US 11,854,714 B2
High throughput continuous processing of aluminum alloys for electrical interconnect components
Trevor L Goodrich, Natick, MA (US); Aaron M. Vodnick, East Greenwich, RI (US); Robert P. Willis, Lincoln, RI (US); and Joseph G. Kaiser, Barrington, RI (US)
Assigned to Materion Corporation, Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed by Materion Corporation, Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 27, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/417,551.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/288,207, filed on Jan. 28, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2017/0221598 A1, Aug. 3, 2017
Int. Cl. H01B 1/02 (2006.01); C22F 1/04 (2006.01); B23K 101/38 (2006.01)
CPC H01B 1/023 (2013.01) [C22F 1/04 (2013.01); B23K 2101/38 (2018.08)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing an aluminum alloy coil, the method comprising:
a tempering process including:
performing a first reel-to-reel process, the first reel-to-reel process comprising:
rolling the aluminum alloy off a first feed reel, annealing the aluminum alloy to solutionize the aluminum alloy, quenching the aluminum alloy, and passing the aluminum alloy to a take up reel to form an annealed aluminum alloy coil;
performing a second reel-to-reel process comprising rolling reduction and roll cladding a contact metal onto the aluminum alloy to form a cladded aluminum alloy coil; and
performing a precipitation hardening heat treatment on the cladded aluminum alloy coil, wherein the cladded aluminum alloy coil has a tensile strength of greater than 42 ksi and yield strength of greater than 35 ksi; and
performing a third reel-to-reel process comprising electroplating a contact metal on the cladded aluminum alloy coil formed by the tempering process.