Comprehensive analysis of waving defects in aluminium profile extrusion
Ivan Kniazkin, Ivan Kulakov, Nikolay Biba
Abstract. Waving defects in extruded aluminium profiles pose significant challenges to achieving the stringent geometrical tolerances required in industries such as automotive manufacturing. These defects, driven by flow velocity and thermal gradient imbalances, often emerge during later stages of the extrusion process, complicating early detection and mitigation efforts. This study investigates the mechanisms underlying waving defects through comprehensive simulations of industrial and benchmark profiles using QForm UK software. Critical insights into defect formation were achieved by analysing flow velocity and thermal variations across the extrusion process. The results highlight the interplay between feeder plate design, central feeding mechanisms, and billet discard length in influencing velocity deviations and subsequent wave formation. Moreover, the study demonstrates the importance of full-billet simulations in predicting these defects, as simplified approaches often fail to identify critical hidden variables. Practical recommendations are proposed to minimise waving defects and ensure high-quality, defect-free extrusions. These findings offer valuable strategies for advancing extrusion process design and meeting the rigorous demands of modern industries.
Keywords
Waving, Extrusion, Simulation, QForm, Defect, Aluminium, ALE Approach, Quality, FEA
Published online 5/7/2025, 10 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Ivan Kniazkin, Ivan Kulakov, Nikolay Biba, Comprehensive analysis of waving defects in aluminium profile extrusion, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 54, pp 725-734, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903599-78
The article was published as article 78 of the book Material Forming
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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