Finite element modeling of hydrostatic extrusion of magnesium

Abstract

Hydrostatic extrusion is a metal forming process characterised by high extrusion ratios even with difficult to form materials. A hydrostatic compression stress state is characteristic for this process. It improves the formability and allows combined with the good lubrication homogeneous metal forming properties across the extruded cross sections at high forming speeds. A simulation model of hydrostatic extrusion was developed and implemented into the FE package PEP & LARSTRAN/SHAPE. To deal with the large extrusion ratio of this process a templatere meshing technique using structured meshes has been integrated. With the developed simulation model the material flow properties like strain rate, equivalent strain and temperature distribution are computed in a thermo-mechanical coupled simulation. The simulation model has been validated by comparison of the computed process parameters to parameters measured during experiments on an industrial hydrostatic extrusion press.