Third party funded individual grant
Acronym: 01|F23805N
Start date : 01.08.2025
End date : 31.07.2027
As part of the IGF project titled "High-Strength Aluminium Profile Components – Roll-Formed, Closed Profiles Made of High-Strength Aluminium Alloys for Semifinishe and Complex Component Geometries," an efficient process strategy is being developed for producing complex component geometries from high-strength, closed aluminium profiles using hydroforming. The profiles are manufactured through roll forming and high-frequency induction welding, offering the advantage of a continuous production process and improved cost efficiency compared to traditional extrusion methods. The project's objective is to implement this process chain for high-strength aluminium alloys in the 6000 and 7000 series and to assess the formability of the profiles—including the weld seam and the heat-affected zone, which undergo microstructural changes—using IHU.
Key scientific questions concern the formability and weldability of the alloys, the quality and manufacturability of the weld seams, and the assessment of process-related material properties through tube expansion testing. In addition to experimentally investigating and optimizing individual process steps, the results will be used to validate the simulation models of the entire process chain. An innovative aspect of the project involves managing input and output parameters of the simulations via a centralized data platform. This platform enables statistical correlation and targeted optimization of process parameters, semi-finished product characteristics, and component quality. It is referred to as a digital shadow, based on a simplified digital twin. Finally, the new process routes will be compared and evaluated against established manufacturing methods from both economic and environmental perspectives, including the use of alloys with high recycled content. The goal is to support resource-efficient and cost-effective production of high-strength, dimensionally stable lightweight profile components at scale.
As part of the IGF project titled "High-Strength Aluminium Profile Components – Roll-Formed, Closed Profiles Made of High-Strength Aluminium Alloys for Semifinishe and Complex Component Geometries," an efficient process strategy is being developed for producing complex component geometries from high-strength, closed aluminium profiles using hydroforming. The profiles are manufactured through roll forming and high-frequency induction welding, offering the advantage of a continuous production process and improved cost efficiency compared to traditional extrusion methods. The project's objective is to implement this process chain for high-strength aluminium alloys in the 6000 and 7000 series and to assess the formability of the profiles—including the weld seam and the heat-affected zone, which undergo microstructural changes—using IHU.
Key scientific questions concern the formability and weldability of the alloys, the quality and manufacturability of the weld seams, and the assessment of process-related material properties through tube expansion testing. In addition to experimentally investigating and optimizing individual process steps, the results will be used to validate the simulation models of the entire process chain. An innovative aspect of the project involves managing input and output parameters of the simulations via a centralized data platform. This platform enables statistical correlation and targeted optimization of process parameters, semi-finished product characteristics, and component quality. It is referred to as a digital shadow, based on a simplified digital twin. Finally, the new process routes will be compared and evaluated against established manufacturing methods from both economic and environmental perspectives, including the use of alloys with high recycled content. The goal is to support resource-efficient and cost-effective production of high-strength, dimensionally stable lightweight profile components at scale.