METHOD OF MAKING A ROLLED ALUMINUM PRODUCT
A method of making a rolled aluminum product comprises sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into at least two separate aluminum slabs and rolling at least one of the slabs unclad and unbrazed. In some embodiments, the ingot is sawn horizontally, across its face, as so that, the slabs are equal in length to the ingot. In some embodiments, at least one of the slabs is rolled to form a one of a plate, sheet or foil. The rolling can be hot rolling or cold rolling. Some embodiments further comprise scalping the aluminum ingot. In some embodiments, the sawing of the ingot eliminates or reduces the need to scalp the aluminum ingot and scalping is not performed. Some embodiments further comprise sawing curved edges off the aluminum slabs.
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Rolled aluminum is used in a variety of products. Many steps are performed to produce rolled aluminum products from an ingot of aluminum. Also, a substantial portion of aluminum in the ingot ends up as waste.
SUMMARYReferring to
Sawing means slicing or cutting. Sawing can be done using a band saw, circular saw, laser, water or by any means or apparatus capable of sawing an aluminum ingot. In some embodiments, the sawing is done with a horizontal band saw 402, shown in
An aluminum ingot is a block of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, typically oblong in shape.
Rolling is a fabrication technique where an aluminum alloy body, slab in this case, is decreased in thickness, generally via pressure applied by rollers. In some embodiments, at least one of the slabs is rolled to form a one of a plate, sheet or foil. The rolling can be hot rolling or cold rolling. In cold rolling, the aluminum alloy body enters the rolling equipment at a temperature below that used for hot rolling, i.e. not greater than 205° C. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy slab enters the rolling equipment at ambient conditions, i.e., the cold rolling step is initiated at ambient conditions. The rolling step may be completed in one or more rolling passes. In one embodiment, the rolling step rolls the aluminum alloy slab from an intermediate gauge to a final gauge. The rolling step may result in a sheet, plate, or foil product. In some embodiments the aluminum alloy slab is hot rolled and enters the rolling equipment at a temperature greater than 205° C.
Unclad and unbrazed means the slab is not layered with another metal alloy or any other article, other than lubrication and incidental impurities, during rolling.
A slab is a portion of the ingot.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the ingot is sawn in half to form two slabs having thicknesses that are approximately equal. Approximately equal means varying by no more than 20 mm. In some embodiments, the thicknesses of the slabs are not approximately equal. In some embodiments, the ingot is sawn into more than two separate aluminum slabs 220.
Some embodiments further comprise sawing curved edges, or a “D-radius”, off of the aluminum slabs 240. The D-radius refers to the curvature of the ingot sides which look like a “D”. In some embodiments, after sawing the curved edges off the aluminum slabs, the aluminum slabs have a substantially rectangular cross-section.
In some embodiments, the edges are sawn at an angle other than 90 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees resulting in angular facets.
Referring to
The above technique can also be used to saw ingots into multiple slabs that are even thinner than half the thickness of the original ingot. In some embodiments, instead of sawing the ingot into two halves, the ingot is sawn at least one additional time into more than two slabs 220.
In some embodiments, the ingot is a cast 7xxx alloy ingot.
Referring to
While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
All features disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstracts, and drawings, and all the steps in any method or process disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means” for performing a specified function or “step” for performing a specified function should not be interpreted as a “means or step for” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. §112.
Claims
1. A method comprising:
- sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into at least two separate aluminum slabs; and
- rolling at least one of the slabs unclad and unbrazed.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the rolling is at least one of hot rolling and cold rolling.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising scalping the aluminum ingot.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the two separate aluminum slabs have thicknesses that are approximately equal.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into at least two separate aluminum slabs comprises sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into more than two separate aluminum slabs.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sawing is done with a horizontal saw.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sawing curved edges off the aluminum slabs
8. The method of claim 8 wherein after sawing the curved edges off the aluminum slabs the aluminum slabs have a substantially rectangular cross-section.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sawing or machining the edges at an angle.
10. The method of claim 10 wherein after sawing or machining the edges off the aluminum slab, the aluminum slabs have a substantially angular cross-section.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the slabs is rolled to form a one of a plate, sheet or foil.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the ingot is sawn horizontally.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 28, 2012
Publication Date: Apr 3, 2014
Applicant: ALCOA INC. (Pittsburgh, PA)
Inventors: David Humphreys (Worcester), Gerriet Feyen (Solihull), Ching Kim Chua (Birmingham)
Application Number: 13/630,097