Identification of optimum process parameters for hot extrusion using finite element simulation and processing maps

Abstract

The mechanical properties of a processed material depend to a great extent on the microstructural evolution during hot working. A thorough understanding of the various metallurgical processes with respect to the process parameters, namely temperature and strain rate are essential to decide the optimum parameters of processing. An attempt is made in this study to use the predictions of a processing map developed based on dynamic materials model and finite element simulation of the hot extrusion process to identify the optimum processing conditions. In the present simulation, a two-dimensional, axisymmetric, non-isothermal, rigid–plastic analysis was employed for the billet and the extrusion tooling, namely the ram and the container were considered as rigid bodies. The distribution of strains and strain rates in hot extrusion were predicted using a finite element analysis package (Marc 2000). This paper discusses the use of a processing map with the output of the finite element analysis to design the process.