Simulation of distortion due to non-uniform cooling in aluminium extrusion process

Abstract

Cooling subsequent to extrusion process is a crucial operation in aluminium extrusion value chain. Nonuniform cooling induced shape distortion, such as deflection, twisting and etc., is a challenge for manufacturers. Temperature management is therefore a key to this process. Appropriate modelling, using both physical and numerical methods, can help us achieve a better temperature control in extrusion plants. In this work, finite element method (FEM) is used to simulate cooling process inside a quench box. A rectangular plate is considered to study the effect of non-uniform and asymmetric cooling across the width, beside water cooling from the top side and air cooling from the bottom side is implemented while cooling starts from one side along the length and moves to other side. Therefore, the shape distortion due to non-uniform and asymmetric cooling in three directions (the top and the bottom, across the width and along the length) is discussed. The ABAQUS/Standard software is used to make the FE model. This study shows that the profile experiences twisting type of distortion under non uniform cooling across the width. The transition boiling and nucleate boiling regimes have critical effect on the temperature gradients which are the root of the profile distortion due to cooling process.