Extrusion Setup Options

The Extrusion process provides the following setup options:

Billet Length

By default, billet length is determined as described in Billet Size and Parts per Billet. You can override the default with this setup option. Enter a standard length between the machine’s Min Billet Length and Max Billet Length.

Standard lengths differ from one another by a multiple of the increment listed in the lookup table tblStandardSizes for extrusionBilletLength and the default unit system (specified by the cost model variable defaultUnitSystem—US in starting point Digital Factories).

Number of Cavities in Die

By default, the number of cavities in the die is the maximum number of cavities for which both the following hold:

  • That number of cavities can fit on the die.

  • That number of cavities results in an in-range exit speed.

The default number of cavities is the number arrived at in the calculation of Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed. You can override the default with this setup option. Select one of the following options:

  • Optimized Based on Exit Speed, Considers Circular Nesting: this is the default. See Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed.

  • User Override, Machine Selection Will Consider Circular Nesting: enter a value between 1 and the value of the cost model variable maxPossibleNestedPartsOnDie (12 in starting point Digital Factories). A machine is considered infeasible if the entered value is greater than the machine’s maximum number of cavities assuming circular nesting--see Extrusion.

  • User Override, Machine Selection Will Consider Circular Nesting: enter a value between 1 and the value of the cost model variable maxPossibleNestedPartsOnDie (12 in starting point Digital Factories). A machine is considered feasible even if the entered value is greater than the machine’s maximum number of cavities assuming circular nesting--see Extrusion.

This value drives Machine Selection for Extrusion, Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed, and Hard Tooling Cost.

Ram Speed

By default, ram speed depends on a number of factors, including the following:

See Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed for more information.

You can override the default with this setup option. Select one of the following options:

  • Based on Part Complexity: this is the default. See Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed.

  • Machine Maximum Ram Speed: this is the value of the machine property Max Ram Speed.

  • User Override: enter a value in mm/sec between 0.01 and the value of the machine property Max Ram Speed.

Note that if you override the default, the override does not affect Machine Selection for Extrusion. This value does drive Cycle Time.

Quench Type

By default, the cost model assumes that the type of quenching is the most efficient type available for the selected machine. The quench types available for a given machine are specified by the following machine properties (those that are set to true are available):

  • Standing Wave (most efficient)

  • Water Spray

  • Air (least efficient)

You can override the default with this setup option.

Quench type affects the calculation of Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed, since ram speed must be slow enough to result in a balanced process. Longer quench times require slower ram speeds. Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed, in turn, affects Machine Selection for Extrusion as well as Cycle Time.

Weld Scrap Included

By default, Billet Size and Parts per Billet calculations assume that a region of un-usable weld scrap is produced when a billet that is loaded into the press fuses with the remainder of the previous billet. Set this setup option to false if you want to override the default and specify that such welded regions are not scrap and are usable in parts (for example, because neither structural nor aesthetic considerations prohibit using them).