Rapid annealing and quenching of aluminum alloy products to reduce roping or ludering

Abstract

Described are methods for preparing rolled aluminum alloy products that are resistant to roping or Ludering effects upon stretching or forming. Rolled aluminum alloy products are subjected to a rapid annealing and quenching process prior to a cold rolling process. The rapid annealing and quenching processing described herein can replace batch annealing, commonly used for treating hot rolled aluminum alloy products prior to cold rolling, and can shorten processing times prior to cold rolling. The rapid annealing process can heat the rolled aluminum alloy product to a desired peak temperature very quickly, such as within a few seconds to a few minutes, and can quench the annealed aluminum alloy product quickly, such as within a few seconds to a few minutes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.