Production of sheets by hot extrusion of aluminium chips

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. A. Erman Tekkaya
• Subject Area: Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing
• Term: from 2020 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437426733

The direct utilization of aluminium chips represents a resource-saving alternative to the conventional extrusion of cast ingots, since the energy-intensive primary forming process for the production of semi-finished products is saved. In previous research work, the foundations for the direct processing of aluminium chips into solid profiles by extrusion as well as the influencing parameters were investigated. The direct processing of aluminium chips into sheet metal products by the extrusion of open profiles and subsequent expansion and rolling in a process chain as well as the further processing of the sheets by forming processes has not yet been investigated.Preliminary work shows that the production of sheet metal semi-finished products can be achieved through the extrusion process of aluminium chips and expansion through rolling. In addition, the mechanical properties of the chip-based sheets can be improved by the rolling process, making them comparable to conventionally produced aluminium sheets. The production of aluminium sheets from aluminium chips through the process chain extrusion of open profiles and expansion by rolling and the forming of further processing of semi-finished sheet metal to deep drawing products should therefore be fundamentally explored. The extrusion and rolling parameters influence the chip welding and thus the mechanical properties and their scattering. These also have an influence on the formability of aluminium sheets. The physical relationships of chip welding of the individual process steps can be estimated using an analytical model and based on numerical modelling. The determination of the component properties shows the potential of the chip-based components as well as their possible uses.By directly recycling aluminium chips into sheets, the range of components and products can be expanded, opening up new markets. In addition, energy and resources are saved and CO2 emissions are reduced, which leads to a reduction in production costs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr.-Ing. Soeren Gies