Simulation of temperature and stress in 6061 aluminum alloy during online quenching process

The cooling curves of 6061 aluminum alloy were acquired through water quenching experiment. The heat transfer coefficient was accurately calculated based on the cooling curves and the law of cooling. The online quenching process of complex cross-section profile was dynamically simulated by the ABAQUS software. The results suggest that the heat transfer coefficient changes during online quenching process. Different parts of the profile have different cooling velocity, and it was verified by water quenching experiment. The maximum residual stress of the profile was predicted using FEM simulation based on ABAQUS software. The relations between the temperature and stress were presented by analyzing the data of key points.