Water-Based Lubrication For Hot Forming

Abstract

A manufacturing control system is arranged to cause an aluminum alloy blank to be heated to at least its solvus temperature, to cause a die set to be sprayed with a lubricant formulation that includes water, lubricant, and a surfactant, to cause the blank to be positioned in the die set while heated such that the blank does not touch the die set, and to cause the die set to close on the blank to form the blank into a part while quenching the part.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 heating an aluminum alloy blank to at least its solvus temperature;   spraying portions of a die set with a lubricant formulation that includes water, lubricant and a surfactant;   positioning the blank in the die set while heated such that the blank does not touch the die set; and   closing the die set on the blank to form the blank into a part while quenching the part.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant includes acetylenic diol. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant includes alcohol ethoxylate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lubricant formulation by volume includes more water than lubricant and surfactant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lubricant formulation by volume includes less than 5% surfactant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper 6xxx aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper 7xxx aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising cooling the die set to a temperature between 1° C. to 30° C. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solvus temperature is at least 450° C. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spraying includes spraying the portions with a first lubricant formulation and spraying other portions of the die set with a second lubricant formulation different than the first to obtain different formability and quench efficiency performance between the portions and other portions during the closing. 
     
     
         12 . A manufacturing system comprising:
 a furnace or oven configured to heat an aluminum alloy blank to at least its solvus temperature;   a die set;   a nozzle arrangement configured to spray portions of the die set with a lubricant formulation that includes water, lubricant and a surfactant;   a transfer mechanism configured to position the blank in the die set while heated such that the blank does not touch the die set; and   an actuator configured to close the die set on the blank to form the blank into a part while quenching the part.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the surfactant includes acetylenic diol. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the surfactant includes alcohol ethoxylate. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the lubricant formulation by volume includes more water than lubricant and surfactant. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the lubricant formulation by volume includes less than 5% surfactant. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper 6xxx aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper 7xxx aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12  further comprising piping configured to cool the die set to a temperature between 1° C. to 30° C. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the solvus temperature is at least 450° C. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the nozzle arrangement is further configured to spray other portions of the die set with another lubricant formulation to obtain different formability and quench efficiency performance between the portions and other portions to obtain different formability and quench efficiency performance between the portions and other portions. 
     
     
         23 . A manufacturing control system comprising:
 one or more controllers configured to heat an aluminum alloy blank via a heater to at least its solvus temperature, to spray portions of a die set via a nozzle with a lubricant formulation that includes water, lubricant, and a surfactant, to position the blank in the die set while heated via a transfer mechanism such that the blank does not touch the die set, and to close the die set on the blank via an actuator to form the blank into a part while quenching the part.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the surfactant includes acetylenic diol. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the surfactant includes alcohol ethoxylate. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the lubricant formulation by volume includes more water than lubricant and surfactant. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the lubricant formulation by volume includes less than 5% surfactant. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper 6xxx aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is an F-temper 7xxx aluminum alloy blank. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to cool the die set via piping to a temperature between 1° C. to 30° C. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the solvus temperature is at least 450° C. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to spray other portions of the die set via a nozzle with another lubricant formulation to obtain different formability and quench efficiency performance between the portions and other portions.