Integration of Design of Experiments in the E...

Integration of Design of Experiments in the Extrusion of Aluminum profiles: Optimization of Surface Roughness and Productivity

Author Name : Seif Salah, Atef A. Afifi, Amr Nounou

ABSTRACT Aluminum extrusion is a crucial manufacturing process widely utilized in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, and packaging, due to aluminum’s lightweight, corrosion resistance, and high strength. These properties make it also suitable for structural and functional applications. Optimizing the extrusion process aims to improve profile quality and increases productivity, as a result improving overall manufacturing efficiency. This study targets to optimize the cross-sectional shape of extruded aluminum profiles utilizing a recess-type die particularly designed for L- shape profile used in construction and architecture as structural supports, including corner reinforcements in building frameworks and shelving systems. The die manufactured consist of six exit holes to extrude six aluminum profiles. Direct hot extrusion of Al 6063 aluminum alloy was conducted, based on three key machine settings parameters which are billet pre-heating temperature, container temperature, and ram speed, each tested with three levels.