Aluminum alloy forging process plays an indispensable role in many key fields such as aerospace and automobile manufacturing with its excellent forming ability. Its forging quality and reliability are directly related to the performance, safety and service life of the end product. Therefore, scientific and strict measures are required from raw material control to precise control of each production link to ensure the high quality and high reliability of aluminum alloy forging process.
To ensure the quality and reliability of aluminum alloy forging process, it is necessary to strictly control multiple links such as raw material selection, forging process design, equipment maintenance, quality inspection, etc., as follows:
1. Raw material control
1. Select high-quality aluminum alloy:
According to the product performance requirements, select the appropriate aluminum alloy grade and specification. For example, for key structural parts in the aerospace field, high-strength aluminum alloys such as 7050, 2024, and forged 7075 aluminum are often used; for general automotive parts, medium-strength aluminum alloys such as forged 6061 aluminum and 6063 aluminum can be selected. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the purity and composition of the raw materials meet the standard requirements to avoid impurities and harmful elements from having adverse effects on the quality of forged parts.
2. Inspection of material quality:
Strict inspection of the purchased aluminum alloy raw materials, including chemical composition analysis, metallographic structure inspection, hardness test, etc. Accurately determine the content of alloying elements through spectral analysis and other means to ensure that it meets the design requirements. Metallographic structure inspection can determine the grain size, uniformity and defects of the material, such as segregation and inclusions.
2. Forging process design
1. Reasonable formulation of process parameters:
According to the characteristics of aluminum alloy and the shape, size and performance requirements of the product, formulate reasonable forging process parameters, such as forging temperature, deformation degree, forging speed, lubrication conditions, etc. The forging temperature of aluminum alloy is generally between 400-500℃. Too high or too low temperature will affect the forging quality. The degree of deformation should be moderate. Too large may lead to excessive grain refinement or cracks, and too small will not fully improve the internal structure of the material.
2. Optimize mold design:
Design a reasonable mold structure and shape to ensure that the aluminum alloy can deform evenly during the forging process, avoiding stress concentration and uneven metal flow. The surface quality and precision of the mold are also crucial. High-precision molds can ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the forged parts. At the same time, according to the flow characteristics of the forged aluminum alloy, the demoulding mechanism of the mold should be reasonably set to facilitate the smooth demoulding of the forged parts.
3. Forging equipment maintenance
1. Regular maintenance of equipment:
Regular maintenance and maintenance of forging equipment, including heating furnaces, presses, molds, etc. The heating furnace must ensure accurate temperature control and temperature uniformity to meet the requirements to avoid inconsistent aluminum alloy forging temperatures due to temperature deviation. The press should regularly check its pressure accuracy and stability to ensure that it can provide stable pressure output during the forging process. The mold should be cleaned, lubricated and inspected regularly to promptly detect and repair defects such as wear and cracks of the mold to prevent them from affecting the quality of the forged parts.
2. Equipment accuracy calibration:
Regularly calibrate the key parameters of the forging equipment, such as the pressure sensor of the press and the temperature control system of the heating furnace. Through calibration, the measurement and control accuracy of the equipment is guaranteed, and the accurate execution of the forging process parameters is ensured.
4. Process quality control
1. Control the forging process:
During the forging process, strictly follow the established process parameters to ensure that the quality of each forging process meets the requirements. For example, during the heating process of the billet, the heating speed and the holding time should be controlled to prevent overheating or overburning. During the forging operation, attention should be paid to the control of the forging ratio, and the internal structure of the aluminum alloy should be improved through the appropriate forging ratio to improve its mechanical properties. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure good lubrication during the forging process, reduce the friction between the die and the aluminum alloy, reduce the forging force, and improve the surface quality of the forged parts.
2. Conduct intermediate inspection:
Set up necessary intermediate inspection links during the forging process, such as timely inspection of the temperature, size, shape, surface quality, etc. of the aluminum alloy after the billet is heated, during the forging process, and after the forging is completed. The temperature of the billet and forging parts is detected by equipment such as infrared thermometers to ensure that it is within the range of process requirements. For the inspection of size and shape, measuring tools can be used for measurement to detect and correct deviations in time. The surface quality inspection mainly observes whether there are defects such as cracks, folds, scratches, etc. For the defects found, timely measures should be taken to deal with them, such as grinding, repairing or scrapping.
5. Heat treatment and surface treatment
1. Optimize the heat treatment process:
According to the type of aluminum alloy grade and the performance requirements of the product, formulate a suitable heat treatment process, such as solid solution treatment, aging treatment, etc. Solid solution treatment can fully dissolve the alloy elements in the aluminum matrix and improve the strength and toughness of the aluminum alloy. Aging treatment further improves the hardness and strength of aluminum alloy forgings by precipitating strengthening phases.
The guarantee of the quality and reliability of aluminum alloy forging process is an interlocking system engineering. Only by strictly following standards and specifications in all links from raw material control, process design, equipment maintenance, to production process control, heat treatment and surface treatment, and carrying out refined management, can the quality of aluminum alloy forgings be continuously improved and the relevant industries can be promoted to move forward steadily in the direction of high quality.
