Analysis and simulation research on thickness control effect of U-groove aluminum alloy profile based on ECAP with rubber mandrel.

Aluminum alloy profiles are widely used in traffic transportations. Both enough strength and precise shape are needed in these profiles. A novel ECAP with rubber mandrel is used to strengthen complex U-groove profiles. This ECAP is comprehensively researched by analytical and simulation as well as experimental methods in all the three situations "N," "U," and "C." The shape control mechanism will be received by analytical method. The thicknesses vertical to the deformation plane can be controlled by plane deformation, while the thicknesses parallel to the deformation plane can be controlled by the constant thickness ratio. The simulations and experiments will be both used to verify the shape control effects. Finally, there will be more stresses in situation "U" based on the stress nephograms. The shape control results in situation "C" are better than these in situations "N" and "U" from both simulations and experiments. Based on the research in this paper, U-groove aluminum profiles are suggested to be formed by ECAP with rubber mandrel in situation "C." This may be a strategy for U-groove aluminum profiles formed by ECAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]