Enhancement of formability of aluminum alloys in multi-stage forming operations by a local intermediate heat treatment

Within this paper a new approach to enhance the formability of aluminum alloys in multi-stage forming processes will be presented. The technology's key idea is the local adaption of the mechanical properties after a first forming step and their optimization for the subsequent forming operation. The partial change of the mechanical properties is obtained by a short term heat treatment between two forming steps. Based on the new property distribution the material flow during the second forming is improved and the formability of the material can be enhanced. The presented work covers all necessary steps for a successful application of the technology. After a material characterization in dependency of the pre-straining and the heat treatment, the heat affected zone, which is a result of the high heat conductivity of aluminum alloys was analyzed. In the end appropriate heat treatment layouts were designed via numerical simulation and the enhancement of formability was demonstrated with a real multi-stage forming process.