Physical Simulation of Longitudinal Weld Seam Formation During Extrusion to Produce Hollow Aluminum Profiles

Abstract

Uniaxial compression tests were performed to understand the solid-state bonding process that occurs in porthole dies during the manufacturing of hollow aluminum extrusions. Strain, strain rate, and temperature applied during the tests were those typically encountered during aluminum extrusion. For a good bond, strain was found to be the most influential parameter, along with bonding time. The effect of temperature on bonding depended on alloy composition. Bonding stress was less influential within the range investigated. Surface stretching was introduced to the AA6060, AA6082, and AA7020 aluminum alloys as a criterion to quantify the bonding phenomena and distinguish their bondabilities.

Keywords:

• Aluminum
• Aluminum alloys
• Extrusion
• Hollow profile
• Hot compression
• Microstructure
• Physical simulation
• Plastic deformation
• Porthole die
• Profile
• Solid-state bonding
• Thermomechanical simulator
• Welding
• Weld seam
• Wrought product

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was carried out under the project number MC4.00083 in the framework of the Research Program of the Materials Innovation Institute (www.m2i.nl), the former Netherlands Institute for Metals Research.

Notes

*The reason for omitting T = 560°C for the AA7020 alloy was that ThermoCalc simulations indicated the possibility of local melting during the deformation cycle