Patent ID: 8663405

Claim:
A method of forming a stamped component from an age-hardenable, aluminum-based alloy sheet metal workpiece, the aluminum-based alloy comprising alloying elements that form an aluminum-rich solid solution comprising at least 85% by weight of aluminum when the alloy is heated to a solutionizing temperature, the alloying elements precipitating from the aluminum-rich solid solution over time at temperatures below the solutionizing temperature to progressively age-harden the workpiece material; the method comprising; preparing an overaged aluminum alloy by solutionizing the alloy to substantially dissolve the alloying elements and form the aluminum-rich solid solution, rapidly cooling the alloy at a sufficiently rapid rate to maintain the alloying elements in solution in the aluminum-rich solid solution, aging the alloy to peak strength and continuing to age the alloy until its strength is less than 90% of its peak aged strength; forming, by stamping, an unheated workpiece sheet of the overaged aluminum alloy to produce a preform sheet with a shape intermediate between that of the workpiece and the component, the preform sheet having no splits, necks or folded metal; heating at least a portion of the preform sheet to a temperature and holding for a time sufficient to dissolve substantially all of the alloying elements into the aluminum-rich solid solution produced in the heated portion of the preform sheet; rapidly cooling the preform to retain the dissolved alloying elements in the aluminum-rich solid solution in the heated portion of the preform sheet; further forming the preform, by stamping, to fully form the component, the component having no splits or necks; and exposing the fully-formed component to a temperature between room temperature and 250° C. for a time sufficient to age-harden and strengthen the component.