The Forming Process of Aluminum Alloys for Automobiles
Under the current general trend of lightweight development of automobiles, high-impact steel and aluminum alloy have become two materials which are used more. According to different processes, high-impact steel includes dual-phase steel (DP steel), complex-phase steel (CP steel), iron bainitic steel (FB steel), martensitic steel (MS steel), phase transformation induced plasticity steel (TRIP steel), hot-formed steel (PH steel), twin-induced plasticity steel (TWIP steel) and other types, The automotive aluminum alloys are mainly divided into two parts, that is, casting and deformed aluminum alloys.
Application and forming processes of aluminum alloys
The proportion of steel used in automobiles is relatively large. Most of the steel parts can be replaced by aluminum alloys, including engines, wheels, heat exchangers, bodies, steering shafts, transmission brackets, instrument panel structures and suspension subframes. Aluminum alloys currently have a high use rate in gearboxes, hubs, heat exchangers and other fields. In the future, with the improvement of aluminum technology for car bodies, the amount of aluminum used in automobile engines and car bodies is expected to gradually increase.
An aluminum alloy is a metal for automobiles second only to steel. Aluminum used for automobiles can be divided into two parts: aluminum alloys and aluminum-based composite materials; and aluminum alloys for automobiles are divided into casting and deformed aluminum alloys. Among them, casting aluminum alloy is transformed from liquid state to solid state, that is, liquid forming; deformed aluminum alloy is transformed from solid powder to solid metal, that is, solid forming.
At present, there are four types of aluminum alloys used in automobiles: casting aluminum alloys, forged aluminum alloys, extruded aluminum alloys, and aluminum alloy sheets. Casting aluminum alloy is divided into sand casting, lost foam casting, semi-solid casting, squeeze casting and permanent mold casting. The commonly used material grade of casting aluminum alloy is A356. The dendritic crystal structure in the as-cast metallographic structure affects the strength and toughness of the casting and limits the application in moving components; after optimizing the composition, it is expected to be used for manufacturing the commercial vehicle, reducing costs. Forged aluminum alloys have broad application prospects in automobiles, such as suspension supports and wheels; after the application of commercial vehicle wheels, the effect of energy saving and emission reduction is obvious. The extruded aluminum alloy has a simple process and good design for the interface shape. It is mostly used in the front and rear bumpers of passenger cars, which can not only meet the requirements of impact and energy absorption, but also reduce the weight of components, with a weight reduction rate of 40% to 50%. Deformed aluminum alloy sheets are mostly used for body panels and front and rear bumper anti-collision beams.
With the improvement and use of aluminum alloy parts and the gradual maturity of aluminum alloy technology for vehicles, various castings and extrusion parts with complex structures and satisfactory performance can be mass-produced. With the cost reduction driven by technological progress, more aluminum alloy parts with complex structure and high costs will be introduced into automobiles.
Application and forming processes of aluminum alloys
The proportion of steel used in automobiles is relatively large. Most of the steel parts can be replaced by aluminum alloys, including engines, wheels, heat exchangers, bodies, steering shafts, transmission brackets, instrument panel structures and suspension subframes. Aluminum alloys currently have a high use rate in gearboxes, hubs, heat exchangers and other fields. In the future, with the improvement of aluminum technology for car bodies, the amount of aluminum used in automobile engines and car bodies is expected to gradually increase.
An aluminum alloy is a metal for automobiles second only to steel. Aluminum used for automobiles can be divided into two parts: aluminum alloys and aluminum-based composite materials; and aluminum alloys for automobiles are divided into casting and deformed aluminum alloys. Among them, casting aluminum alloy is transformed from liquid state to solid state, that is, liquid forming; deformed aluminum alloy is transformed from solid powder to solid metal, that is, solid forming.
At present, there are four types of aluminum alloys used in automobiles: casting aluminum alloys, forged aluminum alloys, extruded aluminum alloys, and aluminum alloy sheets. Casting aluminum alloy is divided into sand casting, lost foam casting, semi-solid casting, squeeze casting and permanent mold casting. The commonly used material grade of casting aluminum alloy is A356. The dendritic crystal structure in the as-cast metallographic structure affects the strength and toughness of the casting and limits the application in moving components; after optimizing the composition, it is expected to be used for manufacturing the commercial vehicle, reducing costs. Forged aluminum alloys have broad application prospects in automobiles, such as suspension supports and wheels; after the application of commercial vehicle wheels, the effect of energy saving and emission reduction is obvious. The extruded aluminum alloy has a simple process and good design for the interface shape. It is mostly used in the front and rear bumpers of passenger cars, which can not only meet the requirements of impact and energy absorption, but also reduce the weight of components, with a weight reduction rate of 40% to 50%. Deformed aluminum alloy sheets are mostly used for body panels and front and rear bumper anti-collision beams.
With the improvement and use of aluminum alloy parts and the gradual maturity of aluminum alloy technology for vehicles, various castings and extrusion parts with complex structures and satisfactory performance can be mass-produced. With the cost reduction driven by technological progress, more aluminum alloy parts with complex structure and high costs will be introduced into automobiles.
