Simulation of welding chamber conditions for composite profile extrusion

Extrusion of profiles is a production process that offers a large potential for the manufacturing of structural components for lightweight constructions. In addition to conventional extrusion, composite extrusion, using standard AA6060 aluminium billets as base material and reinforcement elements made of steel wires, leads to a further rise in profile variety regarding an increase in strength and stiffness and an additional integration of functions. Since there are only limited ways to analyse the occurring stresses and strains in composite development areas in an experimental way, this paper deals with the numerical analysis based on the Finite-Element-Method (FEM). Because history of extrusion simulation is still young and no standardised method has been established until now, geometric and material influence parameters have been analysed using a Finite-Element model based on the Lagrangian formulation. By use of coupled thermo-mechanical simulation with the commercial FE-code Superform from MSC the stress, strain, and temperature distribution and the velocity fields during the composite extrusion process was analysed and compared. Based on these results, process optimisation strategies by variation of process parameters like die face position to reduce stresses on the reinforcement and to improve the material flow have been developed.