Method for producing a motor vehicle component from a hardenable aluminum alloy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9719161-B2
Application number	US-201514683685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A method for producing a motor vehicle component includes the steps of providing a precipitation-hardenable blank composed of a 6000 or 7000 grade aluminum alloy, solution-annealing the blank at a temperature between 350° C. and 550° C. for a time period of 2 to 30 min., in particular 3 to 20 min. and preferably 5 to 15 min., in particular at a temperature between 440° C. and 480° C. in the case of a 7000 grade aluminum alloy, and in particular at a temperature between 490° C. and 545° C. in the case of a 6000 grade aluminum alloy, subjecting the solution-annealed blank to partially different quenching, a first region being quenched to a temperature between 150° C. and 250° C., and a further region being quenched to a temperature below 150° C., deforming the blank during or after the partially different quenching.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a motor vehicle component, comprising:
providing a precipitation-hardenable plate made from a 6000 or 7000 aluminium alloy;
solution annealing the plate for a period of 2 to 30 minutes,
at a temperature between 440° C. and 480° C. for the 7000 aluminium alloy, or
at a temperature between 490° C. and 545° C. for the 6000 aluminium alloy;

partially different quenching of the solution annealed plate, wherein a first region is quenched to a temperature between 150° C. and 250° C. and at least one second region is quenched to a temperature below 150° C.;
forming the plate during or after the partially different quenching; and
artificial aging by heating and setting
a yield strength greater than 120 MPa and less than 200 MPa in at least the first region,
a yield strength greater than 200 MPa and less than or equal to 550 MPa in the second region, and
a yield strength delta of greater than 50 MPa between the first and second regions.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the partially different quenching is carried out in a tempering station.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the temperatures after the partially different quenching of the first and second regions of the plate are held for a period of 0.05 to 30 minutes.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, before the forming,
a second quenching, in which the entire plate is quenched to a temperature below 100° C.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the forming is carried out at substantially the quenching temperature or at room temperature.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the artificial aging is carried out in one step for a period of 5 to 24 hours at a temperature between 100° C. and 200° C.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the artificial aging is carried out in multiple steps including
a first step in which the artificial aging is carried out for a period from 6 to 24 hours at 80 to 150° C., and
a subsequent step in which the artificial aging is carried out for a period from 6 to 24 hours at 100° C. to 200° C.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the plate is surface treated.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
a motor vehicle pillar, a roof strap, a front or rear side member, a bumper in the upper or lower load path, a sill, a cross brace or a door reinforcement is produced from aluminium.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor vehicle component is coupled to at least one reinforcing plate, and
the reinforcing plate has regions of different strength produced, or the reinforcing plate has a homogenous strength.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
during the forming, the plate is quenched to a temperature below 100° C.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the artificial aging is started within less than seven days after the forming.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
in the second region, the yield strength is set between 300 MPa and 450 MPa.

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Bohner Friedrich
• Doerr Jochen
• Grewe Jochem
• Hielscher Christian
• Toelle Joern
• Rauscher Boris

Classifications

• C22C21/08

  with silicon · CPC title

• C22F1/05

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

• B62D29/008

  predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title

• C22F1/053

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

• C22C21/10

  with zinc as the next major constituent · CPC title