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Characteristics of Aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks for Automotive Panels and Structures
Technology Category: Mechanical Testing, Engineering Analysis and Modeling, Metallography
Description: The objective of this work is to characterize fabrication and durability characteristics of aluminum tailor welded blanks in order to demonstrate their viability for high volume, low cost stamped automotive panels and structures. The motivation for the work is to make application of lightweight aluminum components into modern automobiles to reduce the vehicle weight and improve the fuel economy. A major portion of the research is focused on determining the mechanical properties of various heat treatable or non-heat treatable aluminum tailor welded blank combinations. The mechanical testing currently includes uniaxial tensile, fatigue, corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, and simulative automotive stamping. Microstructural evaluation of weld material and resulting weld heat affect zones are important aspects to weld characterization to understand material response. Finite Element Modeling is being used to formulate accurate constitutive relations to allow complete description of material response during manufacture. The work is aimed at producing a method automotive design engineers can implement in predicting the manufacturing limitations of various aluminum tailor welded blanks, and predicting component life in vehicle service.
 Starting Blank Photo Courtesy Reynolds Metals Company and Ogihara America Corporation |
 Formed Aluminum Tailor Welded Blank: Door Inner Photo Courtesy Reynolds Metals Company and Ogihara America Corporation |
 Finite Element Formability Analysis Photo Courtesy Reynolds Metals Company and Ogihara America Corporation |
Point of Contact: Rich Davies (509) 376-5035 or Mark Smith (509) 376-2847