Abstract
For the production of aluminum screws, an effective thermomechanical treatment is necessary for enabling high strength combined with good formability. In this study, the influence of pre-aging as initial heat treatment prior to following processing steps was investigated for the precipitation hardenable 6056 aluminum alloy. The short-term low temperature pre-aged condition was compared to a naturally aged one representing storage time in manufacturing. As reference, a solution-annealed condition was used. After these initial heat treatments, conventional extrusion and artificial aging followed prior to final thread rolling. The distribution of strain introduced by these forming processes was numerically investigated using finite element simulation. The initial heat treatment had a significant influence on the mechanical properties achievable after the complete thermomechanical processing route. After extrusion and artificial aging, the highest hardness was achieved by the pre-aged condition. Despite its high initial hardness, this condition exhibited the best formability indicated by well-formed threads combined with the highest hardness achieved after thread rolling. Therefore, pre-aging seems to be an advantageous heat treatment for integration in the manufacturing process of screws due to its beneficial effect on the mechanical properties.
Highlights
Aluminum screws are a favored option for joining lightweight metal components in the automotive and aerospace sector
To the localization the surfaceof area, strain gradient theDue surface andpressure the core of the localization at the surface area, a strain gradient between the surface and the core ofrim thewhile stud was created showing a typical maximum strain of approximately 2 at the core areaaistypical almost not affected
The influence of the thermomechanical processing route on hardness and formability was investigated for a 6056 aluminum alloy
Summary
Aluminum screws are a favored option for joining lightweight metal components in the automotive and aerospace sector. When compared to conventional steel screws, the application of aluminum provides significant advantages [1]. A low total weight of the structural component can be maintained due to the low density of the aluminum alloy. As similar materials for the components being joined and the screws are paired, galvanic corrosion is minimized [2]. The loss in clamping forces is reduced due to the minimized difference of the thermal expansion coefficients of the clamped parts and high clamping forces are maintained even under long-term thermal loading [1,3,4]. The minimum installation depth can be reduced [1]
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