'A Microstructural Examination of Aluminum Alloys Subjected to Incremental Forming'

摘要

Improvements in formability of certain aluminum alloys is required for utilization by the automotive industry for complex shaped body panels to reduce vehicle weight. One possible approach to increase formability is through incremental forming; a process of deforming the aluminum sheet in separate steps, with the sheet being subjected to a quick recovery heat treatment between each forming step, in order to partially undo the effects of work hardening. This process can significantly increase the total amount of deformation before fracture. The purpose of this work was to determine if the structural mechanism responsible for the partial recovery of both aging and non-aging aluminum alloys could be determined. The microstructure was examined through both optical and transmission electron microscopy for alloys subjected to a variety of temperatures and deformations.