Analysis of the effect of the hot stamping process on mechanical properties of 7075 aluminum alloy sheet

7075 aluminum alloy, with a high strength-to-weight ratio and good impact strength, is one of the useful materials in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, this alloy has limitations such as poor formability, high spring back at low temperatures, and thermal distortion during hot forming. To overcome these limitations, a thermomechanical process including solution heat treatment, forming, and quenching in the die can be used. In this research, for producing a U-shape part with a depth of 30 mm, a 7075 sheet with a thickness of 2 mm was first subjected to solution heat treatment at a temperature of 480 ℃, and then was immediately transferred to a cooling die to be formed at a temperature of 4 ℃ under a hold time of 20 seconds. Finally, the part was artificially aged to improve its mechanical properties. A finite element simulation of the process using the ABAQUS software was also performed. Good dimensional accuracy and absence of rupture in the final U part, close agreement between the experimental and simulation results, an acceptable 25% reduction in elongation, very close tensile strength to the base material, and microhardness equal to 95% of the base material are the results of this research.