Characterization of mechanical properties of aluminum processed by repetitive corrugation and straightening process using Taguchi analysis

The severe plastic deformation process is capable of developing the submicron grain structures in metallic alloys and to improve the mechanical properties. Repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) processes are widely used in industries to compensate the high-strength metal plates components used in automobiles. In this work, an attempt has been made to study the influence of RCS parameters like strain rate, number of passes, and plate thickness to produce grain refinement in metallic alloys. Experiments were based on the Taguchi method and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique was an effective tool to predict the degree of importance of the RCS parameters on grain size, microhardness, and tensile strength of RCS specimens. The results indicated that the number of passes has a major influence on the fine-grain refinement, followed by Al plate thickness and strain rate. © 2012 The Author(s)