Lightweight design has become increasingly in focus for the manufacturing industry. Global environmental challenges, goals and legislations imply that lighter and sustainable products are imperative to remain competitive. One example is stamped products made of aluminum alloys which are of interest to the automotive industry, where lightweight designs are essential. In order to increase formability and to produce more complex geometries in stamped aluminum components there is a need to develop hot forming techniques. The Finite Element Method (FEM) has enabled important advances in the study and design of competitive manufacturing procedures for metal parts. Predicting the final geometry of a component is a complex task, especially if the forming procedure occurs at elevated temperatures. This work presents selected results from thermo-mechanical material testing procedures, FE-analyses and forming validation tests in AA6016 material. The material tests are used to determine the thermo-mechanical anisotropic properties, strain rate sensitivity and formability (Forming Limit Curves, FLC) at temperatures up to 490°C. Stretch-bending tests are performed to compare predicted results with experimental observations such as punch force, strain levels, thinning, forming temperatures, springback and failure. It was found that the heat-treatment and forming at elevated temperatures substantially increased formability and that measured responses could in general be predicted if care was taken to model the initial blank temperatures, heat transfer and thermo-mechanical material properties. The room temperature case confirms the importance of considering anisotropy. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.