Simulation Of A Large Thin-wall Complex Aluminum Profile Extrusion Process And Die Optimization Design

Aluminum alloy profiles develop towards the direction of complex cross-section, high strength and toughness, thin-wall and high dimension accuracy requirements with the development of high-speed rail transportation, automobile, vessel, aerospace vehicle. Aluminum alloy profiles extrusion process and die structure design are required more reasonable to adapt this situation. The extrusion technology and die design method based on the numerical simulation is an important way to improve the extrusion process and the die design of the quality and efficiency. This paper is based on a typical large cross-section complex aluminum profile and studied the aluminum extrusion technology and die design methods, metal flow during the extrusion process. Optimization designed the extrusion die based on the numerical simulation method. Obtained uniform velocity distributions on the exiting section with the optimization die structure.The structure features and the dimension accuracy requirements of the complex section aluminum profile were firstly analyzed. Then difficult of the extrusion process and die design are found. The paper calculated and analyzed aluminum profile extrusion process with porthole die structure characteristics and design method. Obtained profile extrusion die design with guide plate structure and determined the structure parameters of the porthole, bridge and mandrel in upper die and the welding chamber, baffle plate and bearing in lower die, etc.With HyperWorks software which is based on Arbitrary Lagrange-Euler, the paper has established finite element model for the aluminum profile extrusion process, carried out numerical simulation for the extrusion process, obtained metal flow rule of profile extrusion process, analyzed and discussed the distribution of deformation, velocity, stress, strain and temperature field on the exiting section, analyzed the influence relationship between the non-uniformity of the velocity distribution and profile twisting deformation on the die exiting section. Results show that the initial design cannot guarantee the uniformity of material flow on the die exiting section, and twisting deformation profiles.The paper systematically studied the influence of the profile extrusion die structure parameters, such as guide plate, porthole, baffle plate and bearing to the profile extrusion velocity distribution, temperature distribution, stress and strain distribution and metal flow behavior represented by material particle trajectory, etc. Through comparing the metal flow state and the uniformity of the velocity distribution on the die exiting section in different design schemes, the paper optimized and designed of the profile extrusion die structure. Numerical simulations show that the optimized design of die structure can make the velocity relatively uniform and profile deformation small on the mould exiting section, so as to meet the requirements of the profile section geometry and dimensional accuracy, and sums up the large complex section aluminum profile extrusion die design method.