Analysis of temperature distribution on warm forming of aluminum-magnesium alloy

Abstract

Warm forming of lightweight materials has become very important issue in automotive industry due to their energy saving potential. Although there have been a lot of ongoing researches on this subject, there is no well-accepted technique is available describing how this process is going to be used in stamping. Designing optimal temperature distribution on the blank is directly affecting the overall success of the warm forming process. In this study, a temperature distribution of 5083-O aluminum-magnesium (Al-Mg) alloy was analyzed at various die and blank initial temperature conditions using finite element analysis approach. Temperature distribution results of the blank reveal that the dies must be heated to predetermined temperatures for successful warm forming, even the blank is kept at room temperature. © (2011) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland. © 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.