Warm-Stamping Mechanical Behavior and Microstructural Characterization of Al-Si Metal Sheets Using Water Refrigerated Tooling

The use of water refrigerated tooling in a labo- ratory scale was used to simulate conditions of warm (500°C) stamping of aluminum plates with 0.8 mm in thickness. The work presents load-displacement curves of room temperature and heat treated samples during stamping at 120 and 240 mm/min, effect of the treatment in the anisotropic charac- teristics of the rolled sheet plate and electron microscopy analysis along with element detection, as this alloy contains small amounts of silicon. The processes resembles a solution treatment and, thus, also an aging treatment at 120°C for 12 h was carried out in order to understand the application possibilities of the manufacturing process in the automotive or aero-space industry.