EXTRUSION AND DRAWING (STRETCHING) OF METALS

Extrusion is a forming process by compression in which the work metal is forced to flow to
through an opening, (extruder die) in the mold or die to shape its cross-section.
This process is similar to the action of squeezing toothpaste.

One feature of extrusion is that large deformations can occur without fractures because the
the material is subjected to high triaxial compression. Because the geometry of the die remains unchanged.
Changes during the operation, generally extruded products have a cross-section
constant. (Difference between metals and plastics).

Common products manufactured through extrusion include: tracks for sliding doors,
window frames, pipes of various cross sections, aluminum ladders, and numerous
structural and architectural forms. The materials usually extruded are: aluminum, copper, steel,
magnesium and lead; other metals and alloys can also be extruded, with different levels of
difficulty.

Generally, the tooling costs are low, particularly for producing cross sections.
simple and solid. For hollow pieces, the costs are higher. Depending on the ductility of the material, the
Extrusion can be done at room temperature or elevated temperature.

TYPES OF EXTRUSION
Direct Extrusion. The product emerges in the same direction as the movement of the punch. A problem
in direct extrusion, it is the great friction that exists between the work surface and the walls of the
container when forcing the slide of the billet towards the opening of the die. This friction causes a
substantial increase in the force required in the piston for direct extrusion.

The material always seeks a flow pattern that has minimum energy expenditure. When the extrusion
is carried out without a lubricant and with a flat-faced die (die opening of 180°), the material
it cannot follow the very abrupt directional changes it is subjected to. The corner between the face of the
the matrix and the container are filled by a stationary area of dead metal, and the flow occurs due to the force
cutting. A very effective lubricant can be applied to ensure complete sliding over the
face of the matrix and along the wall of the container (lubricated extrusion). Consequently, now the
the matrix is equipped with a conical inlet area that ideally corresponds in shape to the pattern of the
minimum energy flow

In direct extrusion, hollow sections (for example, tubes) can be made. The initial billet is prepared
with a drilling parallel to its axis. This allows for the passage of a chuck that is fixed in the simulated block.
By compressing the billet, the material is forced to flow through the gap between the mandrel and the opening.
die. The resulting cross-section is tubular. Other semi-hollow shapes are usually extruded from
this same way.

Indirect Extrusion. Also known as inverted or backward extrusion. The product travels against the
movement of a punch (see figures and video). The most important thing is that the blank is at rest in
the container; thus, the friction of the container has no function. Indirect extrusion can produce
hollow sections. In this method, the ram presses on the billet, forcing the material to flow around the
pestle and take a cup shape
MATRICES OR DIES AND EXTRUSION PRESSES
The important factors in an extrusion die are the die angle and the shape of the hole.
die angle, or half of the die angle, is what is shown in the following figures, where
it can be concluded that there is an optimal angle. < Angle implies greater contact surface. > Angle
greater turbulence and increases the pressure.

On the other hand, a complex cross-section requires more pressure and force than a circular section.
The effect of the shape of the die hole can be assessed by a shape factor, defined as the ratio
between the pressure required to extrude a cross-section of the given shape and the extrusion pressure
for a round section of the same area.

HOT EXTRUSION
It is used for metals and alloys that lack sufficient ductility at room temperature or for
reduce the forces required in the process.

Hot extrusion has special requirements due to the high operating temperatures, since the
The wear of a die can be excessive and due to temperature differences can cause problems in it.
extruded. When the billet is hot, it develops a layer of oxide, which can be abrasive and affect
the material flow pattern. It also results in an extruded product that may be unacceptable
when a good surface finish is required.

MATERIALS FOR DICE AND MATRICES

Generally, for hot work, special tool steels are used, with high strength.
impact toughness and wear resistance at room temperature and at elevated temperatures, based on
molybdenum and tungsten. Coatings such as zirconium can be applied to extend their lifespan.
partially stabilized, but they are not suitable for complex extrusions due to the gradients of
effort.

LUBRICATION
Lubrication is important in hot extrusion due to its effects on: ***The flow of the material
durante la extrusión***El acabado y la integridad de la superficie***La calidad del producto***Las fuerzas
Extrusion***Glass is an excellent lubricant for simple and stainless steels and for metals.
high temperature alloys.

COLD EXTRUSION
It is widely used for automotive components, motorcycles, bicycles, and electrical devices, and
in transport and agricultural equipment. Cold extruded parts weighing up to 45 kg can be manufactured and
which can be up to 2 meters long. In powder metallurgy, this process is used for extrusion of
preforms.

It has the following advantages over hot extrusion: Better mechanical properties such as
result of work hardening***Good control of dimensional tolerances, reducing the
need for machining or finishing operations later***Better surface finish, in part
due to the lack of an oxide layer, and as long as the lubrication is effective***Speeds and costs of
production that is competitive compared to other production methods such as machining***The
lubrication is critical, especially with steels, due to the possibility of them sticking together during the piece of
work and the tools.

HYDROSTATIC EXTRUSION
The required pressure in the chamber is supplied by a piston through a fluid medium.
incompressible that surrounds the billet. The high pressure inside the chamber transmits part of the fluid
to the surfaces of the die, where it significantly reduces friction. This method allows for
extruding brittle materials, since the hydrostatic pressure (along with reduced friction, the use of
small angles of matrices and high extrusion ratios) increase the ductility of the material.

Long wires have been extruded from an aluminum billet at room temperature, with a
extrusion ratio of 14,000, which means that a 1 m billet is converted into a wire of
14 km long

EXTRUSION DEFECTS
In hot extrusion, the heat generated during the process can cause the temperature of
the workpiece rises above the solidus temperature of the material, generating cracks
superficial, which can be eliminated by reducing the speed of the press.

DRAWING OR STRETCHING
Instead of being pushed, the material is sharpened (its end is reduced, usually by stamping) and
then it is pulled through a stationary matrix of cross-section that gradually decreases.

Seamless tubes are made using a variety of hot working techniques, but by
Below a minimum size, they must be further reduced in cold.

One of the options is to stretch them, for applications in hydraulic systems of vehicles, airplanes.
boats, industrial machinery, water distribution systems, and others such as hypodermic needles.

Although the presence of tensile forces is obvious in stretching, compression also plays a role.
important, since the metal is compressed as it passes through the die opening. For this reason, the
The deformation that occurs during stretching is sometimes called indirect compression.

The main processing variables in drawing or stretching are similar to those of extrusion. It is
Say, the reduction of the cross-sectional area, the angle of the die, the friction along the interfaces of the die
and the workpiece, as well as the stretching speed. The angle of the die affects the stretching force.
and the quality of the stretched product.

ANALYSIS OF THE STRETCHING FORCE

The stretching force increases with the increase in reduction. However, the magnitude must be limited.
of the strength, because when the tensile stress reaches the yield stress of the metal that is being
stretching, the workpiece yields and ultimately breaks. In theory and without friction, the maximum reduction in the
The cross-sectional area by pass is 63%. It can be demonstrated that, for a certain reduction in diameter and a certain
Friction condition, there is an optimal angle of the die at which the stretching force is minimal.
MAXIMUM DISCOUNT PER PASS
If the reduction is large enough, the tensile force would exceed the yield strength of the
material that comes out and can produce breakage. When this happens, the stretched wire simply elongates,
instead of the new material being compressed through the die opening.

For the wire drawing to be successful, the maximum drawing force must not exceed the
resistance of the drawn wire. A second limitation arises from the possible non-uniformity of
deformation. Just like in extrusion, the depth of the compression zone may not be sufficient
to ensure homogeneous deformation, caused by secondary tensile stresses.

Theoretically, the maximum possible reduction is 63.2%. In stretching, the reduction of cross-sectional area.
by pass reaches almost 45%. Generally, the smaller the initial cross-section, the more
the reduction by pass will be small. It is common to stretch fine wires to a reduction of 15% to 25% per
pass, and the larger sizes, from 20% to 45%

STRETCHING PRACTICE
The advantages of stretching in these applications include: Tight dimensional control. Good finish of the
surface. Improved mechanical properties, such as strength and hardness. Adaptability for production.
mass or batch production.

MATERIALS FOR DICE

They are usually tool grade steels and tungsten carbides.

Hot stretching is used with cast steel dies due to their high wear resistance at T.ohigh.
Diamond data is used for the drawing of fine wire with diameters ranging from 2 µm to 1.5 mm.
Due to the lack of tensile strength and toughness, carbide and diamond dies are used.
commonly as inserts or pellets, which are supported by a steel insert holder.

PREPARATION OF THE WORK

Before the stretching, the initial material must be properly prepared. This involves three steps:

1) Annealing, with the aim of increasing the ductility of the material to accept deformation during
the stretching. Sometimes annealing steps are needed in continuous stretching.

Cleaning, to prevent damage to the work surface and the stretching die. This involves the
removal of surface contaminants (such as layers of rust and corrosion) by means of
chemical toilets or pressure cleaning. In some cases, the work surface is pre-lubricated after the
cleaning.

3) Sharp, it involves the reduction of the diameter of the initial end of the material, so that it can
insert through the stretching die to initiate the process. This is generally achieved by
printed, laminated or turned. The sharp end of the material is held in the jaws of the slide
or to other devices to start the stretching process.