CONFORM continuous extrusion process – its contribution to energy conservation

Abstract

The introduction includes a brief résumé of the development of the CONFORM process, from its invention at the UKAEA Springfields Laboratories in 1971 to the present, at which time it has established itself as having many industrial applications in the extrusion of solid and hollow sections from many non-ferrous metals, in rod or particulate form, together with the potential for extruding direct from molten metal. Consideration is given to energy-saving aspects, especially when extruding from particulated metals, not only as an alternative to conventional press extrusion from billets, but also as an extension to powder metallurgical technology. Of particular relevance is the application of CONFORM to the reclamation both of prime metal waste from manufacturing operations and of used scrap. Irretrievable disposal and remelting to ingot and billet for subsequent fabrication are taken as the bases for assessing the energy savings attainable by integrating CONFORM with various pretreatments.