Cold Right Angle Bending of Aluminum Alloy by Laser Irradiation

Abstract

The lightweight 2000 series aluminum alloy has excellent specific strength and recyclability. However, defects such as cracks and wrinkles are generated when bending the sheet material. To solve these problems, we aimed to improve the bending workability by heat treatment with laser irradiation. When we use the laser irradiation, only bending part can be applied the heat because the irradiation width and the irradiated part can be set as desired. We found improved bending workability up to 90° cold bending by lowering the cooling rate after laser irradiation heat treatment. Therefore, to clarify the factors in the improvement of bending workability, changes in the crystal grain, texture, and hardness were investigated using SEM equipment. For a specimen with improved bending workability, the amount of precipitates decreased and their size increased, resulting in a coarser precipitate.