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Aluminum Extrusion

A Danterry, Inc. Presentation

By: Steve Terry

History of Metal
Metal

use over the years

Copper used for 7,500 years Bronze used for 4,000 years Iron and Steel used for3,000 years Aluminum used for 120 years

History: Aluminum in the 1800s


Hans

Christian Oersted was the first to produce the first few drops of Aluminum in 1808 1869 two tons of Aluminum were produced

Which dropped the price from $545/lb to $17/lb

History: Aluminum in the 1800s

Exciting New Metal


Cap on the Washington Monument French Court created tableware A Crown for the King or Denmark Josephines Cross

Aluminum Cross given to Josephine by Napoleon

History: Aluminum in Production


The

first commercial batch of Aluminum was produced on Thanksgiving Day 1888 Production Capabilities Lower Price

Between 1888 and 1893 Aluminum dropped from $4.86/lb to $.78/lb

History: Aluminum in Production


Early

uses for Aluminum

Cooking utensils Electrical wire and cable Foil Auto bodies Engine parts used by the Wright Brothers

Aluminum Abundance
3rd

most abundant element in the earths crust


All Others Iron
5% 12%

Oxygen
47%

28%

Silicon

Aluminum Oxide / Bauxite

8%

Aluminum Production Process:


The

Five Steps in the Aluminum Cycle

Recycling Mining Refining Smelting Fabricating

Process: Recycling
The

most valuable material in the waste stream


Over 66 billion cans were recycled last year 85-95% of Aluminum in cars is recycled

Process: Recycling
Recycling

uses 5% of the energy of producing Aluminum from ore

To produce one pop can it takes roughly .5kwh, which is enough energy to run a laptop for 11hrs The 66 billion cans recycled last year is equivalent to 181.5 billion extra hours on a laptop

181.5kwh = $5,478,000,000

Process: Mining
Bauxite

is an ore rich in Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3)


Mined in Tropical regions of the World The production on aluminum consumes 90% of global bauxite mined

Process: Refining
Bauxite

is turned into Aluminum Oxide

Bauxite is ground and mixed with lime and caustic soda It is then heated in a high-pressure container What is left is Aluminum Oxide

Process: Smelting
Aluminum

Oxide turns to Aluminum

Smelting is the process in which an electrolytic reduction turn Aluminum Oxide (Alumina) into Aluminum

(Aluminum Oxide)

Process
Billet

Molten aluminum is formed into billet

Billet is an aluminum log

Process: Fabrication

Aluminum is Transformed into Products

Types of Fabrication

First the Aluminum is Alloyed

Metal is added to give specific design characteristics

Casting Rolling Forging Drawing Extruding

Extrusion Press

Extrusion Press

Main Cylinder

Dummy Block

Produces Pressure

Seals billet and prevents leakage

Extrusion Press
Tool

Stack
Die die ring die, backer,
Hollow

Solid

die: mandrel

ring

die

bolster,

die cap
sub-bolster

sub-bolster

Bolster

Extruding: Billet to the Die

Aluminum billet is heated to 800-925F

Different alloys have different optimal performance temps


6063 930 F 6061 950 F

Billet is transferred to the loader

A thin layer of lubricant is added to the billet and ram to prevent the two parts from sticking together

Billet is transferred to the cradle

Ram applies pressure to the dummy block and moves the billet into the container

Extruding: From the Die


Under

extreme pressure the billet is crushed against the die


Dummy Press

Billet

Extruding: From the Die


Billet

becomes plastic in form

Billet squeezes through the opening(s) in the die creating the extruded shape

While

the Aluminum is being extruded the temps are monitored closely to maintain optimal performance temps

Liquid nitrogen flows around some parts of the die to keep cool, which prevents oxides from forming on the die and altering the shape of the extrusion

Extrusion Press
Dies

Extruding: From the Die


Sagittal Section of Billet and Die

Not all the billet can be used The process leaves an Oxide rich skin which is discarded

Extruding From the Die

Extruding: From the Die


Aluminum

is lead down a run out table

While being cooled by fans or various other methods to bring back down to room temperature

Post Extrusion

Cooling Table Stretching and Straightening


Re-aligns molecules and increases strength and hardness Called Work Hardening

Work Hardening: mechanical deformation of metal or alloy at temperatures below those at which recrystallization occurs. Cold worked metal may be brought back to the original state of workability by proper annealing.

Sawing

Extrusions cut to length

Basic Temper Designations

F-O-W-H-T--

As fabricated: produces a wide variety of strengths which can vary from lot to lot Annealed: thermal treatments to reduce mechanical properties (dead soft metal) Solution Heat-treated: after heat treating metal spontaneously age hardens (7XXX) Strain-hardened: cold working Thermally treated to produce tempers other that F, O or H. Multiple subdivisions

Subdivisions of T temper
Some apply only to specific alloy or processes

T1-T2-T3-T4-T5--

Cooled from an elevated temperature and naturally aged Cooled from an elevated temperature, cold worked and naturally aged Solution heat-treated, cold worked and naturally aged Solution heat-treated and naturally aged Cooled from an elevated temperature and artificially aged (T1+ artificial aging)

Subdivisions of T tempers

T6-T7--

Solution heat-treated and artificially aged (T4+ artificial aging) Solution heat-treating and overaged / stabilized

Thermally overaging carries aluminum past its maximum strength to control for special characteristics

T8-T9--

T10--

Solution heat-treated, cold worked and artificially aged Solution heat-treated, artificially aged and cold worked Cooled from elevated temperature, cold worked and aged artificially (usually cast products)

Factors Affecting Extruding


Extrusion

Ratio

Extrusion Ratio = Area of billet / area of shape


A clear indication of the amount of mechanical working that will occur as the shape is extruded

Low extrusion ratios have little mechanical work hardening performed on it High extrusion ratios have more mechanical work hardening

Factors Affecting Extruding


Difficulty

Factor

is called
Very large perimeter with very low weight

Factor = Perimeter of Shape / Weight per foot

Used to determine parts extrusion performance

A high factor indicates a difficult shape

Factors Affecting Extruding


Tongue

Ratio

Higher the ratio the more difficult the part


Calculate the square the smallest opening to the void, calculate the total area of the shape, and then divide the opening squared by the area

Post Production
Testing

Mechanical Properties

Tensile: Maximum pulling load before failure (snap) Yield: The stress at which a specific parameter set is exhibited Elongation: The maximum stretch before failure Rockwell Penetration Test: A hardness test based on skin penetration under fixed conditions

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