Precipitation Hardenable Aluminium Alloy

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

The patent describes a precipitation-hardenable (age-hardenable) aluminum alloy specifically designed to offer both high formability (ease of shaping into complex forms) and high strength after low-temperature heat treatment, such as the 'paint-bake' cycle commonly used in automotive manufacturing. The alloy composition is carefully balanced with zinc, magnesium, silicon, and small amounts of tin and/or indium and/or cadmium, with optional additions of copper, silver, iron, manganese, or titanium. This alloy allows the production of lightweight, strong aluminum sheets or strips that can be easily formed into complex automotive body parts and then achieve high strength after a low-temperature heat treatment, enhancing their performance for vehicle manufacturing.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Manufacturing automotive body panels and exterior parts, particularly those requiring complex shapes and high strength after paint-bake cycles.
• Production of structural components in vehicles, such as frames, doors, or roofs, which benefit from high strength-to-weight ratios.
• Use in transport applications – land, water, or air vehicles – where lightweight, formable, and strong components are needed.
• Applications in appliances or other products that require durable, formable, and lightweight metal sheets or strips.
• Production of industrial components or enclosures where a combination of good formability and strength after painting or heat treatment is beneficial.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables high formability (ease of shaping) for creating complex automotive or structural parts.
• Achieves high yield strength (minimum 250 MPa in T6 condition) after low temperature heat treatment, such as automotive paint baking processes.
• Retains good uniform elongation and ductility, making the material resistant to cracking during forming processes.
• Reduces energy consumption and production cost by allowing heat treatment at lower temperatures than traditional alloys.
• Can be tailored and optimized for further specific properties (e.g., by adding copper or silver for additional strength), enhancing versatility.
• Improved suitability for manufacturing complex, lightweight, and high-strength structures, especially in the automotive industry, leading to lighter vehicles and better fuel efficiency.

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Patent Abstract

A temperable aluminum alloy, an aluminum sheet or strip made of such an aluminum alloy, a molded part, and a method for producing such a molded part have been disclosed. In order to enable achievement of the required yield strengths, a temperable aluminum alloy is proposed, containing zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), tin (Sn) and/or indium (In) and/or cadmium (Cd), and optionally copper (Cu), from silver (Ag), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), and residual aluminum as well as inevitable production-related impurities, wherein the content of magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si) fulfills the order relation0.4wt.%⁢Si-0.15