ABSTRACT
Modern well-tailored and optimized aluminum alloys provide a huge and steadily growing application spectrum to customers of formed and cast products. A good example is the 6xxx series aluminum alloys which gradually gain momentum in the automotive industry. The high demands with respect to mechanical properties and surface appearance faced by these materials increasingly require adequate quantitative characterization measures, simulation tools, and basic understanding to build a bridge between materials scientists, materials producers, and final product designers.
