METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SHAPED AND AT LEAST REGIONALLY HARDENED SHEET METAL COMPONENT AND QUENCH PRESS DIE FOR PRODUCING SUCH A COMPONENT

The invention relates to a method for producing a shaped and at least regionally hardened sheet metal component, particularly a sheet steel component (15), with at least one perforation (16) produced in it, in which method a preform (13) is heated to forming temperature, subsequently shaped and then at least regionally hardened by corresponding cooling, wherein the at least one perforation (16) in the preform (13) is produced during the course of a punching process before the preform (13) is hardened. According to the invention, the metal piece (14) separated from the preform (13) by punching is fed back to its original position or a corresponding position in the perforation (16), remains there for the duration of the quenching process and is only pressed out during or after removal of the sheet steel component (13) from the die (1), in which it is held during quenching. The invention also describes a quench press die (1) for producing a shaped and at least regionally hardened sheet metal component, particularly a sheet steel component (15), with at least two die parts (2, 3) adjustable against one another for opening and closing the die (1) and with a punching device (7) comprising a punching die (8) for producing a perforation (16) in a preform (13) located between the die parts (2, 3). The die part (2), against which the punching die (8) for producing the perforation (16) works, has a return punch (11), the actuation side of which points towards the punching die (8) and the axis of motion of which corresponds to the axis of motion of the punching die (8), such that a metal piece (14) separated from a preform (13) by means of said punching die (8) can be returned to the correct position, or approximately to the correct position in the perforation (16) produced in the preform (13) by the punching process to fill said perforation.