Preface to the Second Edition Free

The first edition of Aluminum Extrusion Technology covered the fundamentals of aluminum extrusion technology with some material about technological developments in the aluminum extrusion industry, primarily in the areas of dies and tooling, die heating, billet making and heating, and extrusion handling equipment. Since 2000, when the first book was written, there have been tremendous technological developments in aluminum extrusion technology, including die and tooling design and manufacturing, extrusion press and press feedline, and handling equipment design and manufacturing. Many academic and industry research papers have been presented and published in conference proceedings and journals since the first book was published. For example, finite-element modeling (FEM) software packages have been developed as a powerful tool to address a wide range of challenges in the aluminum extrusion industry. The advanced simulation packages help die designers predict better die performance at the extrusion press, ensuring that the dimensional tolerances of the extrusion profiles are maintained with greater accuracy.

This new edition was written to add more fundamental information on recent technology developments, mainly press technology, process technology, die technology, billet casting technology, and auxiliary equipment design.

Updates and revisions in this second edition include:

• Newly drawn graphics with additional information that describe the contents for better understanding

• Numerous new and relevant research materials and illustrations on various aspects of aluminum extrusion technology

• Completely revised chapter on billet casting principles and practice (Chapter 5) with advanced technology applied to billet manufacturing processes

• An expanded soft- and medium-grade alloy extrusion chapter (Chapter 6) with an added section on charge weld transition in type II hollow and the fundamentals to improve overall extrusion productivity

• Expanded the hard alloy extrusion chapter (Chapter 7) with more emphasis on aerospace extrusion

• Added to the economics of aluminum extrusion chapter (Chapter 8) to explain costs involved in multiple stages of extrusion, from billet making to the final extrusion after heat treatment

• Introduced FEM simulation in die design and its application to optimize die design, die life, and the role of computer simulation in die design in improving extrusion productivity

• Added new references on new technology development and recent research to offer a broader perspective on the technology

• Redrew old figures to enhance clarity and understanding, mainly for beginners

The intended audience includes:

• Technical professionals in the aluminum extrusion industry all over the world

• Extrusion research students

• Management professionals in the aluminum extrusion industry

• Faculty members in extrusion research

• Faculty members teaching courses on materials manufacturing processes

• Aerospace design, metallurgical, manufacturing, and research engineers

• Supply chain personnel in the aerospace industry handling contract negotiations with the extrusion manufacturers.

• And more

Because the new edition covers a lot of fundamentals with value-added academic and industrial research information gathered from recent technology development, more updates and inputs within the current framework, and more new sections and chapters, the book is considered a reference book and a textbook. The ten chapters cover almost all the branches of aluminum extrusion technology:

1. Fundamentals of Extrusion

2. Tribology and Thermodynamics in Extrusion

3. Extrusion Press and Auxiliary Equipment

4. Extrusion Die and Tooling

5. Billet Casting Principles and Practice

6. Extrusion of Soft- and Medium-Grade Alloys

7. Extrusion of Hard Alloys

8. Economics of Aluminum Extrusion

9. Process Control in the Aluminum Extrusion Plant

10. Fundamental Research and Future Developments

The author is thankful to Dr. Steven R. Schmid (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Dr. Wojciech Z. Misiolek (Lehigh University), Paul Robbins and Yaha Mahmoodkhani (Castool), Dave Salee (Wagstaff), Ivan Kniazkin (QForm), and Sabyasachi Basu (Boeing) for their careful review of the manuscript and valuable suggestions.

I am very grateful to many industry personnel, including Ivan Kniazkin (QForm), Dave Salee (Wagstaff), Mark Bumford (RiA), and Paul Robbins (Castool), who have supplied me with many graphics, illustrations, and technical materials of many equipment, tool, and simulation graphics in the preparation and publication of this new edition.

Finally, the author would like to thank his wife and two lovely daughters for their constant encouragement in accomplishing this significant effort.