×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

aluminum formability

aluminum formability

aluminum formability

(OP)
Which is the best and widely available aluminum alloy for formability?

RE: aluminum formability

Formable as in casting, extruding, bending or other?  Depends on your application.  Formability can be gained with many allows, but not necessarily in their higher tempering ranges.  For instance a 6061-T0 would be "formable", but using a 6061-T6 the "formability" would be reduced, depending on the forming required.

RE: aluminum formability

(OP)
Formable as in bending.

RE: aluminum formability

Depends on the bend radius.  You might consider using a lower temper with ageing to gain strength.  60 series allows work pretty well for this.  Bending at T4 temper then ageing to a higher temper is possible.

RE: aluminum formability

Alloy 1100 (essentially pure Al) in the annealed condition will have the highest formability, but has an extremely low yield strength (~ 35-50 MPa).  Alloy 3003-O (annealed) is also very formable with low yield strength.

RE: aluminum formability

Widely available:
5052-H32
or
5052-H34 (a little harder)

 

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: aluminum formability

The 3xxx series alloys are generally easily formable.  3003, 3105, etc.

RE: aluminum formability

Agree with Mike, the 5000 series alloys have decent strength, good formability, and are corrosion resistant.

RE: aluminum formability

anything can be formed ... suggest you consult a sheet metal mechanic's handbook.

is heat treating out of the question ? (it is common to heat treat to O-condition, form (2024T3,7075T6, ...), and then heat treat back to the desired strength)

if it is then each alloy has it's own rules as to what can be achieved easily ... 2024T3 will happily bend at radii of 3t, 7075T6 likes a bit more (5t) but can work to 3t if care is taken ...

please, just a few more details ...

RE: aluminum formability

Lead is used in many of the alloys to increase machinability and possibly formability.  So be careful if you are exporting to any countries that restrict lead on imports that need to meet RoHS compliance.  (unless of course you claim exemption)

RE: aluminum formability

Lead does NOT enhance formability in aluminum alloys.

RE: aluminum formability

Thanks for clearing that up.  That's why I said 'possibly' :D

RE: aluminum formability

Agreeing with previous posters, 1100, 3003 and 5052-H32 are going to be the most formable and widely available.  In extrusions, 6063-T52 is nice material to work with.

RE: aluminum formability

Agree with the others, 5052-H32 is very common and easily formable.  You need to use a decent bend radius to avoid cracking, a radius of about the thickness is usually enough.  Also forming a hem will cause cracking.

RE: aluminum formability

Also be aware that bending across the grain is different than bending with the grain.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources