Method and tool for thermal treatment of aluminium sheet material and aluminium sheet material thermally treated using such a method

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This patent describes a method and specialized tool for the thermal treatment (heat treatment) of aluminum sheet material. The invention enables creation of aluminum sheets with tailored, locally varying mechanical properties by precisely controlling the heating and cooling (quenching) rates in different regions of the sheet. The process uses a two-part tool that partially shields areas from rapid cooling while allowing other regions to be quenched quickly, resulting in localized differences in properties such as strength and formability. The result is sheet material whose property gradients are stable over time, making downstream forming or processing more efficient.

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• Manufacturing automotive body panels with areas of different strength and ductility for crash safety and forming efficiency.
• Producing aerospace aluminum components needing specific property profiles for optimized performance.
• Creating aluminum sheets for consumer electronics or appliances where formability and strength in certain areas are required.
• Enabling efficient production of tailored aluminum blanks for stamping operations in various industries.
• Supplying pre-treated sheet material to suppliers or OEMs for just-in-time forming operations, thanks to long-term stability of the tailored properties.

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• Enables precise, stable tailoring of mechanical properties (strength, ductility) in specific zones within a single sheet.
• Improves efficiency and flexibility in manufacturing, as heat treatment and subsequent forming can be decoupled in time and location.
• Reduces the need for downstream local heat treatments or property modifications after sheet production.
• Allows optimization of material usage—higher strength where needed, better formability elsewhere—leading to lighter, safer, or more efficient products.
• Tool and method are cost-effective, scalable, and compatible with existing aluminum sheet manufacturing practices.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

Heat treating of aluminum sheet material (8), comprises: providing aluminum sheet material; heating the aluminum sheet material at a temperature that is >= heating temperature; maintaining the temperature during a heating period; quenching a deterrent portion (10) of the sheet material at a temperature = a quenching temperature; and cooling a cooling portion (11) of the sheet material at a temperature = a cooling temperature, where cooling takes place within a cooling period, which is greater than the quenching period, and shielding of the cooling portion by a tool occurs during quenching. Heat treating of aluminum sheet material (8), comprises (a) providing aluminum sheet material, (b) heating the aluminum sheet material at a temperature that is >= heating temperature, (c) maintaining the temperature during heating period, (d) quenching at least one deterrent portion (10) of the aluminum sheet material at a temperature that is = a quenching temperature, where the quenching is carried out within a quenching period, and (e) cooling at least one cooling portion (11) of the aluminum sheet material at a temperature that is = a cooling temperature, preferably ambient temperature, where cooling is carried out within a cooling period, which is greater than the quenching period, and shielding of the cooling portion using a tool takes place during quenching. Independent claims are also included for: (1) the aluminum sheet material having tailored material properties, manufactured by the above mentioned method, where the cooling portion opposite to the deterrent portion exhibits a mechanical material property deviating by a differential amount, preferably a reduced yield strength and/or a reduced tensile strength, and where the differential amount is stable at least during a time interval for further processing, preferably forming; and (2) the tool for carrying out the above mentioned method, comprising two tool halves connectable with each other, where at least one of the tool halves includes an opening (6) for accessibility to the deterrent portion of the aluminum sheet material.