EXTRUSION OF MULTI-MATERIAL COMPONENTS

Three innovative extrusion processes for the manufacture of multi-material parts are discussed: co-extrusion of discontinuously steel reinforced aluminum profiles, composite extrusion of continuously steel wire reinforced profiles and composite rod extrusion. In the first two processes the embedded steel elements are not deformable while by composite rod extrusion both materials are deformable. By means of experimental and numerical analysis, the parameters that mainly influence the reinforcement ratio, the extrusion force as well as the material distribution are analyzed. On the basis of this, analytical approaches are deduced to describe the process limits for the technologies. The paper closes with examples of applications regarding the lightweight requirements as well as functional integrations by forming multi-materials.