High-strength aluminum stampings with tailored properties

Abstract

High-strength aluminum components and methods for preparing a high-strength aluminum component are provided. Methods of forming high-strength aluminum components include heating an aluminum alloy blank above a solvus temperature, quenching the aluminum alloy blank, and stamping the aluminum alloy blank in a die to form an aluminum component having a predetermined shape. A plurality of localized plastic deformations are introduced to select regions of the aluminum component, and the aluminum component is subject to one or more aging treatments including heating the aluminum component to a temperature below the solvus temperature. The localized plastic deformations serve as nucleation sites for precipitation hardening during the one or more aging treatments to form a plurality of strengthened regions in the aluminum component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of preparing a high-strength aluminum component, the method comprising:
 heating an aluminum alloy blank to a temperature greater than or equal to about 400° C. to less than or equal to about 600° C. and quenching the aluminum alloy blank to a temperature of less than or equal to about 40° C. ;   stamping the aluminum alloy blank in a die to form an aluminum component having a predetermined shape;   introducing one or more localized plastic deformations to one or more select regions of the aluminum component; and   aging the aluminum component at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C., wherein the localized plastic deformations serve as nucleation sites for precipitation hardening during aging to form one or more strengthened regions in the aluminum component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more strengthened regions has a first yield strength that is greater than or equal to about 20% more than a second yield strength of regions of the aluminum component lacking the one or more strengthened regions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more strengthened regions has a first yield strength of greater than or equal to about 600 MPa, while a second yield strength of regions of the aluminum component lacking the one or more strengthened regions is greater than or equal to about 480 MPa to less than or equal to about 520 MPa. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein aging includes a first temperature aging treatment and a second temperature aging treatment, the first temperature aging treatment includes aging the aluminum component at a first temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C., and the second temperature aging treatment includes aging the aluminum component at a second temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 introducing localized plastic deformations between the first temperature aging treatment and the second temperature aging treatment.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 introducing localized plastic deformations after the second temperature aging treatment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein aging further includes a third temperature aging treatment, and the third temperature aging treatment includes aging the aluminum component at a third temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 introducing localized plastic deformations between the second temperature aging treatment and the third temperature aging treatment.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more localized plastic deformations are formed in a linear pattern on the aluminum component to enhance strength of the aluminum component in a direction parallel to the linear pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more localized plastic deformations are discrete from one another and formed in a distributed pattern over the aluminum component to protect against localized bending of the aluminum component. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy blank is a 7000 series aluminum alloy comprising greater than or equal to about 1.2 weight % to less than or equal to about 2.0 weight % copper (Cu), greater than or equal to about 2.1 weight % to less than or equal to about 2.9 weight % magnesium (Mg), less than or equal to about 0.30 weight % manganese (Mn), less than or equal to about 0.40 weight % silicon (Si), less than or equal to about 0.50 weight % iron (Fe), greater than or equal to about 0.18 weight % to less than or equal to about 0.28 weight % chromium (Cr), greater than or equal to about 5.1 weight % to less than or equal to about 6.1 weight % zinc (Zn), less than or equal to about 0.20 weight % titanium (Ti), less than or equal to about 0.15 weight % of other elements individually present in amounts less than or equal to about 0.05 weight %, and a balance of aluminum (Al). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the introducing of the one or more localized plastic deformations occurs by a process selected from the group consisting of: re-drawing, friction stir processing, shot peening, roller burnishing, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quenching and stamping of the aluminum alloy blank occur concurrently. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stamping the aluminum alloy blank occurs at a temperature less than or equal to about 26° C. 
     
     
         15 . A method of preparing a high-strength aluminum component, the method comprising:
 heating an aluminum alloy blank in a die to a temperature greater than or equal to about 400° C. to less than or equal to about 600° C. to form an aluminum component having a predetermined shape and quenching the aluminum component in the die to a temperature of less than or equal to about 40° C. ;   introducing one or more localized plastic deformations to one or more select regions of the aluminum component by a process selected from the group consisting of: re-drawing, friction stir processing, shot peening, roller burnishing, and combinations thereof; and   aging the aluminum component at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C., wherein the localized plastic deformations serve as nucleation sites for precipitation hardening during the aging to form one or more strengthened regions in the aluminum component having a first yield strength that is greater than or equal to about 20% more than a second yield strength of regions of the aluminum component lacking the one or more strengthened regions.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein aging includes a first temperature aging treatment and a second temperature aging treatment, the first temperature aging treatment includes aging the aluminum component at a first temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C., and the second temperature aging treatment includes aging the aluminum component at a second temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 introducing localized plastic deformations between the first temperature aging treatment and the second temperature aging treatment.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein aging further includes a third temperature aging treatment, the third temperature aging treatment includes aging the aluminum component at a third temperature selected from temperature ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C., and localized plastic deformations are introduced between the second temperature aging treatment and the third temperature aging treatment. 
     
     
         19 . A method of preparing a high-strength aluminum component, the method comprising:
 heating an aluminum alloy blank to a temperature greater than or equal to about 400° C. to less than or equal to about 600° C. and quenching the aluminum alloy blank to a temperature of less than or equal to about 40° C. ;   stamping the aluminum alloy blank in a die to form an aluminum component having a predetermined shape;   subjecting the aluminum component to a first process selected from the group consisting of: re-drawing, friction stir processing, shot peening, roller burnishing, and combinations thereof;   aging the aluminum component at a first temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C.;   subjecting the aged aluminum component to a second process selected from the group consisting of: re-drawing, friction stir processing, shot peening, roller burnishing, and combinations thereof; and   aging the aluminum component at a second temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C.,   wherein the first and second processes introduce a plurality of localized plastic deformations to select regions of the aluminum component, the localized plastic deformations serve as nucleation sites for precipitation hardening during the first and second aging treatments to form a plurality of strengthened regions in the aluminum component.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 subjecting the twice aged aluminum component to a third process selected from the group consisting of re-drawing, friction stir processing, shot peening, roller burnishing, and combinations thereof; and   aging the aluminum component at a third temperature selected from temperatures ranging from greater than or equal to about 100° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C.