Heat treatment to improve joinability of aluminum sheet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450639-B2
Application number	US-201715428779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2017
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, an assembly is provided comprising a first member including a 6xxx series aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t (bendability) ratio of up to 0.4. One or more members may be secured to the first member with a rivet (e.g., a self-piercing rivet). The heat treated alloy may have a yield strength of at least 260 MPa and may have a bendability ratio of up to 0.3. A method of forming an assembly is also provided, including heat treating a 6xxx series aluminum alloy to produce an alloy having a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t (bendability) ratio of up to 0.4 and riveting a member including the heat treated alloy to one or more additional members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a first member including a 6111 aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t ratio of up to 0/10.3, the 6111 aluminum alloy including 0.5 to 1 weight % magnesium, 0.6 to 1.1 weight % silicon, 0.5 to 0.9 weight % copper, 0.1 to 0.45 weight % manganese, up to 0.4 weight % iron, up to 0.15 weight % zinc, up to 0.1 weight % chromium, up to 0.1 weight % titanium and other elements up to 0.05 weight % each up to 0.15 weight % total, with the balance being aluminum, the 6111 aluminum alloy has been heat treated to a T8 temper; and
a self-piercing rivet (SPR) securing the first member to one or more additional members.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the SPR maintains intimate contact with the 6111 aluminum alloy.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of SPRs secure the first member to one or more additional members.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a button formed by the SPR is formed in the 6111 aluminum alloy.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein there is substantially no cracking in the button.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the 6111 aluminum alloy has been heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 260 MPa.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first member and the one or more additional members are each formed of a 6111 aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t ratio of up to 0.3.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first member and the one or more additional members are vehicle body panels.

9. A pickup truck body member joint comprising:
a first member including a 6111 aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t ratio of up to 0.4, the 6111 aluminum alloy including 0.5 to 1 weight % magnesium, 0.6 to 1.1 weight % silicon, 0.5 to 0.9 weight % copper, 0.1 to 0.45 weight % manganese, up to 0.4 weight % iron, up to 0.15 weight % zinc, up to 0.1 weight % chromium, up to 0.1 weight % titanium and other elements up to 0.05 weight % each up to 0.15 weight % total, with the balance being aluminum, the 6111 aluminum alloy has been heat treated to a T8 temper; and
one or more additional members secured to the first member with a self-piercing rivet (SPR), the SPR extending through the one or more additional members and maintaining intimate contact with the 6111 aluminum alloy.

10. The joint of claim 9 , wherein a button is formed in the 6111 aluminum alloy and the SPR terminates in the button.

11. The joint of claim 10 , wherein there is substantially no cracking in the button.

12. The joint of claim 9 , wherein the 6111 aluminum alloy has been heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 260 MPa.

13. The joint of claim 9 , wherein the first member and the one or more additional members are pickup truck body panels.

14. The joint of claim 9 , wherein the one or more additional members are secured to the first member with a plurality of SPRs, each SPR extending through the one or more additional members and maintaining intimate contact with the 6111 aluminum alloy.

15. The joint of claim 9 , wherein the first member and the one or more additional members are each formed of a 6111 aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t ratio of up to 0.3.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Harrison Nia R
• Luckey Jr S George
• Boileau James Maurice
• Campbell Aindrea Mckelvey
• Freis Amanda Kay

Classifications

• Y10T428/12347

  Plural layers discontinuously bonded [e.g., spot-weld, mechanical fastener, etc.] · CPC title

• C22F1/047

  of alloys with magnesium as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22F1/04

  of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C22F1/05 Primary

  of alloys of the Al-Si-Mg type, i.e. containing silicon and magnesium in approximately equal proportions · CPC title

• F16B19/04

  Rivets; Spigots or the like fastened by riveting (lead seals G09F3/00) · CPC title