Strain Rate and Temperature Dependent Plastic Response of AA7075 during Hot Forming

Abstract

High strength 7xxx series aluminum alloys are being increasingly considered for automotive applications due to their superior specific strength compared to 6xxx series alloys. Complex structural components made from 7xxx series alloys need to be manufactured through warm forming or hot stamping due to their low ductility at room temperature. For hot stamping, the AA7075 blanks are heat treated to above 480°C, yielding a supersaturated solid solution, corresponding to a W temper state. The preheated blanks are then simultaneously formed and rapidly quenched using cooled dies. The entire forming process takes place in the W temper condition. The stamped parts are further subject to an artificial aging heat treatment to achieve the desired temper through precipitation hardening. Therefore, understanding the strain rate and temperature dependent plasticity behavior of AA7075-W is critical to establish optimum design parameters for the hot stamping process. The present work is concerned with the strain rate and temperature dependent plastic response of AA7075 in the W temper state. In particular, the results from a comprehensive experimental program on uniaxial tension specimens are presented. High temperature experiments are carried out at strain rates ranging from 0.001-2/s in a universal testing machine. An induction heating system with infrared high speed imaging is used to span the entire temperature range from 180°C to 480°C, over the full range of strain rates considered. Based on the experimental results, a candidate plasticity model with an empirical mixed Swift-Voce hardening law and a Johnson-Cook type strain rate and temperature dependence is calibrated.