Aluminum automotive drive shaft

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a continuous caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 2 inches;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a sheet product;
• (e) solution heat treating said sheet product;
• (f) quenching said sheet product;
• (g) forming said sheet into a tube having a seam;
• (h) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube having an outer diameter and having end regions;
• (i) decreasing end regions of the outer diameter of the welded tube to provide a relatively short section of reduced diameter at both ends having an increase in wall thickness;
• and
• (j) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.4 inch to 1.75 inch;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product, said hot rolling starting in a temperature range of 750° to 1000° F. and ending in a temperature of 425° to 950° F.;
• (e) solution heat treating, quenching and aging said hot rolled sheet product to a T4 condition, said hot rolled sheet product having a tensile strength in the range of 20 to 35 KSI, a minimum yield strength of 9 KSI, and an elongation of greater than 15%;
• (f) forming said sheet into a tube having a seam;
• (g) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube;
• (h) placing said seam welded tube in a forming die;
• (i) hydroforming said seam welded tube to form said automotive aluminum drive shaft tube member;
• and
• (j) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.4 inch to 1.75 inch;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product, said hot rolling starting in a temperature range of 750° to 1000° F. and ending in a temperature of 425° to 950° F.;
• (e) solution heat treating, quenching and aging said hot rolled sheet product to a T4 condition, said hot rolled sheet product having a tensile strength in the range of 20 to 35 KSI, a minimum yield strength of 9 KSI, and an elongation greater than 15%;
• (f) forming said sheet into a tube having a seam;
• (g) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube;
• (h) decreasing end regions of the outer diameter of the welded tube to provide a relatively short section of reduced diameter at both ends having an increase in wall thickness;
• and
• (i) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness of 0.4 to 1.75 inches;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product;
• (e) cold rolling said hot rolled sheet product to a thickness in the range of 0.06 inch to 0.2 inch to provide a cold rolled sheet product;
• (f) solution heat treating, quenching and aging said cold rolled sheet product to provide a solution heat treated sheet product, said solution heat treated sheet product having a tensile yield strength in the range of 20 to 35 KSI, a minimum yield strength of 9 KSI, and an elongation of greater than 15%;
• (g) forming said solution heat treated, quenched and aged sheet product into a tube having a seam;
• (h) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube having an outer diameter and having end regions;
• (i) placing said seam welded tube in a forming die;
• (j) hydroforming said seam welded tube to form said automotive aluminum drive shaft tube member;
• and
• (k) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness of 0.4 to 1.75 inches;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product;
• (e) cold rolling said hot rolled sheet product to a thickness in the range of 0.06 inch to 0.2 inch to provide a cold rolled sheet product;
• (f) solution heat treating, quenching and aging said cold rolled sheet product to provide a solution heat treated sheet product, said solution heat treated sheet product having a tensile strength in the range of 20 to 35 KSI, a minimum yield strength of 9 KSI, and an elongation of greater than 15%;
• (g) forming said solution heat treated, quenched and aged sheet product into a tube having a seam;
• (h) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube having an outer diameter and having end regions;
• (i) decreasing end regions of the outer diameter of the welded tube to provide a relatively short section of reduced diameter at both ends having an increase in wall thickness;
• and
• (j) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

A method for producing aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness of 0.4 to 1.75 inches;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product, said hot rolling starting in a temperature range of 750° F. to 1000° F. and ending in a temperature range of 425° to 950° F.;
• (e) homogenizing said hot rolled sheet product to provide an solution heat treated sheet product;
• (f) cold rolling said homogenized sheet product to a thickness in the range of 0.06 inch to 0.2 inch to provide a cold rolled sheet product;
• (g) solution heat treating and quenching said cold rolled sheet product to provide a solution heat treated and quenched sheet product;
• (h) forming said solution heat treated and quenched sheet product into a tube having a seam;
• (i) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube having an outside diameter and having end regions;
• (j) placing said seam welded tube in a forming die;
• (k) hydroforming said seam welded tube to form said automotive aluminum drive shaft tube member;
• and
• (l) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;
• (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 2 inches;
• (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product, said hot rolling starting in a temperature range of 750° F. to 1000° F. and ending in a temperature range of 425° to 950° F.;
• (e) subjecting said hot rolled sheet product to a first solution heat treatment to provide a first solution heat treated sheet product;
• (f) cold rolling said first solution heat treated sheet product to a thickness in the range of 0.06 inch to 0.2 inch to provide a cold rolled sheet product;
• (g) subjecting said cold rolled sheet product to a second solution heat treatment and then quenching and aging to a T4 condition to provide an aged sheet product having a tensile strength in the range of 20 to 35 KSI, a minimum yield strength of 9 KSI, and an elongation of greater than 15%;
• (h) forming said aged sheet product into a tube having a seam;
• (i) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube having outside diameter and having end regions;
• (j) placing said seam welded tube in a forming die;
• (k) forming said seam welded tube to form said automotive aluminum drive shaft tube having end regions of relative short length having decreased outside diameter;
• and
• (l) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.

In the production of an aluminum automotive drive shaft from a heat treatable aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab wherein in said production an aluminum drive shaft tube member is joined to end members to form the drive shaft, the aluminum drive shaft tube member made by the method comprising:

• (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % Si, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Cu, 0.45 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, 0.04 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, 0.7 wt. % max. Fe, 0.15 wt. % max. Mn, 0.25 wt. % max. Zn, 0.15 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;
• (b) providing a belt caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.4 inch to 1.75 inch;
• (c) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product starting in a temperature range of 750° to 1000° F. and ending in a temperature range of 425° to 950° F.;
• (d) continuously annealing said hot rolled sheet product in a temperature range of 750° to 1000° F. to provide a fully recrystallized product;
• (e) cold rolling said fully recrystallized product to a cold rolled sheet product having a thickness in the range of 0.06 inch to 0.2 inch;
• (f) thereafter, continuously solution heat treating said cold rolled sheet product then quenching and aging to a T4 condition to provide a sheet product in the T4 condition;
• (g) forming said sheet in the T4 condition into a tube having seam;
• (h) welding said seam to provide a seam welded tube;
• (i) placing said seam welded tube in a forming die having an outside diameter and end regions;
• (j) hydroforming said seam welded tube to form said automotive aluminum drive shaft tube having a portion thereof between said end regions having increased diameter and thinned wall thickness;
• and
• (k) aging said aluminum drive shaft tube member to increase strength properties.