{"id":9042,"date":"2021-01-18T13:45:06","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T11:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/?p=9042"},"modified":"2024-04-10T12:23:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T09:23:32","slug":"metal-extrusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/metal-extrusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Metal Extrusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Both stock material and custom metal parts<\/a> come in a very wide range of cross-sections. Metal extrusion is one of the ways used to create these seamless tubes or intricate full profiles.<\/p>\n

Of course, the importance of metal extrusion cannot be understated. We find the products made using the process in all sorts of industries like construction, manufacturing, retail, information technology, etc.<\/p>\n

Having a basic understanding of all the main manufacturing methods, along with their capabilities and flexibility, can help an engineer a great deal. Which is why we are going to take a brief look into the different aspects of this method.<\/p>\n

History<\/h2>\n
The metal extrusion process was invented by Joseph Bramah<\/a> in 1797. He pushed soft metal through a die using a hand-driven plunger to form metal pipes.<\/p>\n
The same man also developed the first hydraulic press for Thomas Burr in 1820. This hydraulic press formed the first lead pipes that revolutionised the metal forming industry.<\/p>\n

What is Metal Extrusion?<\/h2>\n
Metal extrusion is a forming process in which we force a metal (either hot or cold) through a die. This imparts the die shape to the extruded metal as it passes through the cavity. The material emerging from the die is known as “extrudate”.<\/p>\n
The metal endures compressive and shear stress to achieve the die shape. The nature of these forces and the elevated temperatures enable us to form materials with otherwise brittle properties<\/a>\u00a0using this process.<\/p>\n
Besides metals, nonmetals such as ceramic, plastic, clay, concrete, polymers, etc. are also suitable for extrusion.<\/p>\n

Key features<\/h3>\n
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Extrusion is a low-cost process due to reduced wastage and has a high rate of production.<\/li>\n
It can form brittle materials as it applies only compressive and shear forces on the billet.<\/li>\n
The resultant products have an excellent elongated grain structure in the material direction.<\/li>\n
The products also have a smooth surface finish that reduces the amount of post-treatment.<\/li>\n
Extremely thin wall thickness can be achieved through extrusion (~3mm for steel and ~1mm for aluminium).<\/li>\n
Extrusion can create extremely complex cross-sections with a uniform wall thickness throughout the product.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Metal Extrusion Process<\/h2>\n
The metal extrusion process has undergone many changes since its inception. Besides direct extrusion of final products, we use this manufacturing process to obtain a uniform material feed for additive manufacturing applications such as 3D printing. This material is then deposited layer-by-layer to create the desired product.<\/p>\n
A generic metal extrusion process consists of the following steps.<\/p>\n
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