Aluminum Discs For Deep Drawing

High quality aluminum discs products are suitable for deep drawing processes. Key requirements for aluminum discs with excellent deep drawing performance are high ductility, low yield strength, uniform microstructure and thickness, while also ensuring dimensional stability and surface quality after forming.

Materials of aluminum discs for deep drawing:

- 1000 Series:

1050, 1060, 1070, 1100 and other grades are pure aluminum with excellent ductility and conductivity. They offer superior deep-drawing performance and resist cracking during the deep-drawing process. They are suitable for products requiring low strength but high formability, such as lampshades, decorative discs and small kitchenware (such as aluminum pot linings).

- 3000 Series:

3003 is an aluminum-manganese alloy with excellent formability and weldability. It also offers a certain degree of corrosion resistance and maintains its shape well during the deep-drawing process. These grades of aluminum discs are commonly used in the manufacture of products requiring deep-drawing and corrosion resistance, such as kitchenware (non-stick pan linings, rice cooker linings), can bodies and radiator casings.

- 5000 Series:

These aluminum-magnesium alloys, such as 5052 and 5083, offer high strength and excellent corrosion resistance. They are suitable for deep-drawn products requiring high strength and corrosion resistance, such as automotive parts and marine products, including fuel tanks, battery housings, accessories for marine environments (such as small boat parts), and high-pressure aluminum kettles.

Specifications of deep drawing aluminum discs:

- Diameter: Aluminum discs typically range from 100-1200mm, with some manufacturers offering custom sizes for larger or smaller diameters.

- Thickness: Thickness generally ranges from 0.5-6.0mm, with varying thickness requirements depending on the application. Thinner discs are suitable for lampshades, while thicker ones are used for kitchenware.

Production process of aluminum discs for deep drawing:

The process typically includes casting, homogenization, cold rolling, blanking, and annealing. Cold rolling with an appropriate deformation rate allows the aluminum alloy to achieve the desired processing properties. Homogenization treatment is then used to control the morphology and distribution of compounds in the matrix, reducing the possibility of stress concentration during deep drawing. Finally, blanking and annealing treatments produce high-performance deep drawn aluminum discs.

Key performance indicators of aluminum discs for deep drawing:

Simply selecting the right material is not enough. The performance parameters of the aluminum disc must meet the following requirements to ensure a stable deep-drawing process and qualified finished products:

- Elongation

This is a core indicator of ductility. The higher the elongation, the greater the deformation it can withstand during deep drawing and the less likely it is to crack.

1060/1070: Annealed elongation ≥ 30% (O-state);

3003: Annealed elongation ≥ 25% (O-state);

5052: Annealed elongation ≥ 20% (O-state).

- Yield Strength

The lower the yield strength, the easier the material undergoes plastic deformation, making deep drawing less demanding, minimizing die wear, and reducing springback in the finished product. The yield strength must be controlled within 120 MPa (in the O state, fully annealed). If the yield strength is too high (e.g., in the cold-rolled state), deep drawing can easily result in "cracks" or "shape distortion."

- Thickness Uniformity

Thickness deviation must be strictly controlled within ±0.03 mm (depending on product precision requirements, some high-end applications require ±0.01 mm).

If the thickness is too thin in some areas, stress concentration in that area during deep drawing can cause cracking. If the thickness is too thick, uneven force is applied to the mold and the wall thickness of the finished product is inconsistent.

- Grain Size

The finer and more uniform the grains, the more uniform the deformation during deep drawing, and the smoother the finished product surface (avoiding "orange peel defects").

Grain size grade ≥ 7 (ASTM standard, grain diameter ≤ 0.02 mm) is generally required, achieved through "homogenization annealing + cold rolling deformation control."

- Surface Quality

The surface must be smooth and free of defects: scratches, oil stains, oxidation spots, and indentations. Otherwise, oil stains will adhere to the mold during deep drawing, and scratches will become stress concentration points, leading to cracking.

Surface roughness (Ra): Generally required to be ≤ 1.6μm (≤ 0.8μm for mirror-grade finishes), ensuring a smooth finished appearance.

Typical application scenarios of aluminum discs for deep drawing:

- Non-stick Pan/Rice Cooker Liner: Medium-deep drawing (20-50mm depth), require corrosion resistance, smooth surface, and resistance to deformation after forming. Recommend 3003 aluminum discs (preferred), 5052 (when high strength is required).

- Can Body: Deep drawing (50-80mm depth), require rood ductility, uniform wall thickness, and resistance to internal pressure. Recommend 3004 aluminum discs(an improved version of 3003 with higher elongation).

- Automobile Fuel Tank/Battery Case: Deep drawing (80-150mm depth), require high strength, impact resistance, and resistance to fuel/electrolyte corrosion. Recommend 5082 (better ductility than 5052, suitable for ultra-deep drawing).

- Lamp Shade: Shallow drawing (≤20mm depth), require beautiful surface, easy to color (anodized), recommend 1060, 1070 aluminum discs.

- High-pressure Aluminum Kettle: Deep drawing (60-100mm depth), require high strength, high temperature resistance (water boiling scene), recommend 5052 aluminum discs.