a support, wherein the first and second heating plates are movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the first and second heating plates are arranged spaced apart from each other, allowing the slab to be placed into or removed from the gap formed between the heating plates. In the closed position, the slab is clamped between the heating plates. The forming station also includes a forming device having a first tool component and a second tool component, which are particularly hydraulically adjustable relative to each other between the open and closed positions. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for thermoforming slabs made of metal, particularly aluminum, in a corresponding forming station.

[0002] It has long been known that hydraulic presses can be used to form metal blanks, such as steel or aluminum sheets or thermoplastic blanks. For this purpose, the blank, which is a flat sheet, is heated to the desired temperature in a heating device and then placed in a forming device, where it is pressed into the desired shape between two tooling parts, which are pressed together by a hydraulic press. The formed part is then typically cooled and, if necessary, cut or stamped.

[0003] To reduce the production cost of components, it is necessary to shorten the cycle time, i.e. the duration of each process step, as much as possible, especially to heat the slab as quickly as possible. However, in many cases, this requires a complex design structure.

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a forming station of the aforementioned type for slabs made of metal, especially aluminum or plastic, wherein the forming station is capable of rapidly heating the slab to the required temperature and has a simple structure.

[0005] The aforementioned technical problem is solved in terms of the forming station by a forming station having the features described in claim 1. Herein lies a common, particularly hydraulic, adjusting device for the heating device and the forming device, the adjusting device synchronously adjusting the first heating plate of the heating device and the first tooling component of the forming device, the heating device and the forming device having a common impactor, the impactor supporting the first heating plate and the first tooling component and adjustable by the particularly hydraulic adjusting device, and the second heating plate mounted on a hydraulic extrusion device having a plurality of hydraulic piston-cylinder units by means of which the second heating plate can be pressed directly or indirectly against the first heating plate.

[0006] The forming station according to the invention is preferably used for slabs made of 2000, 6000 or 7000 aluminum alloy, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0007] According to the invention, the basic consideration is to mount the first heating plate at the top of the heating device and the first tooling component at the top of the forming device on a common impactor, and to move them synchronously via a single, particularly hydraulic, adjusting device. Rapid heating of the slab, for example, to at least 100 K° / s, can be achieved when a high and uniform full-surface pressure is applied between the heating plate and the slab. This can be achieved by a hydraulic extrusion device with multiple hydraulic piston-cylinder units acting on the lower heating plate. According to the invention, the extrusion device can also compensate for the deflection of the first and second heating plates.

[0008] According to the invention, the first heating plate is also connected to and adjusted by an adjustable impactor of the forming station. Multiple hydraulic extrusion devices are integrated into the support supporting the second heating plate, preferably arranged in an array pattern. For example, the extrusion devices or corresponding piston-cylinder units can be arranged in a 4x5 matrix to form a flat pad, i.e., four rows of five piston-cylinder units spaced apart from each other, thus forming a 4x5 array. Other numbers of piston-cylinder units can also be used, with a rectangular array being preferred. The piston-cylinder units can be arranged, in particular, directly adjacent to each other.

[0009] The piston cylinder units are all subjected to hydraulic pressure, and are specifically designed and preferably operated in such a way that they can compensate for the deflection of the upper first heating plate and the lower second heating plate, as well as the slab sandwiched between them, when subjected to force.

[0010] The heating plates are preferably designed such that they can follow the bending generated by the impactor during operation, i.e., they are relatively flexible, to ensure full contact between the slab and the heating plates.

[0011] The piston cylinder unit of the extrusion device can be supplied with pressure through a connecting pipe so that the piston cylinder unit can be uniformly adjusted.

[0012] In an improved embodiment of the invention, alternatively, all piston cylinder units can be divided into multiple groups, and pressure can be supplied to these groups independently to generate different extrusion pressures in different areas. The piston cylinder units within a single group can be uniformly adjusted.

[0013] In alternative design embodiments of the invention, it may also be specified that the piston cylinder units apply pressure individually and independently in order to achieve the desired, freely selectable pressure distribution through a field or pad.

[0014] In an improved embodiment of the invention, it may be specified that at least some piston cylinder units, preferably all piston cylinder units, are respectively provided with pressure members serving as gaskets on their side facing the second heating plate. The pressure members may be replaceable and may be designed identically for all piston cylinder units, but different pressure members may also be used so that the pressure of multiple piston cylinder units or all piston cylinder units can be adjusted.

[0015] Advantageously, the piston-cylinder unit does not act directly on the second heating plate; instead, a distribution plate is arranged between the piston-cylinder unit and the second heating plate. The distribution plate is preferably made of steel and has a thickness between 30 mm and 100 mm.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distribution plate is mounted on and floatingly supported on the piston-cylinder unit. In this manner, the distribution plate can displace and deform on its plane without generating excessive constraint stress.

[0017] Preferably, the distribution plate supports the second heating plate, which is either directly mounted on the distribution plate or mounted on the distribution plate with a heat insulation element inserted in the middle. The second heating plate is preferably fixed to the distribution plate.

[0018] The second heating plate may have a heat insulation element on its side facing the piston cylinder unit or distribution plate, through which the second heating plate can be mounted on the distribution plate. Alternatively, it may be specified that the second heating plate has additional heat insulation elements on its side edges.

[0019] For a distribution plate that can be displaced perpendicularly to its surface by a piston-cylinder unit, a guiding device is preferably provided to prevent lateral displacement of the distribution plate. The distribution plate is preferably guided by a guide pin, wherein, in a possible design of the invention, the guide pin passes through the distribution plate with a gap so that the floating support of the distribution plate on the piston-cylinder unit is unobstructed.

[0020] Preferably, the slab comes into contact with the heating plate just before the forming station reaches the closed position, i.e., when the heating plate closes and clamps the slab. Also preferably, after the slab is heated to the required temperature, it is quickly separated from the heating plate. Therefore, in an improved embodiment of the invention, a hydraulic lifting device can be provided, which can lift the slab from the second heating plate to the lifting position.

[0021] The lifting device may have multiple lifting rods mounted on and connected to a common lifting plate. The lifting plate may be moved and adjusted together with the lifting rods, for example by means of a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit or a pneumatic spring. In an improved embodiment of the invention, the lifting rods and the lifting plate may be pre-tensioned in the lifting position by means of a pneumatic spring or piston-cylinder lifting unit.

[0022] When the slab to be heated is placed in the gap between the first and second heating plates, a lifting rod protrudes from the top of the second heating plate facing the first heating plate. The slab rests on the lifting rod, maintaining a distance between the slab and the second heating plate. As the two heating plates close together and approach each other, the slab is pressed against the second heating plate by the action of a pneumatic spring or piston cylinder lifting unit, overcoming the preload force.

[0023] After the slab is heated, when the two heating plates separate again, the pneumatic spring or piston cylinder lifting unit will push the slab away from the second heating plate according to its preload and lift it off the heating plate.

[0024] According to the molding station of the present invention, a common impactor with a common, particularly hydraulic, adjusting device is provided for the heating device and the molding device, so that the first heating plate at the top of the heating device and the first tooling component at the top of the molding device can be adjusted synchronously. Alternatively, the common adjusting device can also be adjusted mechanically, for example by one or more eccentric wheels, at least one servo drive, or spindle drive.

[0025] The forming station has a lower support, on which the lower heating plate and the lower tooling component are preferably fixed. Since the upper heating plate and the upper tooling component are mounted on a common impactor, which can be moved up and down via a conventional, especially hydraulic, adjusting device, not only can the heating device be adjusted between open and closed positions, but the forming device can also be synchronously adjusted between corresponding open and corresponding closed positions via the impactor.

[0026] In an improved embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device is provided in the forming station, through which lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab from above and / or below.

[0027] The spraying device is preferably arranged such that a lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab after it has been removed from the heating device. Alternatively, the spraying device can be arranged such that a lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab while it is being transferred between the heating device and the forming device and / or within the forming device.

[0028] The parts formed from the pre-formed slab are preferably cooled directly in the forming apparatus. This is achieved by integrating cooling devices into the forming apparatus, particularly the upper first tooling component and / or the lower second tooling component.

[0029] The present invention also relates to a method for thermoforming a slab made of metal, particularly aluminum, in a forming station with the aforementioned configuration. Here, an impactor, together with an upper first heating plate and an upper first tooling component, moves from an open initial position (top dead center) toward the slab to be formed and the slab to be heated via a hydraulically controlled adjustment device. At time t1, the first tooling component contacts the slab to be formed. Then, by adjusting the impactor and the first tooling component, the slab to be formed reaches its final position (bottom dead center) and is formed.

[0030] The upper first heating plate moves towards the plate to be heated in sync with the upper first tool component by adjusting a common impactor. The upper first heating plate contacts the plate to be heated and overcomes the preload of the lifting rod, pushing it towards the lower second heating plate until it contacts the lower second heating plate. The lower second heating plate is pressed against the upper heating plate by a hydraulic extrusion device or multiple piston-cylinder units at time t2 when the plate to be heated is placed in the middle. The extrusion time t2 is preferably later than the start time t1 of the forming process by a time interval Δt. This time interval Δt is preferably between 0.01 seconds and 5.0 seconds, particularly between 0.01 seconds and 1.0 seconds. In an improved embodiment of the invention, it can be specified that the extrusion device presses the second heating plate against the upper heating plate only when or after the bottom dead center is reached.

[0031] The following example illustrates the heating and forming process of the slab.

[0032] To heat the slab, it is fed into the heating device via a conveyor, with the forming station in the open position, i.e., its initial position. The slab rests on a lifting rod and maintains a distance from the lower second heating plate. Then, a hydraulically adjustable mechanism for the impactor is activated, causing it to move vertically downwards along with the upper first heating plate until it contacts the upper side of the slab. The impactor and the upper first heating plate continue to move downwards, causing the slab, along with the lifting rod, to be pressed downwards against its preload and onto the surface of the lower second heating plate, thus clamping the slab between the upper first heating plate and the lower second heating plate.

[0033] Then, the piston cylinder unit is activated, applying additional pressure to the lower second heating plate via a floating distribution plate. The distribution plate is sized to compensate for the deflection of the upper first heating plate and the lower second heating plate caused by the pressure, so that the slab is subjected to almost constant pressure across its entire surface.

[0034] After the slab is heated, the impactor moves upward again via a hydraulic adjustment device, thereby opening the forming station. The slab, heated in the previous step, is removed from the heating device and placed on the slab support of the second tool component at the bottom of the forming device. This slab now becomes the slab to be formed.

[0035] Meanwhile, another slab to be heated is fed into the heating device via a conveyor.

[0036] By activating a hydraulically controlled adjusting device, the impactor descends together with the upper first tool component and the upper first heating plate until the upper first tool component is just above the blank to be formed, but forming has not yet begun. At the same time, the upper first heating plate can contact the upper side of the blank to be heated, which is placed on the lifting rod in the heating device.

[0037] As the impactor continues to move downward, the upper first tool component presses the blank to be formed into the forming contour of the lower second tool component in the forming device, thereby forming the blank into the desired shape.

[0038] As the impactor moves downward, the first heating plate presses down on the slab to be heated in the heating device, overcoming the preload of the lifting rod, until the slab to be heated comes into contact with the lower second heating plate.

[0039] When the impactor is at its lower end position (bottom dead center), the blank to be formed is formed into the desired part by the upper first tool part and the lower second tool part in the forming device.

[0040] In the heating device, the hydraulic extrusion device with a piston-cylinder unit is preferably activated after the forming of the slab to be formed begins in the forming device, especially after the bottom dead center is reached, to press the distribution plate and the lower second heating plate upwards onto the upper first heating plate. In this way, the slab to be heated can be held between the two heating plates with a relatively high surface pressure of ≥5 N / mm², especially ≥10 N / mm², in the heating device.

[0041] When the slab to be heated is clamped in the heating device and heated, the cooling device in the forming device is activated, thereby cooling the formed part.

[0042] Subsequently, the impactor moves upward, reopening the forming station. The formed parts are then transported out via a conveyor, while the heated slab is transferred from the heating unit to the forming unit. Furthermore, a new slab to be heated is placed into the heating unit via a conveyor, and the cycle repeats.

[0043] Further details and features of the invention are described below with reference to embodiments in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the molding station is shown.

[0045] Figure 2 This diagram shows a side view of the heating device in the molding station.

[0046] Figure 3 The area of ​​the extrusion device with multiple hydraulic piston cylinder units is shown.

[0047] Figure 4 Shown before slab forming Figure 1 The molding station shown

[0048] Figure 5 This shows the process during slab forming. Figure 4 The molding station shown, and

[0049] Figure 6 Shown at the end of slab forming Figure 5 The forming station shown.

[0050] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a forming station 1 for heating and subsequently forming a metal sheet P is shown. The forming station 1 includes a heating device 10 shown on the right and a forming device 20 shown on the left.

[0051] The heating device 10 has an upper first heating plate 11, which is connected to the bottom side of the support plate 15 via a heat insulation member 16. The support plate 15, together with the heat insulation member 16 and the upper first heating plate 11, is located on the bottom side of the impactor 32, which is vertically raised and lowered by a hydraulic adjustment device 30, shown only schematically, as indicated by the double arrow V.

[0052] The first tool component 21 of the forming device 20 is fixed to the bottom side of the support plate 23, which is also fixed to the bottom side of the impactor 32. The first tool component 21 integrates a cooling device 33.

[0053] The heating device 10 and the forming device 20 have a common lower support 31, on which the second heating plate 12 of the lower part of the heating device 10 and the second tool component 22 of the lower part of the forming device 20 are supported.

[0054] The lower second heating plate 12 is supported on the distribution plate 13 with a heat insulation member 17 connected in the middle. The distribution plate 13 is supported on a hydraulic extrusion device 25, which has multiple hydraulic piston cylinder units 26. These piston cylinder units are directly or indirectly supported on the support 31 on their bottom surface away from the distribution plate 13. The structure of the heating device 10 will be described in detail below.

[0055] A spraying device 34 is provided between the lower second heating plate 12 and the lower second tool component 22, which can spray lubricant onto the upper and / or lower side of the slab P.

[0056] The lower second tool component 22 has a forming profile 35 and a blank support 24, on which the blank P can be placed before forming.

[0057] The lower second tool component 22 also integrates a cooling device 33.

[0058] exist Figure 1 On the right, arrow Z schematically indicates a conveyor that transports the slab to be formed to forming station 1. The slab to be formed, P, is gripped by a (not shown) conveyor and transported to various devices in forming station 1. After passing through forming station 1 and being formed into a part, it is transported to the conveyor belt indicated by arrow A.

[0059] Figure 2 A heating device 10 for heating a slab P made of metal, particularly aluminum, is shown in more detail. The heating device 10 has an upper first heating plate 11, which is held on an impactor 32 with an intermediate heat insulator 16 and a support plate 15. The impactor 32, together with the support plate 15 and the upper first heating plate 11, can be vertically adjusted up and down in a known manner (arrow V) by means of a schematic, particularly hydraulic, adjusting device 33.

[0060] Support 31 includes a fixed base plate 36 on which an intermediate plate 19 is placed, the intermediate plate being surrounded by wall elements 37 forming a groove 38. Within the interior space 39 of the groove 38, hydraulically operated extrusion devices 25 are arranged in a grid array, each extrusion device having multiple piston-cylinder units 26, such as... Figure 3 As shown. In the illustrated embodiment, in order to form a grid array, four rows of spaced-apart piston cylinder units 26 are provided, with five spaced-apart units in each row, for a total of twenty piston cylinder units 26.

[0061] On the piston cylinder unit 26, pressure members 40 serving as gaskets are arranged on the sides of the second heating plate 12 facing downwards. The pressure can be changed by altering the dimensions of the pressure members 40.

[0062] The distribution plate 13 is placed on top of the piston cylinder unit 26 and floats on the piston cylinder unit 26. A vertical guide pin 14 passes through the distribution plate 13 with a gap to prevent the distribution plate 13 from shifting too far to the side.

[0063] The distribution plate 13 supports a lower second heating plate 12 on its upper side facing the upper first heating plate 11. The lower second heating plate 12 can have a conventional structure, with a heat insulation member 17 supporting its lower side facing the piston-cylinder unit 26, through which the lower second heating plate 12 is supported on the distribution plate 13. Furthermore, the lower second heating plate 12 is also surrounded by additional heat insulation members 17a on its sidewalls. The upper first heating plate 11 and the lower second heating plate 12 can be heated using conventional methods, such as using an embedded resistance heater.

[0064] The lower second heating plate 15 is equipped with a lifting device 27. The distribution plate 13 and the lower second heating plate 12 are traversed by a plurality of spaced-apart lifting rods 28, with gaps between them. The lower ends of the lifting rods 28, facing away from the lower second heating plate 12, rest on a common lifting plate 29, which in turn rests on a hydraulic lifting cylinder 41, which is supported at the other end on an intermediate plate 19. By activating the lifting cylinder 41, the lifting plate 29, together with the lifting rods 28, can be raised and lowered.

[0065] The lifting rods 28 are pre-tensioned to the lifting position by the lifting cylinder 41, in which they protrude from the top of the lower second heating plate 12.

[0066] Figure 2 The diagram shows the open positions of the upper first heating plate 11 and the lower second heating plate 12, in which the first and second heating plates are separated, forming a gap 18. When the upper first heating plate 11 and the lower second heating plate 12 are in the open positions shown, the slab P to be heated can be placed into the gap 18 and positioned on the upper side of the lifting rod 28, as shown. Figure 2 As shown.

[0067] The following diagram illustrates the heating and forming process of the slab.

[0068] To heat the slab P, it is placed into the heating device 10 via conveyor Z. At this time, the forming station 1 is in the open position, that is, its initial position at the top (top dead center), as shown below. Figure 1 As shown. The slab P is positioned on the lifting rod 28 and maintains a certain distance from the lower second heating plate 12. Then, the hydraulic adjustment device 30 of the impactor 32 is activated, causing the impactor 32 and the upper first heating plate 11 to move vertically downward together until they contact the upper side of the slab P. The impactor 32 and the upper first heating plate 11 continue to move downward, causing the slab P and the lifting rod 28 to be pressed downward against the preload and onto the surface of the lower second heating plate 12, thus trapping the slab P between the upper first heating plate 11 and the lower second heating plate 12.

[0069] Then, the piston cylinder unit 26 is activated, and additional pressure is applied to the lower second heating plate 12 through the floating distribution plate 13. The magnitude of this pressure is designed to compensate for the pressure of the upper first heating plate 11 and the lower second heating plate 12. The pressure of the heating plate 12 is compensated, and the entire surface of the slab P is subjected to an almost constant pressure.

[0070] After the slab P is heated, the impactor 32 moves upward again via the hydraulic adjustment device 30, thereby opening the forming station 1. The slab P, heated in the previous step, is removed from the heating device 10 and placed on the slab support 24 of the tool component 22 at the lower part of the forming device 20. The slab now becomes the slab to be formed.

[0071] Meanwhile, another slab P to be heated is fed into the heating device 10 via conveyor Z. Figure 1 This state is shown.

[0072] By activating the hydraulic adjustment device 30, the impactor 32 descends together with the upper first tool component 21 and the upper first heating plate 11. Figure 4 The diagram shows the situation during the downward movement of the impactor 32, at which point the upper first tool component 21 is positioned just above the blank P to be formed, but deformation has not yet begun. Simultaneously, the upper first heating plate 11 is in contact with the upper side of the blank to be heated, which is placed on the lifting rod 18 in the heating device 10. Figure 4 This state is shown.

[0073] As the impactor 32 continues to move downward, the upper first tool component 21 presses the blank to be formed into the forming contour of the lower second tool component 22 in the forming device 20, thereby forming the blank P into the desired shape. As the impactor 32 moves downward, the first heating plate 11 presses the blank to be heated in the heating device 10 downward, overcoming the preload of the lifting rod 28, until the blank to be heated contacts the second heating plate 12. Figure 5 This state is shown.

[0074] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates stages in the forming process, with the impactor 32 positioned at its lower end (bottom dead center). In the forming apparatus 20, the blank to be formed is shaped into the desired part by the upper first tooling component 21 and the lower second tooling component 22.

[0075] In the heating device 10, a hydraulic pressing device 25 with a piston cylinder unit 26 is activated, preferably after reaching the bottom dead center, to press the distribution plate 23 and the lower second heating plate 22 upwards onto the upper first heating plate 11. In this way, the slab to be heated can be held between the two heating plates 11 and 12 with a relatively high surface pressure of ≥5 N / mm², especially ≥10 N / mm², in the heating device 10.

[0076] When the slab P to be heated is clamped in the heating device 10 and heated, the cooling device 33 in the forming device 20 is activated, thereby cooling the formed part.

[0077] Subsequently, the impactor 32 moves upward, and the forming station 1 opens again. Then, the formed part is conveyed out via conveyor A, while the heated slab is transferred from the heating device 10 to the forming device 20. In addition, a new slab to be heated is placed into the heating device 10 via conveyor Z, and the above cycle is repeated.

Claims

1. A forming station (1) for hot forming a slab (P) made of metal, particularly aluminum, the forming station comprising a heating device (10) having a hydraulically adjustable first heating plate (11) and a second heating plate (12) connected to a support (31), wherein, The first heating plate (11) and the second heating plate (12) are movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the first and second heating plates are arranged at intervals between each other, so that a blank (P) can be placed into or removed from the gap (18) formed between these heating plates (11, 12). In the closed position, the blank (P) is clamped between these heating plates (11, 12). The forming station also has a forming device (20) having a first tool component (21) and a second tool component (22), which are particularly hydraulically adjustable relative to each other between the open and closed positions. The device is characterized by having a component for the heating device (10). The heating device (10) and the forming device (20) share a common, particularly hydraulic, adjusting device (30) that synchronously adjusts the first heating plate (11) of the heating device (10) and the first tool component (21) of the forming device (20). The heating device (10) and the forming device (20) share a common impactor (32) that supports the first heating plate (11) and the first tool component (21) and can be adjusted by the particularly hydraulic adjusting device (30). The second heating plate (12) is mounted on a hydraulic extrusion device (25) that has a plurality of hydraulic piston cylinder units (26) by means of which the second heating plate (12) can be pressed directly or indirectly against the first heating plate (11).

2. The molding station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The piston cylinder unit (26) is arranged in an array grid pattern.

3. The molding station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The piston cylinder unit (26) can be adjusted individually, in groups, or uniformly.

4. The molding station according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, A distribution plate (13) is arranged between the piston cylinder unit (26) and the second heating plate (12).

5. The molding station according to claim 4, characterized in that, The distribution plate (13) is mounted on the piston cylinder unit (26) and is floatingly supported on the piston cylinder unit.

6. The molding station according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The distribution plate (13) directly or indirectly supports the second heating plate (12).

7. The molding station according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The distribution plate (13) is guided by guide pins (14).

8. The molding station according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, A hydraulic lifting device (27) is provided, which can lift the slab (P) from the second heating plate (12) to the lifting position.

9. The molding station according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lifting device (27) has a plurality of lifting rods (28) connected to a common lifting plate (29).

10. The molding station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The lifting rod (28) is pre-tightened in the lifting position.

11. The molding station according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, A spraying device (34) is provided, through which lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab (P).

12. The molding station according to claim 11, characterized in that, The spraying device (34) is arranged such that a lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab (P) after it has been removed from the heating device (10).

13. The molding station according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The spraying device (34) is arranged such that a lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab (P) when it is transferred between the heating device (10) and the forming device (20).

14. The molding station according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The spraying device (34) is arranged such that a lubricant can be sprayed onto the slab (P) in the forming device (20).

15. The molding station according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, A cooling device (33) is integrated into the molding apparatus (20).

16. A method for thermoforming a slab (P) made of metal, particularly aluminum, in a forming station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The impactor (32), together with the first heating plate (11) and the first tool component (21), moves from the open initial position (top dead center) toward the blank to be formed and the blank to be heated by a hydraulically controlled adjustment device (30), wherein the first tool component (21) contacts the blank to be formed at time t1, and then the blank to be formed is brought to the end position (bottom dead center) and formed by adjusting the impactor (32) and the first tool component (21), wherein the second heating plate (12) is pressed by a hydraulically controlled extrusion device (25) at time t2, wherein time t2 is later than time t1 by a time interval Δt, wherein 0.01s≤Δt≤1.0s.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, Only when the end position (bottom dead center) is reached or after the end position is reached, and there is a slab to be heated sandwiched in the middle, is the second heating plate (12) pressed against the first heating plate (11) by the hydraulic extrusion device (25).

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, After reaching the endpoint, the formed slab in the forming device (20) is cooled by the cooling device (33).

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