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HOT FORM QUENCHING (HFQ®) - Hot curves, easy forming
Compared with steel materials, aluminium alloys offer significant weight advantages combined with comparatively high strength - but the process window for their forming properties is still limited compared with deep-drawing steels. Hot forming can be used to overcome these deficiencies.
AMAG has long been working on the use of various aluminium alloys in a wide variety of hot forming processes, and can offer an entire range of products, including AMAG TopForm SPF (super plastic forming), hot-formed 7075 material, as well as the latest material from the AMAG innovation kitchen, AMAG CrossAlloy®.57. High-strength alloys, in particular, hold great potential for lightweight construction, as this allows a reduction in the sheet thicknesses of crash-relevant components. Until now, however, improved formability at higher forming temperatures has been limited due to declining component strengths.
Hot Form Quenching
This is about to change, thanks to hot form quenching (HFQ®), a new hot forming technology. This method merges the forming and precipitation hardening process by combining hot forming with die quenching. This prevents the microstructure of the alloy from deteriorating, which is the case with traditional hot and warm forming methods. The material and the process together form a special unit, because there is a close link between the process engineering and material-specific parameters. AMAG and the fischer group have collaborated intensively with other partners to achieve optimum coordination of these two influencing factors.
AMAG AL4® BIW 6ICP - High-strength lightweight structural components for improved crash performance
AMAG AL4® BIW 6ICP is a high-strength alloy specially developed for use in structural components with increased deformation capacity, and thus optimized crash safety. Premium e-automotive manufacturers use AMAG AL4® BIW 6ICP as a battery shield. As a result, precipitation-hardenable, higher-strength aluminium alloys can be used to produce more complex component geometries without loss of strength and at significantly reduced sheet thicknesses, resulting in lower component weights, even in large-scale industrial applications. This technology transforms hot forming into a process that also meets the high demands of the automotive industry for productivity and cost-effectiveness.
