TY - JOUR

T1 - Water-air spray cooling of extruded profiles

T2 - Process integrated heat treatment of the alloy EN AW-6082

AU - Nowak, M.

AU - Golovko, O.

AU - Nürnberger, F.

AU - Frolov, I.

AU - Schaper, M.

N1 - Funding information: The authors would like to thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) for their financial support of the work carried out within the scope of the joint research project FOR 922 ,,Entwicklung eines prozessbegleitenden Werkstoffmodells für eine durchgängige Prozesskette beim Leichtmetall-Strangpressen™™ TP 5 ,,Untersuchung und Modellierung einer integrierten Spray-kühlung beim Strangpressen mit simulationsbasierter Auslegung des Düsenfeldes™™.

PY - 2013/5/6

Y1 - 2013/5/6

N2 - Quenching by spray cooling in the press line is a promising way to harden Al-Mg-Si alloys with regard to reducing profile distortion. For alloys such as EN AW-6082, high cooling rates are required. A device for spray cooling by means of water and compressed air was integrated into a 10 MN horizontal, hydraulic, short-stroke extrusion press. Various spray parameters were investigated. By using 32 water-air nozzles having a total water deposition rate of about 15 L/min and extruding with a profile velocity of 2.5 m/min, high mechanical properties were imparted to 30 mm diameter extruded rods. This arrangement ensures the extruded alloy is cooled to almost room temperature. Comparable properties can be achieved by water quenching, although the water consumption will be tenfold higher. The distribution of water deposition density on the profiles' surfaces was determined. It was shown that an adjustment of the water-air pressure ratio allows the final temperature of the profiles to be controlled over a wide range. Minimization of temperature gradients in the cross section of complex profiles allows profile distortions to be reduced.

AB - Quenching by spray cooling in the press line is a promising way to harden Al-Mg-Si alloys with regard to reducing profile distortion. For alloys such as EN AW-6082, high cooling rates are required. A device for spray cooling by means of water and compressed air was integrated into a 10 MN horizontal, hydraulic, short-stroke extrusion press. Various spray parameters were investigated. By using 32 water-air nozzles having a total water deposition rate of about 15 L/min and extruding with a profile velocity of 2.5 m/min, high mechanical properties were imparted to 30 mm diameter extruded rods. This arrangement ensures the extruded alloy is cooled to almost room temperature. Comparable properties can be achieved by water quenching, although the water consumption will be tenfold higher. The distribution of water deposition density on the profiles' surfaces was determined. It was shown that an adjustment of the water-air pressure ratio allows the final temperature of the profiles to be controlled over a wide range. Minimization of temperature gradients in the cross section of complex profiles allows profile distortions to be reduced.

KW - Aluminum profiles

KW - EN AW-6082

KW - Extrusion

KW - Spray cooling

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893683808&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11665-013-0563-6

DO - 10.1007/s11665-013-0563-6

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84893683808

VL - 22

SP - 2580

EP - 2587

JO - Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

JF - Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

SN - 1059-9495

IS - 9

ER -