Extrusion Research and Development Center (FZS)

In the Extrusion Research and Development Center a total of three extrusion presses with maximum extrusion loads of 0.5 MN, 7.2 MN and 8 MN are available. This wide machine park permits investigations on the direct, indirect and hydrostatic extrusion.

All three extrusion presses are equipped with load cells which enable the measurement and recording of all occurring extrusion loads throughout the whole process. by means of two integrated radiation pyrometers in the 8 MN extrusion press and thermocouples in the bearing of the die, the temperature of the exiting profile can be measured during the extrusion.

For the extrusion of quench sensitive alloys a water quench can be additionally installed in the runout of the press, wherewith the profiles can be quenched in a water bath as well as by the means of spray mist.

A puller which is integrated in the control device can be used for the extrusion of long profiles. For the heating of the extrusion billets a number of chamber furnaces as well as an one billet induction heating are available.

With the available facilities, solid and hollow profiles can be produced of most metallic materials. Besides the production of hollow profiles with longitudinal weldseams which are produced with porthol dies, seamless hollow profiles can also be extruded.

For this purpuse the 8 MN extrusion press is equipped with a mandrel holder and an internal piercer. Thereby, it is possible to produce hollow profiles with a moving as well as fixed mandrel after the direct and indirect extrusion. depending on the extruded alloy, mandrels can be used which are cooled with heated water of approximately 70 °C.

In the course of more and more complicated profile geometries and shorter product development cycles the simulation of the extrusion process and the required tools also obtains more meaning. Hence, not only real extrusion trials, but also simulations concerning the materialflow, the temperature development as well as the tool deflection are performed. Besides the optimization of the extrusion which can be deducted from the simulation another focus of the work of the Extrusion Research and Development Center lies on the continuous development of the calculation algorithms used for the simulation. Therefore, material data banks are permanently extended, and the simulation results are compared with the measurements from real extrusion trials.

The available presses and heating devices allow a wide spectrum for the extrusion of various alloys in a temperature range from -5 °C up to 1250 °C:

Magnesium

• Mg-wrought alloys with different alloying elements (AM, AZ, ZA, ZEK, ZK, ZM, WE)
• Mg-Al composite materials

 Aluminum

• Melting and powder metallurgical  Si-Al alloys
• Spray compacted Si-Al-alloys
• Dispersion strengthened AIN
• Nanocrystaline Al-powder
• Al composite materials

Copper

• Brass
• CuNi 10,
• CuCo₂Be
• CuCrZr
• Cu-Al- and Cu-Ti composite materials
• RE copper

Precious metals

• AgNi 0.15
• AgNi 10
• AgC
• AgPd
• CuPd
• Ag-Cu-C

High temperatures alloys

• Intermetallic titanium aluminides
• Nickel aluminides
• Iron aluminides
• ODS steels
• Superelastic  Iron-Boron-alloys

Shape memory alloys

• NiTi
• CuAlZn

Super conductors

• Nb₃Sn
• NbTi

On initiative of the committee of expert on extrusion of the German Society for Material Science  (DGM) an industrial patron organization was founded in 1986.

The organization is a union of professionals and of generally technical-scientifically interested organizations, industrial and commercial enterprises, as well as individuals.Today nearly all enterprises in Germany and in Germanspeaking foreign countries associated with the extrusion have joined in to industrial patron organization. The member companies are recruited from the following areas: 

• Mechanical engineering
• Billet and container heating
• Tool manufacturing
• Manufacturing of semi finished parts for light and heavy metals
  

The organization contributes to the maintenance of the facilities of the Extrusion Research and Development Center and promotes the education of qualified young professionals in the area of extrusion.

The Extrusion Research and Development Center offers the following services to the members of the patron organization:

Presentation of the latest research project 

• Annual reporting of research results
• Joined application of publically funded projects
• Training of the employees of the member companies in the area of extrusion