Patent Document ID: 20040140025
Application ID: 10347948
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for producing a heat-treated aluminum alloy product in a shortened period of time, said method comprising: (a) providing a heat treatable aluminum alloy; (b) working said heat treatable aluminum alloy at a solutionizing temperature to form a product; (c) first stage cooling said product to a critical temperature at which precipitation of second phase particles of said heat treatable aluminum alloy is negligible, wherein said first stage cooling comprises a first stage cooling rate from about 15° F. per second to about 100° F. per second; (d) second stage cooling said product to ambient temperature; (e) heating said product to an artificial aging temperature; and (f) artificially aging said product at said artificial aging temperature for a predetermined artificial aging time to form said heat-treated aluminum alloy product.