Preliminary Study on the Formability of a Laser-Welded Superplastic Aluminum Alloy

• Published in: Journal of materials engineering and performance 2014-11, Vol.23 (11), p.4154-4162
• Main Authors: Sorgente, D., Corizzo, O., Brandizzi, M., Tricarico, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Corrosion and Coatings; Engineering Design; Exact sciences and technology; Forming; Joining, thermal cutting: metallurgical aspects; Materials Science; Metals. Metallurgy; Production techniques; Quality Control; Reliability; Safety and Risk; Tribology; Welding
• ISSN: 1059-9495; 1544-1024
• DOI: 10.1007/s11665-014-1206-2

In this work, the effect of the laser-material interaction on the formability of a superplastic aluminum alloy was investigated. In applications such as Tailor-Welded Blanks and in the manufacturing of very large components with a complex shape, laser welding combined with superplastic forming may be a very fitting industrial tool. Bead on plate tests were carried out in order to simulate the laser-welding process and then, free inflation tests were performed to evaluate the compatibility of these two processing techniques. The Al-Mg alloy used in this work has a very small grain size which ensures the superplastic behavior. With the aim of preserving this peculiarity, the following aspects on the formability were investigated: (i) the surface condition of the bead before the forming test (with and without the removal of the excess of metal); (ii) the effect of the travel speed of the laser source on the mean grain size; (iii) the introduction of a refiner, commonly used in aluminum casts, in the molten pool in order to further reduce the mean grain size.