A novel design concept of the extrusion dies

In aluminum extrusion, one of the main limit is the developed temperature field that limits the maximum achievable production rate. Liquid nitrogen cooled dies are frequently today used in industry but they remove heat far away from the bearings, where the most critical conditions are reached. The novel concept involves the use of the additive manufacturing technology (SLM) to grant a full cooling channel design freedom, including the possibility to be located nearby the bearings. The insert is fit in a steel-housing die conventionally manufactured in order to limit final die costs. A comprehensive numerical analysis has been performed with the aim to investigate the insert thermo-mechanical performances, including the nitrogen cooling effect. The achieved numerical results encouraged the experimental manufacturing and testing of the insert. Specifically, eight inserts have been produced by SLM technology and the optimal one was successfully tested in the extrusion of an aluminum alloy.