Characterisation of new lubrication systems for hot forming of high strength aluminum alloys

Nowadays, fuel-efficient vehicles with high safety standards are required in the automotive industry. Lightweight materials like aluminum alloys play an important role for this development because of their high specific strength and low density. However, the application of high strength aluminum alloys is still restricted due to the limited formability at low temperatures. By the use of thermal supported forming processes, complex part geometries can be realized. Nevertheless, the high adhesion tendency of heated aluminum alloys and the lack of manufacturing-friendly and temperature-resistant lubrication systems limit the applications of hot-formed aluminum parts. New dry lubrication systems have been developed to overcome these challenges. In this contribution, the influence of different dry lubricants on the forming behavior of heated aluminum is analyzed. Therefore, the lubricants are investigated within a hot forming and quenching process. The results of the forming operations reveal that the necessary forming forces and the adhesive wear are reduced and therefore there is a high potential of the new dry lubrication systems for hot forming operations of aluminum alloys.