Study of Corrosion, Structural, and Mechanical Properties of EN AW-6082 and EN AW-7075 Welded Joints.

The purpose of the work was to test the welded joints of aluminum alloys EN AW-7075 and EN AW-6082, which are used to join individual structural elements of car bodies, e.g., B-pillar with the body. The joints were made using the low-energy cold metal transfer (CMT) arc welding method. The results of the structure investigations of lap and butt joints, as well as tests of mechanical properties are presented. The influence of linear energy and the way of arranging materials in lap joints on the possibility of hot cracks occurrence has been demonstrated. The shear strength of lap joints was equal to 150 MPa, while the tensile strength of butt joints was equal to 375 MPa. The highest hardness reduction was observed in the heat affected zone (HAZ) from the EN AW-7075 alloy side in the range of 98 to 138 HV 0.05. In addition, a significant reduction of the corrosion resistance in the transition zone between HAZ and the base material (EN AW-7075 alloy) in the medium salinity environment, corresponding to the sea conditions according to ASTM G85 was indicated.

Application of a Prototype Thermoplastic Treatment Line in Order to Design a Thermal Treatment Process of Forgings with the Use of the Heat from the Forging Process.

The global production of die forgings is an important branch of the motor industry for obvious reasons, resulting from the very good mechanical properties of the forged products. The expectations of the recipients, beside the implementation of the forging process, include also a range of supplementary procedures, such as finishing treatment including shot blasting, thermal treatment, and machining, in order to ensure the proper quality of the provided semi-product or the ready detail for the assembly line. Especially important in the aspect of the operational properties of the products is the thermal treatment of the forgings, which can be implemented in many variants, depending on the expected results. Unfortunately, a treatment of this type, realized separately after the forging process, is very time and energy-consuming; additionally, it significantly raises the production costs due to the increased energy consumption resulting from the necessity of repeated heating of the forgings for such thermal treatment. The article reviews the most frequently applied (separately, after the forging process) thermal treatments for die forgings together with the devices/lines assigned for them, as well as presents an alternative (thermoplastic) method of forging production with the use of the forging heat. The paper also presents a prototype semi-industrial controlled cooling line developed by the authors, which allows the development of the assumed heat treatment of forgings directly after forging with the use of forging heat, together with sample results of conducted tests.