Al 6061-T6 as a spring

[bama01]

Hey fellas,

I want to use a 1/16" thick x 1.5" wide strip of 6061-T6 AL as a "C" spring (about 3"in dia). Currently I am simply wrapping it around a peice of bar to achieve what I need, and it works fine for my purposes. But is there any way to heat treat this to where this spring will be more likely to return to its "C" shape as it gets slightly "spring" repeatedly?

I welcome your thoughts...


Bama01

 

[bama01]

Or could I use a different AL? Maybe a 7075?

 

[strokersix]

I think you should consider using steel instead of aluminum. If you must use aluminum perhaps you can fabricate the shape in "O" temper, then heat treat to "T6".