Design considerations for HFQ^®hot stamped aluminium structural panels

Abstract

Abstract. HFQ is a deep drawing process for alloyed aluminium sheet that can be used to produce complex-stamped forms while maintaining the high-strength of 6xxx and 7xxx alloys. By adopting a strategy to design for HFQ at the platform level, designers can reduce part count (thereby reducing cost and weight), reduce gauge (thereby reducing weight), and improve part packaging. Two simple design examples are given to assist designers in evolving traditionally formed panel designs to HFQ formed solutions. Example features are used to illustrate the effect of geometry, thickness and strength on the final structural component.

Hot Sheet Metal Forming Strategies for High‐Strength Aluminum Alloys: A Review—Fundamentals and Applications

“…Further studies have confirmed this behavior for AA7075 and AA6082 alloys (Figure 17). [87,160] The potential of the HFQ forming process is not limited to the automotive industry, [161] but has also found interest in the aerospace industry, where components of particularly complex shape are required. In other studies, [102,104] the forming temperature that would give optimum forming and mechanical behavior was investigated for wing stiffener components made from AA2060.…”

Wrinkling and Strengthening Behaviors in the Two-Layer-Sheet Hot-Forming–Quenching Integrated Process for an Al–Cu–Mg-Alloy Thin-Walled Curved-Surface Shell

“…To improve the formability and reduce the springback, the hot-forming–quenching integrated progress (HFQ) has been developed [ 9 , 10 ]. In this process, a solution-treated sheet is quickly transferred to the cold dies, then formed and maintained in the cold dies for high forming precision and efficient strengthening [ 11 ]. This process is significantly affected by the solution conditions, the speed of transferring and forming, and the quenching rate [ 2 , 12 ].…”