Swiss Aluminium Ltd.

Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.

Alusuisse-lonza Services Ltd.

Peter Furrer

Jurgen Timm

Kurt Neufeld

Frank Wehner

Robert J Dean

A process for joining components made of metal, in particular aluminum and aluminum alloys, is such that a thermally-curable (hardenable) adhesive is deposited between the close-fitting surfaces of the components that are to be joined, and one of the outer surfaces neighboring the said close-fitting surface of one of the components is radiated with infra-red radiation in order to cure the adhesive. At least the outer surface to be radiated is provided with a pattern that roughens that surface. By reducing the reflectivity of the roughened surface the capacity to absorb infra-red radiation is increased. A preferred application for the process is in the adhesive bonding of shaped parts, especially body sheet in automobile manufacture.

Process for joining components made of metal

A process for joining components made of metal, in particular aluminum and aluminum alloys, is such that a thermally-curable (hardenable) adhesive is deposited between the close-fitting surfaces of the components that are to be joined, and one of the outer surfaces neighboring the said close-fitting surface of one of the components is radiated with infra-red radiation in order to cure the adhesive. At least the outer surface to be radiated is provided with a pattern that roughens that surface. By reducing the reflectivity of the roughened surface the capacity to absorb infrared radiation is increased. A preferred application for the process is in the adhesive bonding of shaped parts, especially body sheet in automobile manufacture.

An aluminum alloy containing 0.15-0.50% Si, 0.3-0.8%, Fe, 0.05-0.25% Cu, 0.5-1.0% Mn, 2.5-3.5% Mg and up to 0.20% Ti is cast as a 5-10 mm thick strip using a roll-type strip casting machine, and cold rolled to a final thickness of 0.20-0.40 mm. The strip is suitable for manufacture into can lids having high strength and formability requirements.

Process for producing strip suitable for can lid manufacture

A process for the preparation of a rolled aluminum product, containing iron as the predominant alloy element, which has a grain size of less than 10 .mu.m after annealing to at least 250.degree. C., in which an alloy consisting of 0.8 to 1.5% iron, up to 0.5% by weight of each of Si and Mn, the sum of Si and Mn being between 0.2 and 0.8%, up to 0.3% by weight of any other component, the total of other components being no more than 0.8% by weight, and the remainder being aluminum, is casted at a solidification rate of 2.5 to 25 cm/min, the hot plate is cooled to less than 120.degree. C. at a rate of less than 0.5 K/sec and is then cold rolled with a thickness decrease of at least 75% without intermediate annealing, and the final annealing temperature does not exceed 380.degree. C.

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Pfungen, Switzerland

Peter Furrer