Evaluation of process speed effect in aluminium extrusion by experiment and simulations

In the first part of the paper, experimental trials performed in the extrusion of 4 L-shaped profiles made by AA6082 aluminium alloy were presented and analyzed in order to investigate the effect of different pockets concepts on process results like extrusion load, profile lengths, die and profile temperature. The trials were performed at 0,5 and 5 mm/sec ram speed thus producing unexpected differences especially in term of profile lengths. Then two FE codes, COMSOL® Multiphysics and DEFORMTM 3D, were applied in the simulation of the problem in order to validate FEM simulations by comparison with the experimental trials. In particular the two codes adopt different formulations for process analysis: eulerian the first updated lagrangian the second, thus producing also an interesting comparison of the solving methods for the prediction of process outputs like loads, final profiles speeds and exit temperatures.