The publication presents a novel concept of the process of plastic forming of variable longitudinal-section cylindrical products, being the subject of Patent Application P.427426 [1]. Additionally, these products are provided with a connection stub pipe. The plastic forming method proposed in the article combines many advantages and utilitarian benefits associated with the manufacturing technology itself, as well as with its further implementation. Using stock in the form of normalized bar commonly available in the metal product market as a finished product obviously reduces the process costs involved with stock preparation, i.e. casting, rolling, machining, etc. It also results in obtaining a much smaller surface area of stock contact with the tool and, as a consequence, a smaller surface of stock friction against the tool, which contributes to a reduction of force needed for the plastic forming of the product. The smaller contact surface area and the shorter time of stock contact with the cooler tool cause, above all, less intensive heat exchange and stock chilling. This has a significant effect on the plasticity of the cast material and, as a consequence, the plastic forming force. The proposed method enables also manufacturing cylinders with either a closed or open stub pipe with a regulated length and a varying section. In addition, unlike the method known from Polish Patent Specification PL 212062 [2], the proposed method does not require using a multi-tool press. The upper punch is furnished with a flange, whose job is to start the stock extruding sleeve at the next process stage.
The paper presents selected results of KOBO extrusion process of circular profile ϕ10 mm from aluminum alloy 2099. The main aim of the performed research was to determine the influence of the oscillation frequency of a die on the magnitude of extrusion force. During the process such parameters, as extrusion force, rate of stem and frequency of die oscillation were recorded; oscillating angle of a die was constant and equal ±8°. The die oscillation frequency was changeable in performed tests in the range of 2 ÷ 7 Hz. The obtained results allowed to determine the relation between the maximum extrusion force and the die oscillation frequency during extrusion of aluminum 2099 alloy.
The paper focuses on the experimental analysis of mechanical characteristics of the KOBO process. Basing on the recorded force versus stem position, three stages of KOBO extrusion process were determined, i.e. initialization, stabilization and uniform extrusion. Points separating these stages are two inflection points of recorded diagram. The analysis of each stage was made basing on the results of force diagrams and literature data.
The article explores the possibility of using the authors’ three new methods of unconventional extrusion of deep hollows to be used for the manufacture of spline sleeves intended for internal toothing couplings. Two invention patents, PL206466 and PL224121, and one patent application, P.416772, were used for this purpose. Numerical computations were made in the Forge®3D program for the conceptual schemes of forming sleeves. The aim of those computations was to determine the extrusion forces and to compare them with the conventional indirect and direct extrusion methods. Then, on models based on the authors’ plastic forming schemes, numerical computations were made, from which the actual energy and force parameters were determined in the form of the relationship of extrusion force versus forming tool path. Also, the degree of fill of the passes, in which spline sleeve toothing is formed, was determined.
The paper presents the summary of research on polymer melt particle motion trajectories in a disc zone of a screw-disk extruder. We analysed two models of its structure, different in levels of taken simplifications. The analysis includes computer simulations of material particle flow and results of experimental tests to determine the properties of the resultant extrudate. Analysis of the results shows that the motion of melt in the disk zone of a screw-disk extruder is a superposition of pressure and dragged streams. The observed trajectories of polymer particles and relations of mechanical properties and elongation of the molecular chain proved the presence of a stretching effect on polymer molecular chains.
In the paper presents two new patented of unconventional methods author’s and sleeve-type products of extruding [PL219182, PL221425]. The extrusion methods have been developed with the aim of reducing the energy and force parameters during the plastic forming of material. Traditional methods of extruding similar products are characterized by considerably higher extrusion force magnitudes. This results in substantial limitations and problems of an engineering nature. Moreover, the proposed methods of producing bottomed and bottomless sleeves are distinguished by the capability to minimize or totally eliminate the waste. The author’s methods of extruding long bottomless sleeves, presented herein, were used for developing a method for shaping inner toothing in spline sleeves. The theoretical analysis is based on thermomechanical simulation of the possibility of applying such processes to the extrusion of spline shafts with inner toothing. Next, the obtained results were compared with analogous parameters for classical indirect extrusion. The possibility of shaping inner toothing over the entire product length according to the proposed spline sleeve plastic forming methods was also explored.
In this study, the extrusion characteristics of Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.5Mg-0.5RE alloys at 450, 500, and 550℃ were investigated for the high formability of aluminum alloys. The melt was maintained at 720℃ for 20 minutes, then poured into the mold at 200℃ and hot-extruded with a 12 mm thickness bar at a ratio of 38:1. The average grain size was 175.5, 650.1, and 325.9 μm as the extrusion temperature increased to 450, 500 and 550℃, although the change of the phase fraction was not significant as the extrusion temperature increased. Cube texture increased with the increase of extrusion temperature to 450, 500 and 550℃. As the extrusion temperature increased, the electrical conductivity increased by 47.546, 47.592 and 47.725%IACS, and the tensile strength decreased to 92.6, 87.5, 81.4 MPa. Therefore, the extrusion temperature of Al extrusion specimen was investigated to study microstructure and mechanical properties.
The study attempts to investigate the influence of severe plastic deformation (SPD in the hydrostatic extrusion (HE) process on the anisotropy of the structure and mechanical properties of the AA 6060 alloy. Material in isotropic condition was subjected to a single round of hydrostatic extrusion with three different degrees of deformation (ε = 1.23, 1.57, 2.28). They allowed the grain size to be fragmented to the nanocrystalline level. Mechanical properties of the AA 6060 alloy, examined on mini-samples, showed an increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) as compared to the initial material. Significant strengthening of the material results from high grain refinement in transverse section, from »220 μm in the initial material to »300 nm following the HE process. The material was characterized by the occurrence of structure anisotropy, which may determine the potential use of the material. Static tensile tests of mini-samples showed »10% anisotropy of properties between longitudinal and transverse cross-sections. In the AA6060 alloy, impact anisotropy was found depending on the direction of its testing. Higher impact toughness was observed in the cross-section parallel to the HE direction. The results obtained allow to analyze the characteristic structure created during the HE process and result in more efficient use of the AA 6060 alloy in applications.
The article proposes the implementation of a novel method of plastic forming of internal toothing in flange spline sleeves. A method being the subject of Polish patent application P.416772 has been used for this purpose, which involves a combination of the scheme of the direct extrusion of a cone hollow with the die press forming of the wall to obtain a flange. The entire process takes place in a single technological sequence. The operations come one after another, so that there is no need for reheating the stock or carrying out intermediate soft annealing. The proposed method is assumed to be an alternative to the operation of press forming of internal spline sleeve toothing in a conical die [1] and to the operation of swaging on rotary swaging machines [2]. It is assumed that this method, too, is alternative to other technologies known from the literature and industrial practice, whose specifications and literature references will be indicated later on in this paper. Computer simulations of the flanged sleeve plastic forming process were performed using the commercial numerical program Forge®3D. During the numerical computations, the distributions of temperature fields were determined on the cross-section of the plastically formed product. The computations enabled also the visualization of the plastic flow of metal, especially in the toothing forming regions, and the determination of the energy and force parameters of the process.
In the past few years, overhead copper transmission lines have been replaced by lightweight aluminum transmission lines to minimize the cost and prevent the sagging of heavier copper transmission lines. High strength aluminum alloys are used as the core of the overhead transmission lines because of the low strength of the conductor line. However, alloying copper with aluminum causes a reduction in electrical conductivity due to the solid solution of each component. Therefore, in this study, the authors attempt to study the effect of various Al/Cu ratios (9:1, 7:3, 5:5) to obtain a high strength Al-Cu alloy without a significant loss in its conductivity through powder metallurgy. Low-temperature extrusion of Al/Cu powder was done at 350ºC to minimize the alloying reactions. The as-extruded microstructure was analyzed and various phases (Cu9Al4, CuAl2) were determined. The tensile strength and electrical conductivity of different mixing ratios of Al and Cu powders were studied. The results suggest that the tensile strength of samples is improved considerably while the conductivity falls slightly but lies within the limits of applications.
As-cast Mg-6Li-0.3Zn-0.6Y and Mg-6Li-1.2Zn-1.2Y (wt%) alloys were prepared and extruded at 260 oC with an extrusion ratio of 25. The microstructure and mechanical behavior of as-cast and extruded alloys are reported and discussed. The results show that Mg-6Li-1.2Zn- 1.2Y alloy is composed of α-Mg, β-Li, and W-Mg3Zn3Y2 phases while Mg-6Li-0.3Zn-0.6Y alloy contains α-Mg, β-Li, W-Mg3Zn3Y2 phase and X-Mg12ZnY. After hot extrusion, the microstructure of specimens is refined and the average grains size of extruded alloys is 15 μm. Dynamic recrystallization occurs during the extrusion, leading to grain refinement of test alloys. Both the strength and elongation of test alloys are improved by extrusion. The extruded Mg-6Li-0.3Zn-0.6Y alloy possesses an ultimate strength of 225 MPa with an elongation of 18% while the strength and elongation of Mg-6Li-1.2Zn-1.2Y alloy are 206 MPa and 28%, respectively. The X-phase in Mg-6Li-0.3Zn- 0.6Y is beneficial to the improvement of strength, but will lead to the decrease of ductility.
Due to fast-paced technical development, companies are forced to modernise and update
their equipment, as well as production planning methods. In the ordering process, the customer
is interested not only in product specifications, but also in the manufacturing lead
time by which the product will be completed. Therefore, companies strive towards setting
an appealing but attainable manufacturing lead date.
Manufacturing lead time depends on many different factors; therefore, it is difficult to predict.
Estimation of manufacturing lead time is usually based on previous experience. In the
following research, manufacturing lead time for tools for aluminium extrusion was estimated
with Artificial Intelligence, more precisely, with Neural Networks.
The research is based on the following input data; number of cavities, tool type, tool category,
order type, number of orders in the last 3 days and tool diameter; while the only output
data are the number of working days that are needed to manufacture the tool. An Artificial
Neural Network (feed-forward neural network) was noted as a sufficiently accurate method
and, therefore, appropriate for implementation in the company.
The research was intended to develop a biocomposite as an alternative biodegradable material, for the production of, e.g., disposable utensils. The author’s tested thermoplastic maize starch, both without additives and with the addition of crumbled fl ax fi ber in the share of 10, 20 and 30 wt%. The plasticizer added was technical glycerin and the samples were produced by a single-screw extruder. The mechanical strength tests were performed, including the impact tensile test and three-point bending fl exural test. Afterwards, the samples were tested for biodegradability under anaerobic conditions. The methane fermentation process was carried in a laboratory bioreactor under thermophilic conditions with constant mixing of the batch. All samples proved to be highly susceptible to biodegradation during the experiment, regardless of the fl ax fi ber share. The biogas potential was about 600 ml·g-1, and the methane concentration in biogas ranged from 66.8 to 69.6%. It was found, that the biocomposites can be almost completely utilized in bioreactors during the biodegradation process. The energy recovery in the decomposition process with the generation of signifi cant amount of methane constitutes an additional benefi t.
In this study, we investigated the effect of Fe addition (0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 wt.%) on the microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of as-cast and as-extruded Al-RE alloys. As the Fe element increased by 0 and 0.75wt.%, the phase fraction increased to 5.05, 5.76, 7.14 and 7.38 %. The increased intermetallic compound increased the driving force for recrystallization and grain refinement. The electrical conductivity of Al-1.0 wt.%RE alloy with Fe addition decreased to 60.29, 60.15, 59.58 and 59.13 %IACS. With an increase in the Fe content from 0 to 0.75 wt.% the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the alloy increased from 74.3 to 77.5 MPa. As the mechanical properties increase compared to the reduction of the electrical conductivity due to Fe element addition, it is considered to be suitable for fields requiring high electrical conductivity and strength.
Trace elements Co, Cr were added to investigate their influence on the microstructure and physical properties of Al-Si extruded alloy. The Co, Cr elements were randomly distributed in the matrix, forms intermetallic phase and their existence were confirmed by XRD, EDS and SEM analysis. With addition of trace elements, the microstructure was modified, Si particle size was reduced and the growth rate of β-(Al5FeSi) phase limited. Compared to parent alloy, hardness and tensile strength were enhanced while the linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was significantly reduced by 42.4% and 16.05% with Co and Cr addition respectively. It is considered that the low CTE occurs with addition of Co was due to the formation of intermetallic compound having low coefficient of thermal expansion. The results suggested that Co acts as an effective element in improving the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloy.
The article presents tests results of metalforming of magnesium alloy AZ61. Materials for tests were ingots sized 40×90 mm from magnesium alloy marked with symbol AZ61. Before the shaping process the ingots underwent heat treatment. As a result of conduction of the deformation processes there were rods achieved with diameter of 8 mm. There were axisymmetrical compression tests conducted on the samples taken from rods in temperature range from RT to 350ºC in order to determine the plasticity and formability of the alloy AZ61. Static tensile test was conducted in room temperature (RT), in 300ºC and in 350ºC. With the use of light and electron microscopy techniques the changes which occurred in the microstructure of AZ61alloy in initial condition and after plastic deformation (classic extrusion, KoBo method extrusion) were described. The deformation of alloy AZ61 using the KoBo method contributes to an increase in strength and plastic properties. The effect of superplastic flow was found at a temperature of 350ºC, where a 300% increase in plastic properties – elongation value was obtained. The analysis of the microstructure showed a significant grain size reduction in the microstructure of alloy AZ61 after deformation by the KoBo method and after an axisymmetric compression test, where grains of an average diameter of d = 13 µm were obtained.
The presented results describe the effect of severe plastic deformation on the structure and mechanical properties of AA5083 and AA5754 alloys. Both materials were subjected to single hydrostatic extrusion (HE) and cumulative hydrostatic extrusion in the case of AA5083 and a combination of plastic deformation by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) with the next HE for AA5754. After the deformation, both alloys featured a homogeneous and finely divided microstructure with average grain size deq = 140 nm and 125 nm for AA5083 and AA5754, respectively. The selection of plastic forming parameters enabled a significant increase in the UTS tensile strength and YS yield stress in both alloys – UTS = 510 MPa and YS = 500 MPa for alloy AA5083 after cumulative HE, and 450 MPa and 440 MPa for alloy AA5754 after the combination of ECAP and HE, respectively. It has been shown on the example of AA5083 alloy that after the deformation the threads of the fasteners made of this material are more accurate and workable at lower cutting speeds, which saves the cutting tools. The resultant properties of AA5083 and AA5754 alloys match the minimum requirements for the strongest Al-Zn alloys of the 7xxx series, which, however, due to the considerably lower corrosion resistance, can be replaced in many responsible structures by the AA5xxx series Al-Mg alloys presented in this paper.