Dr Zhutao Shao
Research Area
Aluminium alloys are increasingly used to reduce the weight of components and structures in automotive industry. The formability of aluminium alloys is limited under normal processing conditions compared to low carbon steels and other metals when forming tests are performed at room temperature. Warm forming and hot forming have been researched to overcome the low formability issues.
The forming limit curve (FLC) is a useful method for characterizing the formability of sheet metals. Many theoretical, experimental and numerical methods have been proposed to determine the FLCs of a material. It is noticed that the extrinsic factors such as temperatures, strain rates, the quality of lubrication, etc. have a dominant effect on the forming limit tests, so it is necessary to investigate the effect of these process parameters on formability.
The main aim of the research is to carry out testing and modelling of aluminium alloys on forming limits at elevated temperatures. A new material model will be presented, moreover, robust and repeatable experimental methods will be conducted for an aluminium alloy.
Research Keywords
- Automobile Industry
- Aluminium Alloys
- Warm Forming
- Hot Forming
- Forming Limit Curves (FLCs)
- Materials Modelling
- Sheet Metal Forming
Qualifications
- PhD in Mechanical Engineering
- MSc in Engineering Mechanics
Contact Details
Tel: (+44) (0)2075 949078
Email: z.shao12@imperial.ac.uk