PROCESS FOR FORMING ALUMINIUM ALLOY SHEET COMPONENTS

摘要

The method relates to a method of forming an Al-alloy sheet component. The method comprises heating an Al-alloy sheet blank to its Solution Heat Treatment temperature at a heating station and, in the case of alloys not in a pre age hardened temper, maintaining the SHT temperature until Solution Heat Treatment is complete. The sheet blank is then transferred to a set of cold dies and forming is initiated within 10s of removal from the heating station so that heat loss from the sheet blank is minimised. The cold dies are closed to form the sheet blank into a shaped component, said forming occurring in less than 0.15s, and the formed component is held in the closed dies during cooling of the formed component. The claimed method will find application for any Aluminium alloy with a microstructure and mechanical properties that can be usefully modified by solution treatment and age-hardening.