Rolling of aluminium 1: thermomechanical processing and FEM simulation

This chapter is intended to introduce new users to the practical aspects of the thermo-mechanical processing and the finite element method. The hot rolling of aluminium alloys is the topic chosen to illustrate these aspects. This is because rolling is used worldwide and the final product from this kind of operation is the primary material for a wide range of industrial sectors including shipbuilding, construction, automobile, and manufacturing. During this practice, a piece of material is plastically deformed using rotating rolls, which deliver a product with a specific transversal section. According to their shape they can be classified into flat and long products (shape rolling). [Introduction