The drive for lighter stronger materials in the automotive industry has driven the development and following popularity of aluminum alloys which possess some very specific property characteristics.
AlMgSi alloys are one such material group and they are particularly popular for their excellent castability, intrinsic hardness and good corrosion resistance.
Monthly Archives: October 2014
The Aluminum Rolling Process: Part Two
There are numerous configurations of rolling mills including single stand mills and tandem stand mills.
One specific problem common to both configurations is related to the coating of the rolls which in turn can lead to surface quality issues on the finished strip. Countermeasures for this include the installation of brush rolls to maintain the cleanliness of the rollers.
Aluminum Rolling Process: Part One
The selection of aluminum for a specific use is normally in reaction to an ever increasing demand for an improved strength to weight ratio along with a number of other key property advantages.
Rolled aluminum can be presented in several forms including sheets, plates and foils, and is used in many industries adding to the flexibility and its position as a critical material for modern applications.
Metallography: Part Three
The purpose of the coarse grinding stage is to generate the initial flat surface necessary for the subsequent grinding and polishing steps. As a result of sectioning and grinding, the material may get cold worked to a considerable depth with a resultant transition zone of deformed material between the surface and the undistorted metal.
Each stage of metallographic sample preparation must be carefully performed; the entire process is designed to produce a scratch free surface by employing a series of successively finer abrasives.