Forming of Aluminum Extrusions for Automotive Applications: Opportunities and Challenges

Forming of Aluminum Extrusions for Automotive Applications: Opportunities and Challenges by Torgeir Welo NTNU – Department of Engineering Design and Materials, Rich. Birkelands v. 2B, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway Abstract—During the past two decades the use of aluminum alloys in the automotive industry has gone through a long journey from early simple hang-on parts to today’s integrated all-aluminum chassis structures used in high-volume applications. One of the critical success factors in this connection has been to manage and control dimensional accuracy, both from in-process and final product perspectives. This presentation will focus on recent technology developments in the field of industrial bending operations. It will give an overview of different mechanisms that influence dimensional accuracy, including local cross-sectional deformations such as suck-in and volume conservation effects, along with global deformations such as springback. Variability will be discussed in terms of influence of different material, geometry and process parameters on dimensional variability of bent components. Since different governing mechanisms prevail in various bending operations, attention has to be placed on controlling those process parameters important to part quality in each specific case. Several strategies may be defined for reducing variability. One attractive strategy may be to design more robust process and tool technology that reduce the effect of upstream parameters on dimensional variability of the formed part. In summary, advances in industrial bending operations require focus on improving the understanding of mechanical mechanisms, including models and parameter development, new technology developments, including process, tool, measurement and control capabilities, and process discipline at the shop floor, combined with a basic philosophy of controlling process parameters rather than part attributes.