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8.1 Introduction
Extrusion and drawing have numerous applications in the
manufacture of continuous as well as discrete products from a wide
variety of metals and alloys. In extrusion, a cylindrical billet is forced
through a die (Fig. 8.1) in a manner similar to squeezing toothpaste from
a tube or extruding Play-Doh® in various cross-sections in a toy press. A
wide variety of solid or hollow cross-sections may be produced by
extrusion, which essentially are semifinished parts. A characteristic of
extrusion (from the Latin extntdere, meaning "to force out"} is that large
deformations can take place without fracture, because the material is
under high triaxial compression during extrusion. Since the die geometry
remains unchanged throughout the operation, extruded products typically
have a constant cross-section. Lead pipes were made by extrusion in the
1700s. Plastics are extruded extensively..
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FIGURE 8.1 Schematic illustration of the direct-extrusion process.
FIGURE 8.2 Extrusions and examples of products made by sectioning off extrusions. Source:
Courtesy of Plymouth Extruded Shapes.
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economical for large production runs as well as for short ones. Tool costs
generally are low, particularly for producing simple, solid cross-sections.
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ram (pressing stem or punch), as shown m Fig. 8.1. The die opening may
be round, or it may have various shapes, depending on the extruded shape
desired. The function of the dummy block Is to protect the tip of the
pressing stem (punch), particularly in hot extrusion. Other types of
extrusion are indirect, hydrostatic, and impact extrusion.
FIGURE 8.3 Types of extrusion: (a) indirect; (b) hydrostatic; (c) lateral.
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the die can result in highly nonuniform deformation (Fig. 8.3c). To
reduce cooling of the billet and to prolong die life, extrusion dies may be
preheated, as is done in hot-forging operations.
TABLE 8.1
Typical Extrusion Temperature Ranges for Various Metals and Alloys
°C
Lead 200-250
Aluminum and its alloys 375-475
Copper and its alloys 650-975
Steels 875-1300
Refractory alloys 975-2200
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FIGURE 8,4 Two examples of cold extrusion. Thin arrows indicate die direction
of metal flow during extrusion.
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wide range of applications, including rods for shafts for power and
motion transmissions, machine and structural components, and as blanks
for bolts and rivets, electrical wiring, cables, tension-loaded structural
members, welding electrodes, springs, paper clips, spokes for bicycle
wheels, and stringed musical instruments.
FIGURE 8.5 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.
FIGURE 8.6 Examples of tube-drawing operations, with and without an internal mandrel. Note that a
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variety of diameters and wall thicknesses can be produced from the same initial tube stock (which has
been made by other processes).
Wedge-shaped dies are used for the drawing of flat strips and are
used only in specific applications. However, the principle of this process
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is the fundamental deformation mechanism in ironing, used extensively
in making aluminum beverage cans,
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