HOT PRESS AND HOT-PRESSING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the effective processing time of a hot press to enhance throughput. SOLUTION: The hot press 10 is constituted so as to perform hot press processing in procedure for heating and pressing a workpiece 30 in a heated mold 28 and subsequently cooling the mold 28 to cool the workpiece 30 in the mold 28. A plurality of die sets 12A and 12B respectively equipped with molds 20 and a die set replacing device 50 for alternately mounting a plurality of the die sets 12A and 12B on one press 60 are provided and the preheating of the mold 28 in the die set 12A is performed outside the press 60. At the same time, the hot press processing of the work piece 30 and the succeeding cooling thereof are performed by the preheated die set 12B within the press 60. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI