Extrusion Setup Options
The Extrusion process provides the following setup options:
Billet Length
By default, billet length is determined as described in
Billet Size and Parts per Billet. You can override the default with this setup option. Enter a standard length between the machine’s
Min Billet Length and
Max Billet Length.
Standard lengths differ from one another by a multiple of the increment listed in the lookup table tblStandardSizes for extrusionBilletLength and the default unit system (specified by the cost model variable defaultUnitSystem—US in starting point VPEs).
Number of Cavities in Die
By default, the number of cavities in the die is the maximum number of cavities for which both the following hold:
• That number of cavities can fit on the die.
• That number of cavities results in an in-range exit speed.
The default number of cavities is the number arrived at in the calculation of
Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed. You can override the default with this setup option. Select one of the following options:
• Optimized Based on Exit Speed: this is the default. See
Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed.
• Max Calculated: this is the maximum number of cavities that can fit on the die—see
Maximum Number of Die Cavities.
• User override: enter a number of cavities between 1 and the value of the cost model variable maxPossibleNestedPartsOnDie (12 in starting point VPEs).
Note that if you override the default, the override does
not affect
Machine Selection for Extrusion or the calculation of
Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed. This value does drive
Hard Tooling Cost.
Ram Speed
By default, ram speed depends on a number of factors, including the following:
• Material properties Minimum Extrusion Exit Speed and Maximum Extrusion Exit Speed
• Machine property Max Ram Speed
You can override the default with this setup option. Select one of the following options:
• Based on Part Complexity: this is the default. See
Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed.
• Machine Maximum Ram Speed: this is the value of the machine property Max Ram Speed.
• User Override: enter a value in mm/sec between 0.01 and the value of the machine property Max Ram Speed.
Note that if you override the default, the override does
not affect
Machine Selection for Extrusion. This value does drive
Cycle Time.
Quench Type
By default, the cost model assumes that the type of quenching is the most efficient type available for the selected machine. The quench types available for a given machine are specified by the following machine properties (those that are set to true are available):
• Standing Wave (most efficient)
• Water Spray
• Air (least efficient)
You can override the default with this setup option.
Quench type affects the calculation of
Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed, since ram speed must be slow enough to result in a balanced process. Longer quench times require slower ram speeds.
Maximum Acceptable Ram Speed, in turn, affects
Machine Selection for Extrusion as well as
Cycle Time.
Weld Scrap Included
By default,
Billet Size and Parts per Billet calculations assume that a region of un-usable weld scrap is produced when a billet that is loaded into the press fuses with the remainder of the previous billet. Set this setup option to
false if you want to override the default and specify that such welded regions are
not scrap and
are usable in parts (for example, because neither structural nor aesthetic considerations prohibit using them).