Sliver Reduction in Trimming Aluminum Autobody Sheet 1999-01-0661

Aluminum autobody sheets produce appreciable amounts of slivers during trimming operations when trimmed with dies conventionally designed for steel sheets. The slivers can be carried through downstream processes and cause damage to the surface of formed parts which results in significantly increased repair-rates. A systematic experimental investigation was conducted on trimming 6111-T4 and 6022-T4 aluminum autobody sheets using straight cutting blades/pads under unlubricated conditions. It is shown that slivers can be reduced or eliminated by modifying the current trimming tools designed for steel sheets. With appropriate tool design, trimming of 6111-T4 and 6022-T4 sheets actually can be more robust than that of steel sheets, the clearances can be less restrictive and tools may require much less sharpening.