Measures to use aluminum extrusion molds to improve machine pass rates

The design and manufacturing cost of aluminum extrusion dies accounts for about 20% of the total production cost. It is one of the key technologies in the aluminum extrusion industry, which has many variables and develops rapidly. This field involves many aspects such as materials, design, manufacturing, inspection, die repair, and management, and is also one of the areas with great development potential.

1. Strictly implement the production process regulations for aluminum profiles:

It is necessary to strictly follow the corresponding aluminum extrusion process. During the machine start-up, set the mid-section temperature of the aluminum rod furnace at 530–550°C and the exit section temperature at 480–500°C. The insulation time must be sufficient to ensure that the aluminum rods are adequately heated throughout (both the core and surface). This prevents uneven temperatures between the inside and outside of the aluminum rods (insufficient core temperature), which can increase elastic deformation of the die, exacerbate issues such as "uneven wall thickness" and "inconsistent lengths," and even cause plastic deformation of the extrusion die, leading to its scrapping.

2. Ensure 'Three Centers in One':

The centers of the extruder barrel, the extruder ram, and the die seat must be visually concentric. Any obvious eccentricity is not allowed, as it can affect the flow rate across the product and even impact the product's formation, or cause the lengths of the left and right extruded pieces to differ more, making extrusion production impossible. For multi-hole molds with two or more outlets, the requirements are even stricter.

3. Proper Selection of Support Pads:

It is necessary to choose double-hole support pads of appropriate size and specialized support pads with a large cantilever to reduce the elastic deformation of the lower die, ensuring stable forming of extruded products and minimal dimensional variation. Additionally, the double-hole specialized support pads must be prepared in advance before the mold is fired to avoid excessive mold cooling and defects caused by time-consuming searches for support pads after firing. It is recommended that the support pads be heated, generally maintaining a temperature between 350°C and 450°C. This is especially important for irregular complex cross-sections and multi-hole series, where reasonable specialized support pads must be selected.

4. Strengthen information feedback during the aluminum profile extrusion process:

1) Information feedback on mold clogging during pressing

There are many reasons for mold clogging, such as issues with mold processing, blockage in the empty cutter, burrs from empty cutter processing, the cutter being too small, or unreasonable cutter depth, among other factors. Additionally, unreasonable mold design work, such as improper design of guide plates or distribution holes, can also easily lead to mold clogging. People who have not received specialized training generally have difficulty explaining the issue clearly. It is best for the corresponding mold repair personnel to personally inspect and identify the cause before proceeding with mold seasoning, repair, and proposing modification solutions.

(2) Feedback on Extrusion Output Forming

In addition to having the extrusion die number clearly marked on the billet, the overall flow direction of the billet, which is not easily visible, must also be indicated. For example, 'intersecting output' (indicating that during actual extrusion, the inner side of the two holes is slow and the outer side is fast), 'diverging output' (indicating that during actual extrusion, the inner side of the two holes is fast and the outer side is slow), 'left long, right short' to indicate the left branch is longer and the right branch is shorter, along with a note on the amount of length difference. Since the distance from the cut-off saw to the extrusion outlet is about 6 meters, it is usually represented in the form of 'A meters/6 meters', meaning that the length difference is A meters per 6 meters. Such clear and accurate expressions are beneficial for the correct judgment and maintenance by mold repair personnel.

3) Feedback on dimensional deviations

When the molded output is normal but the dimensions are out of tolerance, a sample must be taken and properly labeled with complete and correct information (extrusion die number, output direction, dimensional defects, etc.). Any incorrect labeling may lead to the wrong mold being repaired, so utmost care is required. Providing accurate material samples is best done by including samples from the beginning, middle, and end of the batch.

Generally, by adopting the above four types of measures for using aluminum extrusion molds, we can improve the pass rate during production, reduce extrusion costs, and decrease the number of mold runs. Of course, it is also necessary to analyze the aluminum profile output based on the actual situation and make reasonable judgments. This is greatly related to each mold repair worker's techniques. Design and processing are also critical. Once the mold is formed, the mold repair worker's cutting skills determine the number of times the mold can be used in production. Therefore, feedback from production is very important. It is also essential to trust your own judgment, control the accuracy of the output, and believe in your own abilities. The greater your confidence, the larger the stage to solve problems!!!