Extrusion is the process of creating straight metal parts, that is, so that each piece will look the same when viewed from one of its ends. Two types of extrusion exist: direct and indirect. Indirect extrusion presses work by allowing the billet, that is, the piece aluminum to be shaped, to stay in place while its die assembly presses against it, which forces the billet through the die. Indirect aluminum extrusion presses have several advantages.
Less Load
Indirect extrusion presses require much less of a load than direct extrusion presses, usually around 25 to 30 percent less. This can save power. In addition, because so much more load is available, far more complicated billet patterns can be created through the use of an indirect extrusion press, and the billets do not have to be heated up to as high a temperature, allowing higher production speeds than direct aluminum extrusion presses.
Friction Heat
When using an indirect extrusion press, you will not have to worry about any heat being generated by friction between the billet and the press. On direct extrusion presses, the frictive heat becomes higher and higher the more of the billet is fed through the press. As the temperature increases, this could make the billet so malleable that is could tear or for improperly. Indirect extrusion presses obviate this problem.
Uniformity
In general, billets run through an indirect aluminum extrusion press come out with a more overall uniform billet shape. Therefore, indirect extrusion presses are desirable for more complex billet shapes.
Durability
Indirect aluminum extrusion presses can also be counted on to last longer than direct aluminum extrusion presses. Both the container and the liner will last longer.
Butt End Size
The butt ends are the leftover pieces of the aluminum billets left over after the billet has been shaped. One of the advantages of indirect aluminum extrusion presses is the fact that the butt ends generated by these presses are thinner than those left by direct aluminum extrusion presses. This can help to save materials.
Billet Dimensions
Indirect aluminum extrusion presses are also able to process longer initial billets, as well as greater billet diameters. For some applications, these differences could prove fortuitous.
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