Welded aluminum alloy structure
AssigneeUniversal Alloy Corporation
InventorIulian Gheorghe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloys to improve strength properties in the heat affected zone and the weld zone, the method comprising the steps of providing precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded and subjecting said members to a first aging step for times and temperatures to generated strengthening precipitates. Thereafter, the aged members are welded to provide a welded assembly having a weld zone. The welded members are subjected to a second aging step to reprecipitate strengthening precipitates dissolved in the weld zone.
Claims58
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded;
- (b) subjecting said members to a first aging step for times and temperatures to generate strengthening precipitates to provide aged members;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded assembly having a weld zone;
- and
- (d) subjecting said welded assembly to a second aging step to reprecipitate strengthening precipitates dissolved in the weld zone during the welding step.
A method of welding an age-hardenable aluminum alloy to improve properties in the heat affected zone and weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing AA7xxx precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded;
- (b) subjecting said members to a first aging step to provide aged members;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded assembly having a heat affected zone and a weld zone;
- and
- (d) after welding, subjecting said welded assembly to a post welding aging treatment or treatments to provide said welded assembly in a temper selected from the group consisting of T6, T73, T74, T76 and T77 tempers.
A method of welding an age-hardenable aluminum alloy to improve properties in the heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing AA2xxx precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded;
- (b) subjecting said members to a first aging step for times and temperatures to provide aged members;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded assembly having a heat affected zone and a weld zone;
- and
- (d) after welding, subjecting said welded assembly to post welding aging treatment to provide said welded assembly in a temper selected from the group consisting of T6 and T8 tempers.
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded, the alloy members fabricated from an alloy selected from the group consisting of AA7075, AA7050, AA7150, AA7055, AA7068, AA7249, AA7349 and AA7449;
- (b) subjecting said members to an aging step in a temperature range of 175° to 300° F. for one or more hours;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded assembly having a weld zone;
- and
- (d) subjecting said welded assembly to a temperature range of 200° to 300° F. for 0.25 to 24 hours, then
- (e) treating said welded assembly in a temperature range of 300° to 500° F. for 0.25 or more hours, and then
- (f) exposing said welded assembly to a temperature range of 175° to 325° F. for one or more hours.
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded, the allow members fabricated from an alloy selected from an AA 2xxx series aluminum alloy;
- (b) subjecting said members to an aging step in a temperature range of 320° to 380° F. for one or more hours;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded assembly having a weld zone;
- and
- (d) subjecting said welded assembly to an aging step in a temperature range of 320° to 380° F. for one or more hours.
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable aluminum alloy members to be welded, the allow members fabricated from an alloy selected from an AA 6xxx series aluminum alloy p1 (b) subjecting said members to an aging step in a temperature range of 320° to 400° F. for one or more hours;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded assembly having a weld zone;
- and
- (d) subjecting said members to an aging step in a temperature range of 320° to 400° F. for one or more hours.
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy aircraft structural members to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable AA7xxx aluminum alloy members to be welded;
- (b) subjecting said members to one or more temperatures in a temperature range of 100° to 300° F. for one or more hours to generate strengthening precipitates;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded aircraft assembly;
- (d) heating said assembly to one or more temperatures in the range of 175° to 315° F. for one or more hours to reprecipitate strengthening precipitates dissolved in the weld zone, then
- (e) heating said assembly to one or more temperatures in the range of 300° to 400° F. for one or more hours;
- and
- (f) heating said assembly to one or more temperatures in the range of 175° to 325° F. for one or more hours.
In an airplane, an assembly comprised of welded age-hardenable aluminum alloy members, the assembly having improved strength properties in a weld zone or heat affected zone, the alloy members artificially aged prior to welding to generate strengthening precipitates therein and the assembly artificially aged after welding to reprecipitate precipitates dissolved in the weld zone.
A structural assembly comprised of welded age-hardenable aluminum alloy members, the assembly having improved strength properties in a weld zone or a heat affected zone, the alloy members artificially aged at one or more temperatures in the range of 100° to 300° F. for one or more hours prior to welding, and the assembly artificially aged after welding to reprecipitate precipitate dissolved in the weld zone.
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy aircraft structural members to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone and a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable AA2xxx aluminum alloy members to be welded;
- (b) subjecting said members to one or more temperatures in a temperature range of 320°0 to 380° F. for one or more hours to generate strengthening precipitates;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded aircraft assembly;
- (d) heating said assembly to one or more temperatures in the range of 320° to 380° F. for one or more hours to reprecipitate strengthening precipitates dissolved in the weld zone.
A method of welding age-hardenable aluminum alloy aircraft structural members to improve strength properties in a heat affected zone or a weld zone, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing precipitation hardenable AA6xxx aluminum alloy members to be welded;
- (b) subjecting said members to one or more temperatures in a temperature range of 320° to 400° F. for one or more hours to generate strengthening precipitates;
- (c) welding said aged members to provide a welded aircraft assembly;
- (d) heating said assembly to one or more temperatures in the range of 320° to 400° F. for one or more hours to reprecipitate strengthening precipitates dissolved in the weld zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.