A conceptual approach to controlling the technological features of thin aluminum sheet production using kinematic asymmetry

Most severe plastic deformation (SPD) methods have little prospect for wide industrial application, unlike asymmetric rolling, which under certain conditions may be accompanied by an SPD effect. This process is suitable for producing long products of the required shape with the desired surface quality. Moreover, asymmetric rolling has proven effective as a means of increasing technological ductility, thereby reducing the number of defects in aluminum rolled products. To confirm this effect, studies were carried out on the asymmetric deformation of D16, AMg6, and AD33 aluminum alloys. Symmetric and asymmetric rolling were performed using a unique scientific installation, namely the laboratory-scale industrial 400 asymmetric rolling mill at the Zhilyaev Laboratory of Mechanics of Gradient Nanomaterials, Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University. It is shown that all the alloys studied exhibit an improved combination of mechanical and technological properties when the asymmetry factor is increased from 1 to 5. In particular, the achieved level of technological ductility during asymmetric rolling makes it possible to recommend adjustments to the standard processing route for these alloys by reducing the number of rolling–annealing cycles. In addition, this can reduce material consumption factors and consequently increase productivity. A simultaneous improvement in both strength and ductility was observed when switching from symmetric to asymmetric rolling. The property level can also be controlled by increasing or decreasing the set roll speed ratio. Using D16 alloy as an example, it was shown that strength increases by 13 % at V 1 /V 2 = 4 and by 11 % at V 1 /V 2 = 5 compared with the standard processing route. Elongation increases markedly: by a factor of 2 relative to the initial state, by a factor of 34 at V 1 /V 2 = 4, and by a factor of 41 at V 1 /V 2 = 5 compared with the values obtained using the standard route.