An overview on forming process and heat treatments for heat treatable aluminium alloy

Abstract

Weight reduction and material substitution were increasing trends in the automotive industry due to the growing demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce energy consumption nowadays. The characteristic properties of aluminium alloy which includes high strength stiffness to weight ratio, good corrosion resistance, and high recycling potential make it the ideal candidate to replace the other materials (Steel or copper) currently used in cars. The replacement to aluminium alloy parts is on par to the weight reduction demand within automotive industry. The focus on lightweight had also brought the attention on the high strength Aluminium alloy. Its high mechanical properties and excellent strength to weight ratio had made it suitable for car frame parts. In order to improve its mechanical properties, the heat treatment technique make it the suitable process to implement in aluminium alloy for produce the car body parts. The process of heat treatment was same as hot stamping technique which is this process was to improve its mechanical properties. Hence, in order to define and identified the heat treatment technique available, this paper had reviewed on the development of forming process and heat treatment condition applied toward aluminium alloy throughout the years.