## 1 Introduction  
The mechanical attributes of extruded profiles are subject to modification, among other factors, by the cooling rate implemented after extrusion. This is due to the fact that the process significantly influences the concentration of alloying elements, such as silicon and magnesium, which remain in a solid-state solution. This amount will be later available for precipitation hardening through Mg\({}_{2}\)Si formation in the subsequent artificial aging process [1; 2; 3]. The metallurgical condition of profiles affects the formability, and currently, a lot of investigations have been carried out in order to discover the most appropriate thermal processing for achieving the desirable combination of strength and ductility as this is manifested by tensile, compression, and three-point bend testing [4; 5; 6]. This happens, because as the strength of the material is increased and the metallurgical condition reaches the T6 condition the ductility is decreased. Fracture toughness does not follow a specific trend, as this property consists of a combination of strength and ductility. In terms of phase transformations during aging, two processes occurring simultaneously affect seriously the mechanical properties. One effect, identified in the literature [7; 8; 9], involves the formation of precipitate-free zones (PFZs) at the boundaries of grains. This occurrence has the potential to result in a lack of coherence between grains, which can be consequential under the application of tensile stresses. In order to assess the mechanical characteristics of samples, the application of tensile stresses is executed by means of a three-point bending test, which acts upon the outer bent surface of specimens. The PFZs constitute weak regions inside a matrix of higher strength (intragranular areas), since they lean on alloying elements and no precipitation hardening occurs. The reduction in ductility can be attributed to a second factor, namely the occurrence of grain boundary precipitation. This phenomenon is notably accentuated, when precipitates achieve a thermodynamically stable and non-coherent \(\beta\)-phase state. In this scenario, they act as stress concentrators, similar to coarser AlFeSi intermetallic particles that are widely disseminated throughout the matrix [10; 11; 12]. This process of precipitation is highly effective in diminishing ductility, as it serves to exacerbate the concentration of stress at specific sites within the material. These phase transformations are well explained by the mechanism of rapid vacancies diffusion at high temperature annealing and vacancies-depleted zones formation. With regard to the outcomes of three-point bending tests, it has been demonstrated that the inception of macroscopic cracking transpires primarily on the outer bent surface and that ultimate fracture results from a sequence of mechanisms. Such mechanisms include the development of shear bands in intragranular locations, the rotation and decohesion of grain boundaries, and the amplification of the number of grain boundary decohesion sites, culminating in the final failure of the sample. This is assisted by coalescence of voids formed and extended among coarse intermetallic particles and grain boundaries precipitation [12]. In another work, it has been shown that the load direction is important and transverse testing can reveal differences in formability more easily than longitudinal tests [13; 14]. Texture analysis has emerged as a pivotal tool in the investigation of fracture performance of extruded profiles, with software packages providing a range of options for identifying sites that are susceptible to crack initiation. Among the available methods, Taylor factor maps have been proven to be highly informative in portraying this tendency, with the frequency and location of interfaces characterized by high Taylor factor values being indicative of the bending performance of a material. The work of [PERSON] [15] has previously demonstrated the utility of such maps in this context.