Optimization of aluminum hot working
AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorsRashmi Ranjan Mohanty, Duane E. Bendzinski, Rahul Vilas Kulkarni
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Abstract
A method of hot forming an aluminum alloy component may include heating the aluminum alloy component in a heating furnace to a solutionizing temperature, cooling the aluminum alloy component to a desired forming temperature, deforming the aluminum alloy component into a desired shape in a forming device while the aluminum alloy component is at the desired forming temperature, maintaining a constant temperature during the deformation of the aluminum alloy component, and quenching the aluminum alloy component to a low temperature below a solvus temperature.
Claims20
A method of hot forming an aluminum alloy component, the method comprising:
- heating the aluminum alloy component in a heating furnace to a solutionizing temperature;
- cooling the aluminum alloy component to a desired forming temperature;
- transferring the aluminum alloy component from the heating furnace to a forming device;
- deforming the aluminum alloy component into a desired shape in the forming device while the aluminum alloy component is at the desired forming temperature;
- and
- quenching the aluminum alloy component to a low temperature below a solvus temperature, wherein the low temperature is in a range of approximately 0° C. to approximately 280° C.,
- wherein the heating of the aluminum alloy component to the solutionizing temperature occurs over a period of approximately 5 minutes.
A method of hot forming an aluminum alloy component, the method comprising:
- heating the aluminum alloy component in a heating furnace to a solutionizing temperature;
- cooling the aluminum alloy component to a desired forming temperature in a range of approximately 380° C. to approximately 470° C.;
- deforming the aluminum alloy component into a desired shape in a forming device while the aluminum alloy component is at the desired forming temperature;
- and
- quenching the aluminum alloy component to a low temperature below a solvus temperature, wherein the low temperature is in a range of approximately 0° C. to approximately 280° C.,
- wherein heating the aluminum alloy component in the heating furnace results in an approximate grain size of 10-35 microns for the aluminum alloy component.
A method of hot forming an aluminum alloy component, the method comprising:
- heating the aluminum alloy component in a heating furnace to a solutionizing temperature, wherein the heating is performed at a rate such that (i) the aluminum alloy component reaches the solutionizing temperature after a period of at least 5 minutes and (ii) the aluminum alloy component comprises an approximate grain size of at least 10 microns;
- cooling the aluminum alloy component to a desired forming temperature in a range of approximately 380° C. to approximately 470° C.;
- deforming the aluminum alloy component into a desired shape in a forming device while the aluminum alloy component is at the desired forming temperature;
- and
- quenching the aluminum alloy component to a low temperature below a solvus temperature, wherein the low temperature is in a range of approximately 0° C. to approximately 280° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.