Compound forming of 7075 aluminum alloy based on functional integration of plastic deformation and thixoformation

A compound forming technology of functional integration of plastic deformation and thixoformation was proposed. The feasibility of the proposed forming technology was verified by near net shaping of empennage-shape component with complex geometric shape including a handle and 6 blades with a small thickness of 1.5 mm. The handle and the blades were formed by plastic deformation and thixotropic deformation, respectively. 7075 alloy slurries with gradient microstructure containing thermoplastic, transition, and semisolid regions were obtained by gradient induction heating. The effect of heating rate during gradient induction heating on recrystallization of 7075 alloy was investigated. When the temperature of semisolid region was controlled in a suitable processing window between 590 and 630 °C with a heating rate of 4 °C/s, and empennage-shape component with homogenous distribution of hardness could be formed successfully by the compound forming technology.