Preheating of a die is an essential factor of extrusion. When a die has had to little heat it could tear. Through different factors the temperature of the die could fall. On the basis of the color tabels below, it is possible to track down which temperature (circa) the die has had.
The extruder determines the temperature through knowledge and experience. Besides, some alloys provide the extruder to play with temperature during the extrusion process.
Our extrusion dies are made of (hot tool/work) steel. Steel is an alloy between iron and a limited carbon content(max 2%). There are more than 2300 species with different properties. It depends on the amount of carbon if the steel is more stiff/harsh, strong and bendable. A higher carbon content will lead to stiffer, but more breakable steel. A lower carbon content will lead to stronger, but more bendable steel. Below you will find a simplistic explanation of the steel production process.
Aluminium, the third most abundant element in Earth’s crust. Aluminium is a chemical element (symbol Al) and it is a ductile metal in the boron group. In this article we inform you about the benefits of aluminium and aluminium series.
The benefits:
- Aluminium is a very light and strong metal. This is one of the main reasons why aluminium is being used in so many different transportation industries. For example, a lot of aluminium is being used in trucks and containers. A lot of weight is being reduced because of the usage of aluminum. Because of this saving, more load could be transported.
- Aluminium is recyclable. Aluminium that has already been recycled is called secondary aluminium. Recycling aluminium saves a lot of energy, because only 5-8% of the energy, needed for primary aluminium, is needed to produce secondary aluminium. Another advantage of secondary aluminium is quality, because it remains the same as primary, all the properties retain. Aluminium is environmentally and economically sustainable because recycling is relative low-cost, the rate of scrap recovery is high and there is an abundance of its ore.
- Aluminium is corrosion resistant. Aluminium generates a natural protective coating. When the aluminium comes into contact with an oxidising environment the protective coating will be generated. This layer protects the surface from corrosion. Anodising is a method to improve the corrosion resistance.
- The unique characteristics of aluminium are excellent for the extrusion process. Because of its ductility it is easy to extrude while the malleability of aluminium allows it to be formed and pressed into complex shapes even after the extrusion process.
Aluminium extrusion and applications
Because of the high conductivity of heat and electricity, aluminium can be found in: Air conditioning, heat sinks and radiators. Low weight and high strength benefit the following industries: railway, automotive, aeronautical and marine. We told you about the corrosion resistance of aluminium, that’s the reason why they use aluminium for mining architecture, cables, wires, automotive and parts for the army.
Ofcourse aluminium could be used for more!
Aluminium series
The table below shows the different aluminium series and their properties divided in strength, formability, corrosion resistance and weldability.
Series 4 & 8 excluded
At Adex we use metalworking fluid when we produce extrusion dies. We found an interesting article about a new metalworking fluid that we would like to share with you.
Total announced their new metalworking fluid: Folia. Folia is a water-based fluid and it is even free of emulsifiers and mineral oils. According to Total, Folia brings a few benefits for metalworking. Due to Folia the productivity will increase, tool life will become longer and operation costs will be lower. Because of Folia’s cooling power and lubricity the tool lifetime will be extended. This allows operators to manufacture larger parts in less time. Eventually, this will lead to a reduction of the tooling costs.
More benefits
These are not the only Benefits. There are even benefits in the field of safety, health and environment.
- Non-slippery floor & cleaner workspace
- Less dangerous components
- Kinder to your skin at direct contact
- Safer for the environment
- Long fluid lifetime
- For more information about the benefits, click here.
Conclusion
All in all, a very interesting development in the field of metalworking fluid. This innovation brings a lot of benefits like decreasing operation costs and a higher productivity, but also benefits in the field of safety, health and the environment.
THE ROLE OF ALUMINIUM IN ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN ROCKET ENGINEERING HISTORY
Falcon 9, a two-stage rocket capable of reflight. The Falcon 9 is designed by SpaceX and is considered to be one of the biggest achievements in rocket engineering.
How does aluminium help to land the Falcon 9?
SpaceX developed a few technologies to ensure the accuracy of the Falcon 9 as it is going to land. One of these technologies is a number of deployable aluminium/ titanium grid fins and carbon fiber/ aluminium landing gear. The grid fins and landing gear provide a certain level of control in the first phase of the rocket’s trip back to Earth.
In the upper atmosphere, cold gas thrusters are being used. When the rocket reaches the lower atmosphere the grid fins deploy. The grid fins are used as wings. They are liable for the position of the rocket and guide the rocket back to Earth. The landing gear is very important to land the rocket in a vertical position.
However, these are not the only ways SpaceX used aluminium. Aluminium lithium alloy tanks are being used to contain liquid oxygen and kerosene. Because of the aluminium, a lot of weight is being reduced. For this reason, the payload of the rocket increased.
(Source: Light Metal Age)
Take a digital tour through Adex to find out what happens between the order and the delivery of your die!
Welcome at Adex BV, are you ready to start the tour?
At Adex we have been producing dies for more than 40 years. Our dies are used worldwide for every industry that you can imagine. Thanks to the dies from Adex you can travel by car, train, boat, airplane and even bicycle. But you can also enjoy skiing down a well prepared slope. Even when using your mobile phone it is made possible thanks to a profile that came out of an Adex die.
Our production is done in one location in the Netherlands. Venlo has been the logistical hotspot from the Netherlands for many years. Thanks to being near to the German border transit times are short. Every one of the employees of Adex know that their input in the complete process can make the difference.
So what does happen between the order and the delivery of the die? Scroll down and you will find out for yourself!
Quality Control
Adex is familiar with a wide range of quality demands for a large variety of market segments.
We pride ourselves on our innovative design engineers and the unique Adex technologies. We are a leading company in the implementation of the latest manufacturing techniques and production equipment.
Our customers are global leading companies in the automotive, aerospace, railway, maritime and building industry, whose production relies on dies of the highest quality. Adex delivers these dies!
Adex stands for excellence
Latest news
Renewal of quality certificate
Adex is proud to announce that we successful implemented the new ISO 9001:2015 certificated. This new certificate ensures that our processes are aligned and continually improved to deliver the our customers the best possible dies in the world.
Would you require more information please contact us.
Adex receives Ecovadis Bronze
Adex awarded the Bronze status from Ecovadis. Adex was checked on environment, labor & human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
Would you require more information please contact us.
Adex commisions a new 5-axes heller
Adex is specialised in manufacturing complex dies. The need for complex dies are increasing yearly at Adex.
The market experiences the benefits and this results in a significant increase in orders, especially spreading dies. Increase in production capacity was clearly needed.
In January Adex installed and commissioned a brand new Heller FP8000, with this state of the art machining centre Adex is able to manufacture dies with the highest quality requirements.
More information? Ask Adex: +31 (0)77 – 389 89 00 or info@adex-dies.com