Predicting Profile Wall Thickness Using a Multidisciplinary Simulation Environment

Abstract

One of the important properties required for high quality extruded profiles is achieving tight tolerances all along the finished profile length. In this respect, one of the most challenging targets to hit during simulation is the prediction of wall thicknesses for solid profiles, because the deflection of the die and the reciprocal sliding of its sections can have a big influence on the linear weight of the extrudate. For this kind of detailed analysis, the engineers at Almax Mori in Italy use Altair SimLab‚Ñ¢, a process-oriented multidisciplinary simulation environment designed to accurately analyze the performance of complex assemblies, such as a die-set made of different sections assembled using registers and pins and loaded together with its specific back-support. This article shows how using a multidisciplinary simulation approach can help to address the challenge of accurate wall thicknesses.