Abstract
This study aimed to optimize cross-sectional area of the extruder and the flow rate of the material through the extruder. Extrusion process was first modelized using the continuum mechanics method before being simulated with the commercial software LS-DYNA using the Johnson-Cook model based on the finite element method after optimization of the factors with simplex algorithm. The study was carried out on a connecting rod: diameter of 145 mm, cross-section of 1.65 m2, length of 0.25 m, volume of 0.41 m3 and a mass of 37 kg. Optimum parameters obtained were temperature of 850℃, flow rate of 0.237 m/s, die diameter of 19.2 mm, pin diameter of 14 mm, extrusion strength of 565.6 kN and press pressure of 245 GPa. From these factors, a blank was obtained with external and internal diameters of 19.2 and 14 mm respectively over a length of 28 m with a thickness of 2.6 mm. Simulation using LS-DYNA software resulted in a difference in values of 7.4% between optimization and simulation when the difference of 2.4% was found between modelling and simulation. These values make the process optimal for industrial application to improve the extrusion requirements of copper tubes.
Highlights
The manufacturing of copper tubes is a process that requires several steps in a manufacturing chain leading to a final product that meets the customer’s requirements
An optimization of the die cross-section and the material flow rate using the non-deterministic method of the simplex algorithm was performed
The experimental results led to a mathematical modelling and simulation using the LS-DYNA software
Summary
The manufacturing of copper tubes is a process that requires several steps in a manufacturing chain leading to a final product that meets the customer’s requirements. To be able to satisfy customers, the extrusion process should achieve the industrial standard of high quality and efficiency. These criteria are impacted by the extrusion process selected, the shape of the die and the manufacturing tolerances. The extruded product quality depends on different factors such as press, materials, equipment, and metal temperature; that lead to a careful choice of the extrusion technique to be applied, which could be direct extrusion, indirect extrusion, hydrostatic extrusion, conforming process, impact extrusion or through extrusion [1]-[6]
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