An Innovative Approach to Improving Residual Stress Distribution and Metallurgical Refinement of Forged AA7175 Applied in the Aeronautical Industry

In this study, a novel approach for residual stress (RS) distribution on forged AA7175 is considered to replace and simplify the manufacturing process, based on the lean manufacturing concept. AA7175 alloy is a quench-sensitive material applied in the aeronautics industry, which is subjected to vibration and cyclic loads leading to fatigue failure. Generally, costly postprocessing operations, such as shot peening, are used to modify RS on the surfaces of parts. Considering the fact that this operation is usually performed manually and is costly, the industrial sectors have been searching for an alternative to simplify the process. Here, quenching and T74 aging are found to advantageously modify RS distribution by forming compressive RS on parts’ surface layers. The proposed heat treatment allows for the removal of the shot-peening process, helping to reduce the costs associated with the manufacturing process and to increase production quality.