Advanced laser heat treatment with respect for the application for Tailored Heat Treated Blanks

Aluminum alloys offer a great potential for lightweight construction. By application of Tailored Heat Treated Blanks (THTB), the feasibility of complex car parts out of aluminum alloys can be enhanced decisively. To extend the process window for forming of aluminum, a large scale area has to be heat treated. Accordingly, this paper deals with the large scale heat treatment via laser radiation. Thereby, a multi-path heating strategy is developed and discussed. In order to get a sharp transition area, different cooling methods and the influence on the heat distribution is qualified as well. In this context, the temperature and hardness are measured.