Hot form quench

The subsequent ageing process enables precipitation and increases the strength of the components to the required level, typically 300 to 500MPa yield, depending on the aluminium alloy used.

HFQ is used where light-weighting and high levels of part integration are required where aluminium sheet is considered a suitable technical and economic proposition.

In other sectors, HFQ has been considered to replace heavy castings and machined components, currently made from aluminium where light-weighting or material utilisation are critical factors.

[20] HFQ’s main advantage is superior formability for ultra-high strength aluminium alloys, that would otherwise split during conventional cold forming.

When compared to superplastic forming,[21] which is well-established, HFQ can offer significantly higher production speeds (of up to 5 parts per minute) and a wider range of aluminium grades.

[22] The main disadvantage of HFQ compared to cold forming of aluminium is a higher cycle time and the requirement for furnace investment and fast presses, although the technology is now being utilised for medium/high volume applications as its adoption becomes more widespread.

Given that for aluminium parts produced in high volume 60-80% of the component can be raw material, once cycle times for the HFQ process are below 30 seconds, the incremental costs are relatively low versus the forming benefits.