DEVELOPMENT OF A FORGING TECHNIQUE BASED ON PRE-COMPACTED ALUMINIUM ALLOY GRANULES
Problem Statement (Relevance): Granulating is a novel technique for manufacturing aluminium and aluminium alloy products. Instead of the conventional ingot casting, which is a complex and effort-consuming process, the new technique is based on granules, i.e. micro-ingots with strong hereditary properties. This process does not only help reduce the labor costs of die forging, but it also offers significant benefits in terms of quality. Objectives: The study aims to improve the quality of granule products. Methods Applied: Tests were carried out to identify the effect of the forging temperature and speed on the mechanical properties of forgings. The workpieces were made of granules of the 01969 alloy, which is one of the high-strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. Pressed rectangular section billets with the elongation ratio of 10 were forged into billets with a trapezoidal cross-section. The billets were then placed in an electric furnace and heated up to a predefined temperature for two hours. Findings: It was determined that the forging process that ensures the most favourable conditions in terms of plasticity leads to enhanced mechanical properties in the finished product. The forging temperature was found to have a similar effect but to a lesser extent. The forging temperature range of 300 to 350 оC and the shear strain rate intensity of Н = =5×10-2-1×10-1 sec-1 were identified as ensuring the highest level of mechanical properties of the die forgings.