Aleris Aluminum Koblenz Gmbh

Aleris Aluminum Duffel Bvba

Aleris Rolled Products Germany Gmbh

Sunil Khosla

Sabine Maria Spangel

Achim Bürger

Alfred Ludwig Heinz

Philippe Meyer

Rinze Benedictus

Axel Alexander Maria Smeyers

Andrew Norman

Hugo Van Schoonevelt

Bruno Schepers

Alastair Wise

Andreas Ten Cate

Ingo Günther Kröpfl

Achim Büerger

Shangping Chen

Linzhong Zhuang

Jörgen Van De Langkruis

Claus Jürgen Moritz

Axel Alexander Smeyers

Achim BÜRGER

Johan Boezewinkel

Paola Valentina Absala Morra

Sabri Sengo

Ingo Günther KRÖPFL

A method for continuously solution heat-treating aluminium alloy sheet by continuously moving heat-treatable 7000-series aluminium alloy sheet through a continuous heat-treatment furnace arranged to heat the moving aluminium sheet to a set soaking temperature (T) in the temperature range of 370&#xb0; C. to 560&#xb0; C., the continuous heat-treatment furnace has an entry section and an exit section, the moving aluminium sheet moves substantially horizontally through the continuous heat-treatment furnace, and the moving aluminium sheet is rapidly cooled on leaving the exit section, and before or near the entry section of the continuous heat-treatment furnace the moving aluminium sheet is pre-heated to a temperature of 5&#xb0; C. to 100&#xb0; C. below the Tusing an average heat-up rate as function of the sheet thickness of at least Y=&#x2212;31&#xb7;ln(X)+50, wherein Y is the heat-up rate in &#xb0; C./sec and X is the sheet thickness in mm.

Method of continuously heat-treating 7000-series aluminium alloy sheet material

A method of manufacturing a formed aluminum alloy automotive structural part or a body-in-white (BIW) part of a motor vehicle, including the steps of: providing a rolled aluminum alloy bare or composite sheet product having a gauge of about 0.5 mm to 4 mm, wherein the sheet product includes at least one layer an AA7xxx-series aluminum alloy, the sheet product having been subjected to solution heat treatment and quenching followed by at least 1 day of natural ageing; subjecting the naturally aged sheet product to reversion annealing treatment, namely a heat treatment at a temperature between 100&#xb0; C. and 350&#xb0; C. during 0.1 to 60 seconds; optionally subjecting the heated sheet product to forced cooling operation; within 2 hours, preferably within 30 minutes, from the reversion annealing treatment, forming the sheet product to obtain a three-dimensionally formed automotive structural part or body-in-white (BIW) part.

Production of formed automotive structural parts from AA7XXX-series aluminium alloys

This relates to an aluminum alloy product, in particular an age-hardenable Al&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Mg type alloy product for structural members, the alloy product combining a high strength with high toughness and reduced quench sensitivity, and having a chemical composition including, in wt. %: Zn about 3 to 11%, Mg about 1 to 3%, Cu about 0.9 to 3%, Ge about 0.03 to 0.4%, Si max. 0.5%, Fe max. 0.5%, balance aluminum and normal and/or inevitable elements and impurities. Furthermore, this relates to a method of producing such aluminum alloy products.

Al&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Mg alloy product with reduced quench sensitivity

A method of manufacturing a formed aluminum alloy structural part or a body-in-white (BIW) part of a motor vehicle. The method includes: providing a rolled aluminum sheet product wherein the aluminum alloy is an AA7000-series aluminum alloy and has a gauge in a range of 0.5-4 mm and is subjected to a solution heat treatment and has been cooled, forming the aluminum alloy sheet to obtain a three-dimensional formed part, heating the three-dimensional formed part to at least one pre-ageing temperature between 50-250&#xb0; C., and subjecting the formed and pre-aged motor vehicle component to a paint bake cycle.

Method of manufacturing a structural automotive part made from a rolled Al&#x2014;Zn alloy

A method for producing a joint in at least two overlapping metal work pieces using a joining tool to obtain a mechanical joint between the overlapping work pieces, in particular joining by mechanical folding or pressure joining At least one of the first work piece and second work piece is a sheet material made of an aluminum alloy of the AA7000-series. A heat-treatment is applied to at least the work piece of 7000-series sheet material within 120 minutes prior to the production of the joint and/or for at least part of the time during production of the joint to temporarily reduce the tensile strength in the joining area of at least the work piece of said 7000-series sheet material.

Method of joining aluminium alloy sheets of the AA7000-series

An aluminum alloy rolled sheet product for forming into automotive body panels, and having a yield strength of more than 160 MPa after being subjected to a paint-bake cycle, and having a gauge in a range of 0.5 to 4 mm, and preferably 0.7 to 3.5 mm, and having a composition of, in wt. %: Zn 1.5 to 4.0, Mg 0.3 to 1.5, Cu 0 to 1.0, Ti 0 to 0.15, Fe 0 to 0.35, Si 0 to 0.5, other elements and unavoidable impurities, and balance aluminum. An automotive body part formed from such an aluminum sheet. A method of manufacturing an automotive body part. Also, the use of the aluminum alloy sheet product in such a method of manufacturing.

Formed automotive part made from an aluminium alloy product and method of its manufacture

A method of manufacturing a formed aluminum alloy body-in-white ('BIW') part of a motor vehicle, the BIW part having a yield strength of more than 500 MPa after being subjected to a paint-bake cycle. The method includes (a) providing a rolled aluminum sheet product of an AlZnMgCu alloy and having a gauge in a range of 0.5 to 4 mm and subjected to a solution heat treatment (SHT) and quenched following SHT, and wherein the SHT and quenched aluminum sheet product has a substantially recrystallized microstructure, (b) forming the aluminum alloy sheet to obtain a formed BIW part, (c) assembling the formed BIW part with one or more other metal parts to form an assembly forming a motor vehicle component, (d) subjecting the motor vehicle component to a paint bake cycle, wherein the aluminum alloy sheet in the formed BIW part has a yield strength of more than 500 MPa.

Structural automotive part made from an Al&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Mg&#x2014;Cu alloy product and method of its manufacture

An AA7000-series alloy including 3 to 10% Zn, 1 to 3% Mg, at most 2.5% Cu, Fe&#x3c;0.25%, and Si&#x3c;0.12%. Also, a method of manufacturing aluminum wrought products in relatively thick gauges, i.e. about 30 to 300 mm thick. While typically practiced on rolled plate product forms, this method may also find use with manufacturing extrusions or forged product shapes. Representative structural component parts made from the alloy product include integral spar members, and the like, which are machined from thick wrought sections, including rolled plate.

AA7000-series aluminum alloy products and a method of manufacturing thereof

Manufacturing heat-treatable wrought metal plate having length, width and thickness directions and an engineering properties gradient along at least one plate dimension. Rolled, extruded or forged wrought metal plate is solution heat treated and rapidly cooled. The cooled plate is aged by heat treatment for time to arrive at different tempers across at least one plate dimension (length or width). Controlled heat-input into the plate along its length direction raises plate temperature above ambient temperature to temperature T, and a temperature gradient is applied between temperature Tand T, wherein T&#x3e;T, across at least one direction of the plate by controlled heat-input into the plate from one side (width or thickness) of the plate to temperature Tand controlled cooling to temperature Tfrom the plate at the opposite side of the controlled heat-input, and ageing the plate while applying the temperature gradient between Tand T

Method for manufacturing a wrought metal plate product having a gradient in engineering properties

An AA2000-series alloy including 2 to 5.5% Cu, 0.5 to 2% Mg, at most 1% Mn, Fe &#x3c;0.25%, Si &#x3e;0.10 to 0.35%, and a method of manufacturing these aluminum alloy products. More particularly, disclosed are aluminum wrought products in relatively thick gauges, i.e. about 30 to 300 mm thick. While typically practiced on rolled plate product forms, this method may also find use with manufacturing extrusions or forged product shapes. Representative structural component parts made from the alloy product include integral spar members, and the like, which are machined from thick wrought sections, including rolled plate.

AA2000-series aluminum alloy products and a method of manufacturing thereof

An AA7000-series alloy including 3 to 10% Zn, 1 to 3% Mg, at most 2.5% Cu, Fe &#x3c;0.25%, and Si &#x3e;0.12 to 0.35%, and a method of manufacturing these aluminum alloy products. More particularly, disclosed are aluminum wrought products in relatively thick gauges, in particular i.e. about 30 to 300 mm thick. While typically practiced on rolled plate product forms, this method may also find use with manufacturing extrusions or forged product shapes. Representative structural component parts made from the alloy product include integral spar members, and the like, which are machined from thick wrought sections, including rolled plate.

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Beverwijk, Netherlands

Sunil Khosla