Thermo-kinetic modelling and analysis of the simultaneous hot stamping and quenching of EN AW-6016-T4 sheet

Abstract

The aluminium alloy AW-6016-T4 sheet is the most widely used alloy for simple-shape outer body parts for passenger vehicles at room temperature. However, for complex parts, such as the B-pillar, the room temperature formability of AW-6016-T4 sheet is not sufficient. Simultaneous hot stamping and quenching is a viable alternative, but there is still limited information about the influence of process parameters on both the formability during the process and the part strength at the end of the process. A combination of thermo-kinetic simulation and experiments were used to investigate the influence of process parameters in the simultaneous hot stamping and quenching process. Increasing the heating rate from 1 to 100 K s-1 during heating to the solution heat treatment (SHT) temperature was found to have no significant influence on the UTS. However, a SHT time of 4 min is required to achieve highest strength by the end of the process chain. Increasing the amount of deformation and cooling rate after SHT have a positive influence on the finished part. Predicted DSC curves and Yield strength values from MatCalc were in good agreement with the experimental results.