Process Development for Stamping Á-Pillar Covers with Aluminum
In this work, performed in close collaboration with PACCAR and Magna International, a 6XXX series aluminum alloy was used for the development of A-Pillar cover for the cab of a typical heavy-duty Class-8 truck. The use of Al alloy for the A-pillar cover represents an approximately 40% weight savings over its steel or molded fiberglass composite counterpart. For the selected Al alloy, a small amount of cold work (5% tensile strain), following prior hot-forming, was found to significantly improve the subsequent age-hardening response. The role of solutionizing temperature and rate of cooling on the age-hardening response after paint-bake treatment were investigated. For the temperature range selected in this work, higher solutionizing temperature correlated with greater subsequent age-hardening and vice-versa. However, the age-hardening response was insensitive to the mode of cooling (water quench vs. air cooling). Finally, a two-step forming process was developed where, in the first step, the blank was heated to solutionizing temperature, quenched, and then partially formed at room temperature. For the second step, the pre-form was re-heated and quenched as in the first step, and the forming was completed at room temperature. The resulting A-pillars had sufficient residual ductility to be compatible with hemming and riveting
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1236926
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-105374; VT0505000
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Light Metals 2015: Proceedings of the symposia sponsored by the TMS Aluminum Committee at the TMS 2015 Annual Meeting & Exhibition, March 15-19, 2015, Orlando, Florida, 197-202
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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