Chapter 15 Extrusion and Drawing of Metals1
Chapter 15 Extrusion and Drawing of Metals1
Chapter 15 Extrusion and Drawing of Metals1
Figure 15.3 Types of extrusion: (a) indirect; (b) hydrostatic; (c) lateral;
Types of Extrusion
Figure 15.4 Process variables in direct extrusion. The die angle, reduction in cross-section,
extrusion speed, billet temperature, and lubrication all affect the extrusion pressure.
Extrusion Force
Extrusion Force,
Ao
Extrusion force, F Ao k ln
A
f
Figure 15.7 Typical extrusion-die configurations: (a) die for nonferrous metals; (b) die for
ferrous metals; (c) die for a T-shaped extrusion made of hot-work die steel and used with
molten glass as a lubricant. Source: (c) Courtesy of LTV Steel Company.
Extrusion - Tubing
FIGURE l5.8 Extrusion of a seamless tube (a) using an internal mandrel that moves
independently of the ram. (An alternative arrangement has the mandrel integral with
the ram.) (b) using a spider die (see Fig. 15.9) to produce seamless tubing.
Extrusion in Creation of Intricate Parts
Figure 15.8 (a) An extruded 6063-T6 aluminum-ladder lock for aluminum extension ladders. This
part is 8 mm (5/16 in.) thick and is sawed from the extrusion (see Fig. 15.2). (b-d) Components of
various dies for extruding intricate hollow shapes. Source: (b-d) After K. Laue and H. Stenger
Design of Exruded Cross-Sections
Some guidelines for proper die design in extrusion are:
importance of symmetry of cross section.
avoidance of sharp corners.
avoidance of extreme changes in die dimensions within the cross
section.
Figure 15.9 Poor and good examples of cross-sections to be extruded. Note the importance of
eliminating sharp corners and of keeping section thicknesses uniform. Source: J.G. Bralla (ed.);
Handbook of Product Design for Manufacturing. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company,
1986. Used with permission.
Hot extrusion - Die Materials and
Lubrication
Die material: hot-work die steels.
Zirconia coatings may be applied to extend die life.
Lubrication:
Lubrication is important in hot extrusion because of its
effects on:
A. material flow during extrusion,
B. surface finish and integrity,
C. product quality,
D. extrusion forces.
Glass used for steels, stainless steels, & high temp metals
& alloys
Hot Extrusion - Lubrication
Sejournet process:
Circular glass pad is placed at the die entrance in the
chamber.
The hot billet conducts heat to the glass pad, which
acts as a reservoir of molten glass, lubricating the die
interface as extrusion continues.
The cylindrical surface of the billet is coated with a
layer of powdered glass before its placed in the
chamber.
Jacketing or canning: For metals that have a tendency
to stick to the container and the die, the billet can be
enclosed in a thin-walled container made of a softer,
lower strength metal such as copper or mild steel.
Extrusion of Heat Sinks
Figure 15.10 (a) Aluminum extrusion used as a heat sink for a printed circuit board. (b) Die and
resulting heat sink profiles. Source: Courtesy of Aluminum Extruders Council.
Cold Extrusion
This process uses slugs cut from cold-finished or hot-
rolled bar, wire, or plate.
Cold-extruded parts weighing as much as 45 kg and
having lengths of up to 2 m can be made.
Advantages of cold extrusion over hot extrusion:
1. Improved mechanical properties
2. Good control of dim tolerances, subsequent machining
or finishing operations
3. Improved surface finish
4. No billet heating
5. Higher production rates than machining, may reach 2000
units per hour.
Cold Extrusion Examples
Figure 15.14 Schematic illustration of the impact-extrusion process. The extruded parts are
stripped by use of a stripper plate, because they tend to stick to the punch.
Impact Extrusion
Figure 15.15 (a) Impact extrusion of a collapsible tube by the Hooker process. (b) and (c) Two
examples of products made by impact extrusion. These parts also may be made by casting,
forging, or machining. The choice of process depends on the materials involved, part
dimensions, and wall thickness, and the product properties desired. Economic considerations
also are important in final process selection.
Hydrostatic Extrusion
Billet is smaller in diam than chamber,
which is filled (Vegetable oil ) with fluid,
and pressure (as high as 1400MPa) is
transmitted to billet by a ram.
Carried out at room temperature.
Long wires also have been extruded from
an aluminum billet at room temperature
and at an extrusion ratio of 14,000.
High temperature extrusion: waxes,
polymers, and glass are used as the fluid.
No container-wall friction.
High pressure in chamber transmits
some of the fluid to die surfaces,
reducing friction and forces significantly.
Limited industrial application, because:
1. Complex tooling
2. Experienced personal to deal with
high pressures
3. Design of specialized equipment
4. Long cycle times
Extrusion Equipment
Horizontal hydraulic press (Fig. 15.18) are used because the
stroke and speed of the operation can be controlled.
constant force over a long stroke also can be achieved for
long products.
Hydraulic presses with a ram-force capacity as high as 120
MN have been built.
Vertical hydraulic presses typically are used for cold
extrusion. They generally have less capacity than those
used for hot extrusion, but they take up less floor space.
In addition to such presses, crank-joint and knuckle-joint
mechanical presses are used for cold extrusion and for
impact extrusion to mass-produce small components.
9-MN (1000-ton) Hydraulic-Extrusion
Press
Figure 15.19 Process variables in wire drawing. The die angle, the reduction in cross-sectional area
per pass, the speed of drawing, the temperature, and the lubrication all affect the drawing force, F.
Tube-Drawing Operations
Figure 15.19 Examples of tube-drawing operations, with and without an internal mandrel.
Note that a variety of diameters and wall thicknesses can be produced from the same
initial tube stock (which has been made by other processes).
Drawing Practice
Drawing speeds depend on material and red. In x-sec area.
Speeds = 1-2.5m/s for heavy sections to 50m/s for very fine wire.
Red in x-sec area per pass = 0-45%.
The smaller the initial x-sec, the smaller the red per pass.
Fine wires are usually drawn at 15-25% red per pass. Larger sizes at 20-
45%.
A sizing pass: light red to improve surface finish and dim accuracy.
Bundle drawing: drawing many wires simultaneously as a bundle to inc
productivity.
Bundling produces wires that are some what polygonal in x-sec rather
than round.
The wires produced can be as small as 4mm.
Drawing Dies
Figure 15.22 Cold drawing of an extruded channel on a draw bench to reduce its
cross-section. Individual lengths of straight rods or of cross-sections are drawn by
this method. Source: Courtesy of The Babcock and Wilcox Company, Tubular
Products Division.
Multistage Wire-drawing Machine
Figure 15.23 Two views of a multistage wire-drawing machine that typically is used in the
making of copper wire for electrical wiring. Source: After H. Auerswald