Nitrogen Cooling for high speed extrusion of Aluminium 7020 Alloy Industry Forum – 29th March 2009 Nitrogen Cooling for high speed extrusion of Aluminium 7020 Alloy Eng. Tommaso Pinter, ALMAX-MORI Srl (Italy)

Schedule (15’) Introduction 7020 Aluminium Nitrogen Cooling Case Study

Overview Asset ALMAX June 2004 as Almax–Mori S.r.l. ALUMAT 1993 as Alumat S.r.l. Networked Organization Turnover 16.000K euro/year – 2 production sites Experience Direct-Indirect Extrusion Soft and Hard Alloys Export (50%) Europe, Middle East, Africa Prod. Capacity 800 dies/month

Custom Solutions Butterfly Die™ Insert Die Nitrogen Cooling

EN AW-7020 Alloy

Case Study Process Parameters To Improve Low Productivity 25MN Direct Extrusion Press Specific Pressure: 72 Kg/mm2 Alloy: EN AW 7020 Profile Application: Rail Transport Exit Temperature: Up to 620°C To Improve Low Productivity Short Die Life High Scrap Percentage

Hot Work Tool Steel

Liquid Nitrogen Cooling The INCAL® unit by MESSER provides cooling of the die by liquid nitrogen and guarantees that the nitrogen enters into the die at constant temperature and pressure. N5Nitrogen by A.T.E. UNO INFORMATICA works manually the first time a die is used to setup all the parameters. Once the parameters have been settled, all data can be stored making a “photo” of all PLC parameters to be re-used automatically for the following extrusion runs.

The DIE

Comparisons Exit temperature: 540°C Previous: Over 600°C Without Nitrogen Cooling the mandrel Broke After 12 billets With nitrogen cooling we have Incipient Cracks after 30 billets Exit temperature: 540°C Previous: Over 600°C RAM Speed: 3mm/sec Previous: 2 mm/sec

Results

Best Practices Focus Design on Die Performance Consider Nitrogen Cooling in designing Welding Points and Web Geometry Be Sure to have Liquid Nitrogen at the Die Use a Nitrogen Management Software Double Slot for Liquid Nitrogen to balance nitrogen flow in die and mandrel

Almax-Mori & Alumat Almax-Mori S.r.l. Via Matteotti 13 38065 Mori (TN) info@almax-mori.it www.almax-mori.it Alumat S.r.l. Via Lisbona 9 24040 Ciserano (BG) info@alumat.it www.alumat.it