Warm forming of aluminium alloys: an overview and future directions

Aluminium offers the advantages of a high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. However, the low formability of aluminium sheets limits their use in some products with complex shapes, such as automotive body parts. The warm forming process is intended to alleviate this problem by using an elevated forming temperature which is below the level for recrystallisation. This paper will review the existing knowledge of warm forming of aluminium as a way to improve formability. The appropriate constitutive material models as well as experimental work to date will be discussed. Several areas that require further study in order to realise the true potential of warm forming of aluminium will be identified.