Bridge tool for the production of extruded profiles with varying cross-sections
Patent 16050/TUB

This invention enables the production of tailor-made extruded profiles for the forming of metals, for example in the production of pipes and the like. The process can be used in the automotive or aerospace industries.

Benefits
  1. Production of tailor-made, load-adapted extruded profiles
  2. Locally adapted wall thicknesses
  3. locally adapted strength properties possible
  4. can be integrated into existing extrusion lines in principle
Possible Applications

Automotive and aerospace industry

Background

The extrusion forming process enables high degrees of forming to be achieved in a single process step and an almost unlimited variety of possible profile cross-sections to be produced. It is an essential manufacturing process, especially for the lightweight material aluminium. In conventional extrusion, however, only rigid forming tools are used, which always form profile cross-sections constantly over the length of a profile. Since the design of components and parts is carried out according to the highest expected stress, but this does not occur uniformly over their length in real technical use, locally oversized profile areas inevitably result in the conventional process.

Technical Description

With the process and tool developed at the TU Berlin, oversized profile sections can now be reduced. This is achieved by integrating movable segments in the tool, which can be moved during the forming process by an externally mounted drive mechanism. By moving the segments vertically to the direction of extrusion, the shaping gap in the tool and consequently the local wall thickness of the hollow section is either reduced or increased. The maximum wall thickness change achievable so far was 1.2 mm. With an initial wall thickness of 4.5mm, this was reduced to 3.3mm, which corresponds to a reduction of approx. 27%.

This innovative technology achieves savings in the use of materials and the weight of profiles. These savings reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, especially in weight-sensitive applications such as transportation.

Contact Us

Ina Krüger

Technology Transfer Manager

+49 (0)30 314-75916
ina.krueger@tu-berlin.de

Technology Readiness Level
TRL 6

Technology demonstrated in relevant environment

Property Rights

pending: DE, EP, US
approved: CN

Patent Holder

Technische Universität Berlin