System and method of quenching monitoring during steel hot stamping

A system and method of quenching monitoring during steel hot stamping is presented, based on real-time measurements of pressure variations caused by phase transformations from austenite to martensite states, which undergo during quenching. The system comprises stamping means with at least one pressing tool which forms and quench a steel sheet ; at least one pressure sensor with at least a force gauge which measures a time-resolved pressure curve generated by volume alterations of the steel sheet during quenching; and a processor which determines when quenching is finalized by detecting an overshot in the measured time-resolved pressure curve. The at least one pressure sensor may either be located in a complementary sensor receptacle of the stamping means, in contact with a slowest-cooling region of said steel sheet; or in an auxiliary structure which is in contact with a removable protrusion of the steel sheet which emulates quenching properties of said slowest-cooling region.