A Numerical Investigation into Hot Square Die Extrusion of an L-Section Considering the Variation of Die Bearing Length

Abstract

The variation of die bearing length is a primary way to control the metal flow in hot square die extrusion. Finite element computations are carried out to assess the influences of die bearing on metal flow and state variables. The finite element analysis is presented based on the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) description for a rigid-viscoplastic material. Since the thermal state greatly affects the product quality, temperature distribution is also analyzed. In order to estimate the varied lengths of die bearing, a numerical scheme is suggested and demonstrated through the simulation of an industrial example with varied die bearing. The computational results for extrusion with varied die bearing are compared with those from the simulation for extrusion with constant die bearing.