Aluminum Alloy Vehicular Member

1. A method of producing a vehicular structural member, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of aluminum base alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities; (b) working said body to produce a wrought aluminum sheet product; (c) solution heat treating said wrought sheet aluminum product on a continuous basis at a temperature within the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F. in order to produce a structure having a fine grain size; (d) quenching said sheet product; (e) aging said sheet product to a condition having a substantially stable level of mechanical properties to provide a solution heat treated, quenched and aged product having a 26 to 31% elongation, a yield strength in the range of 12 to 30 ksi, and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce a deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies; and (f) forming said aged product in said condition into said structural member.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein Si is in the range of 0.55 to 0.75 wt. %.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein Mg is in the range of 0.3 to 0.45 wt. %.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein Cu is in the range of 0.85 to 1.0 wt. %.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein Fe is in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 wt. %.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said product in said step (e) is naturally aged to a T4 condition and is formed in said T4 condition into said structural member which is heated to a temperature of 225.degree. F. to 500.degree. F., thereby increasing the strength thereof.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the solution heat treating is performed in less than four minutes.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the solution heat treating is performed in less than two minutes.

9. A method of producing a vehicular structural member, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of aluminum base alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.55 to 0.75% Si, 0.3 to 0.45% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.85 to 1.0% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities; (b) working said body to produce a wrought aluminum sheet product; (c) solution heat treating said wrought sheet aluminum product on a continuous basis for a period of less than two minutes at a temperature within the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F. in order to produce a structure having a fine grain size; (d) quenching said sheet product; (e) naturally aging said sheet product to a T4 condition to provide a solution heat treated, quenched and aged product having a 26 to 31% elongation, a yield strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce a deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies; and (f) forming said aged product in said T4 condition into said structural member and artificially aging said product at a temperature of 225.degree. F. to 500.degree. F., thereby increasing its strength.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the fine grain size is at least 15,000 grains per cubic millimeter.

11. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said structural member has a heat curable coating thereon, and the heating in said step (f) of said claim 9 cures the coating as well as strengthens the structural member.

12. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the product is a sheet product having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 inch.

13. The method in accordance with claim 9 including hot rolling said body into a sheet product at a temperature in the range of 400.degree. F. to 1050.degree. F.

14. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein solution heat treating is performed at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1000.degree. F.

15. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein Fe is in the range of 0.05 to 0.2 wt. %.

16. A method of producing a plural panel vehicular structural member having spaced generally parallel inner and outer panels connected along peripheral portions thereof comprising the steps of: (a) providing a body of aluminum base alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.75 to 1.0% Cu, less than 0.08%, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities; (b) homogenizing said body at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (c) hot rolling said body to produce a hot rolled sheet; (d) cold rolling said hot rolled sheet to provide a cold rolled sheet ranging in thickness between 0.019 and 0.077 inch; (e) solution heat treating said cold rolled sheet at a temperature within the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (f) quenching said sheet; (g) aging said sheet product to a condition having a substantially stable level of mechanical properties to provide a solution heat treated, quenched and aged product having a 26 to 31% elongation, a yield strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce a deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies; (h) forming a portion of such aged sheet product substantially at room temperature into an outer panel member by operations including stamping; (i) forming a further portion of such aged sheet product substantially at room temperature into an inner panel by operations including deep drawing in mild steel forming dies to produce a panel having raised and recessed portions imparting flexural stiffness thereto; (j) connecting said inner and outer panels together at peripheral portions thereof to provide a plural panel vehicular structural member; (k) applying a heat curable coating to at least one surface portion of said automotive structure; and (l) heating said vehicular structure to a temperature of 225.degree. F. to 500.degree. F. to cure said coating and to increase the strength of said plural panel vehicular structure.

17. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said panels are connected by hemming the same together.

18. In a method of producing a sheet product for forming into vehicular structural members wherein an aluminum alloy product is formed to produce said sheet, the improvement wherein said sheet is provided as an alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.75 to 1.0% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities, said sheet further being provided in the condition resulting from: (a) working sad body to produce a wrought aluminum sheet product; (b) solution heat treating said wrought sheet aluminum product on a continuous basis at a temperature within the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F. in order to produce a structure having a fine grain size; (c) quenching said sheet product; and (d) aging said sheet product to a condition having a substantially stable level of mechanical properties to provide a solution heat treated, quenched and aged product having a 26 to 31% elongation, a yield strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce a deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies.

19. In the method in accordance with claim 18 wherein said working of said body includes rolling into a sheet product having a thickness in the range of 0.10 to 0.25 inch.

20. In the method of producing a vehicular panel wherein an aluminum alloy product is formed to produce said panel, the improvement wherein said product is provided as an alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85 wt. % Si, 0.25 to 0.48 wt. % Mg, 0.05 to 0.40 wt. % Fe, 0.75 to 1.0 wt. % Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities, said product further being provided in the condition resulting from: (a) homogenizing a body of said alloy at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (b) hot rolling said body to produce a hot rolled sheet having a thickness in the range of 0.10 to 0.25 inch; (c) cold rolling said hot rolled sheet to provide a cold rolled sheet having a thickness in the range of 0.019 to 0.077 inch; (d) continuously heat treating said cold rolled sheet at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (e) quenching said sheet at a rate of at least 10.degree. F./sec. to a temperature of 350.degree. F. or less; and (f) aging said sheet product to a condition having a substantially stable level of mechanical properties to provide a solution heat treated, quenched and aged product having a 26 to 31% elongation, a yield strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce a deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies.

21. In the method of producing a plural panel vehicular structure having inner and outer sheet panels connected together along peripheral portions thereof, said outer panel being formed from a metal sheet to provide a configuration representative of a portion of an automotive body, and said inner panel being formed from metal sheet to provide a plurality of raised channel-like portions serving to increase the flexural strength of said second panel, the improvement wherein said metal sheet for said inner and outer panels is provided as an aluminum base alloy sheet product, said alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.75 to 1.0% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities, said aluminum alloy sheet product being in the condition resulting from: (a) homogenizing a body of said alloy at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (b) hot rolling said body into a sheet having a thickness in the range of 0.10 to 0.25 inch; (c) cold rolling said sheet to a thickness in the range of 0.019 to 0.077 inch; (d) solution heat treating said sheet at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (e) quenching said sheet at a rate of at least 10.degree. F./sec. to a temperature of 350.degree. F. or less, said sheet, after natural aging in a T4 condition, being characterized by having a yield strength of from 12 to 31 ksi, a fine grain size of 15,000 grains/mm.sup.3 or finer; and (f) aging said sheet product to a condition having a substantially stable level of mechanical properties to provide a solution heat treated, quenched and aged product having a 26 to 31% elongation and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce said inner panel having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies.

22. In the method of producing a plural panel vehicular structure having inner and out panels connected together along peripheral portions thereof, said outer panel being formed from an aluminum alloy sheet to provide a configuration representative of a portion of a vehicle body, and said inner panel being formed from an aluminum alloy sheet to provide a plurality of raised channel-like portions serving to increase the flexural strength of said second panel, and said structure having a coating curable by heating to a temperature of from 225.degree. F. to about 500.degree. F., the improvement wherein said sheet for at least one of said inner and outer panels is provided as an aluminum base alloy sheet product, said alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.75 to 1.0% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities, said sheet product being in the condition resulting from: (a) homogenizing said body at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; (b) hot rolling said body into a sheet having a thickness in the range of 0.10 to 0.25 inch; (c) cold rolling said sheet to a thickness in the range of 0.019 to 0.077 inch; (d) continuously solution heat treating said sheet at a temperature in the range of 900.degree. F. to 1100.degree. F.; and (e) quenching said sheet at a rate of at least 10.degree. F./sec. to a temperature of 350.degree. F. or less, said sheet, after natural aging to a T4 condition, being characterized by having a yield strength of from 12 to 31 ksi, a fine grain size of 15,000 grains/mm3 or finer, and capable of being formed in mild steel forming dies to produce said inner panel having a shape substantially identical to a mild steel formed in said dies, and after heating to cure said coating and artificially age the sheet, by a yield strength of 10 ksi, or more, higher than that of said T4 condition.

23. An alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.

24. An alloy in accordance with claim 23 wherein Si is in the range of 0.55 to 0.75 wt. %.

25. An alloy in accordance with claim 23 wherein Mg is in the range of 0.3 to 0.45 wt. %.

26. An alloy in accordance with claim 23 wherein Cu is in the range of 0.85 to 1.0 wt. %.

27. An alloy in accordance with claim 23 wherein Fe is in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 wt. %.

28. An alloy in accordance with claim 23 wherein Fe is in the range of 0.05 to 0.2 wt. %.

29. A vehicular member comprised of aluminum base alloys consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48% Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.

30. An alloy in accordance with claim 29 wherein Si is in the range of 0.55 to 0.75 wt. %.

31. An alloy in accordance with claim 29 wherein Mg is in the range of 0.3 to 0.45 wt. %.

32. An alloy in accordance with claim 29 wherein Cu is in the range of 0.85 to 1.0 wt. %.

33. A sheet product the sheet product comprised of an aluminum base alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48 Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.

34. A sheet product in accordance with claim 33 wherein Si is in the range of 0.55 to 0.75 wt. %.

35. A sheet product in accordance with claim 33 wherein Mg is in the range of 0.3 to 0.45 wt. %.

36. A sheet product in accordance with claim 33 wherein Fe is in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 wt. %.

37. Vehicular panel members fabricated from a sheet product consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48 Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.

38. A vehicular panel member in accordance with claim 37 wherein said member is an inner panel formed from said sheet product in mild steel forming dies to produce a deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies.

39. A vehicular panel member in accordance with claim 37 wherein said member includes an outer panel.

40. A plural panel vehicular structural member having spaced general parallel inner and outer panels connected along peripheral portions thereof, said panels comprised of an alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48 Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities and said inner panel being deep drawn product and formed in mild steel forming dies to produce said deep drawn product having a shape substantially identical to mild steel formed in said dies.

41. A plural panel vehicular structural member in accordance with claim 40 wherein said panels are connected by hemming in steel hemming dies.

42. In the method of producing shaped vehicular members wherein a sheet product is shaped to prodce a panel vehicular structural member, the improvement wherein said sheet product is provided in solution- heat treated condition as an alloy consisting essentially of, by weight percent, 0.5 to 0.85% Si, 0.25 to 0.48 Mg, 0.05 to 0.40% Fe, 0.7 to 1.1% Cu, less than 0.08% Mn, the balance essentially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.