Energy Dissipation Enhancement of Thin-Walled 6063 T5 Aluminium Tubes by Combining a Triggering Mechanism and Heat Treatment

It is necessary to reduce the weight of components while maintaining or improving their mechanical properties to withstand dynamic loads in lightweight structures. In this study, heat treatment and a trigger mechanism were implemented for a thin-walled tube of aluminium to increase energy absorption while reducing the peak crushing force. Different geometries and locations were proposed to trigger deformation in a controlled manner, in combination with heat treatments. Experimental designs for each energy absorption mechanism were performed, and designs were tested by quasi-static crushing. Data obtained from experiments were used to calculate energy absorption indicators that were used to compared designs with components without mechanism to analyse performance. By comparing proposed designs with tubes without modification, the best combination of design variables for each trigger mechanism were identified. It was determined that 160 mm from the upper side, 250 mm2 area and a rectangular trigger shape reduced peak crushing force by 22.03% and increased energy absorption by 37.76%. For heat treatment, the optimal combination was heating in a furnace at 175 degrees C for 1 h and cooling in water at 70 degrees C during 10 min while only soaking half of its length. This combination reduced peak crushing force by 19.02% and increased energy absorption 15.08%. When these mechanisms were combined on a single tube, peak crushing force was reduced by 21.63%, and energy absorption increased by 42.53%.

Automated summary

To withstand dynamic loads in lightweight structures, it is important to reduce the weight of components while maintaining or improving their mechanical properties. This study implemented heat treatment and a trigger mechanism to enhance energy absorption and reduce peak crushing force in an aluminum thin-walled tube. Experimental designs and quasi-static crushing tests were conducted to analyze the performance of different designs and components. The results showed that specific geometries and heat treatment methods significantly reduced the peak crushing force and increased energy absorption, and the combined mechanism achieved even better results.