Technological bending trials of tubes extruded from AW-6082 aluminum alloy

摘要

This paper presents the results of tests conducted on extruded, thin-walled (wall thickness approx. 1.2 mm) closed shapes made of AW-6082 alloy. Shapes were extruded using the bonding extrusion method, by means of 6-hole dies. Sections cooled in three ways at the exit from the press were tested: water spraying, water cooling with a so-called "water wave" and air blowing. A methodology of testing was developed, allowing for assessment of the plastic formability of extruded shapes, mainly through bending and expanding. A W-6082 alloy is more difficult to extrude than 6063 or 6060 alloys, since its higher strength and lower plasticity make it difficult to obtain walls of low thickness and high extrusion rate. As demonstrated in previous studies, such shapes achieve very good strength properties, reaching up to Rm = 340 MPa, but they are characterized by limited plastic formability. This paper presents the results of bending, buckling, expanding and flexion tests on a three-roll machine. It was determined that the maximum compressive force determined in the buckling test of a segment 650 mm in length, indicating the greatest resistance to buckling, corresponds to shapes cooled by means of a so-called "water wave" on the coasting of the press. These shapes were also characterized by the greatest deflection in the three-point bending test. The elevated plasticity and plastic formability of these shapes was confirmed in a cone expansion test, where relative deformation values were 35% greater than in the case of shapes cooled by air blowing or water spraying. Metallographic examinations revealed that crack initiation in the expansion test occurs at welds in shapes, and enlarged grain size was observed in these areas.