If you want to use extrusion to create metal parts, then you have to decide whether to use a hot or cold process. If you use hot extrusion, you heat the metal to make it more malleable before forcing its through or around its die. Cold extrusion uses impact force to change the shape of the material.
Cold extrusion has some benefits over a hot process in metal fabrication. What are they?
1. No Oxidation
While heat helps a metal work in or around a die, it does affect the material's composition. When you heat a metal, it might oxidise.
If you get oxidisation on a metal, it can leave behind scale on the surface. This scale can affect surface cosmetics — it makes the surface look rough and unfinished — and can impact quality and strength.
For example, scale on an extruded part can affect its specifications. Measurements might not be as accurate as you need them to be.
Oxidised scale can also weaken parts of the metal around its die lines. These areas could have increased friction; they might wear more quickly than they should.
Cold extrusion processes don't need to use heat at all. They work on cold metal.
So, you can have confidence that your parts and products won't have any oxidisation problems. You get a better surface finish and fewer heat-related friction or wear problems.
2. Increased Strength
Hot extrusion puts stress on a metal. It changes its mechanical properties to make it more easily workable.
This stress, together with the heating/cooling cycle, can affect the strength of a finished part or product. When you add oxidisation to the mix, then you could end up with a few different weak areas.
If you use cold extrusion, then you get improved strength. You don't put the metals under any kind of heat pressure or stress.
So, your finished parts and products will be stronger. They have better mechanical properties, and you won't have to deal with oxidisation weaknesses.
3. Faster Production Times
Hot extrusion doesn't always come with the quickest production times. You have to heat the metal before you can work with it. You then have to cool it down before the job is finished.
Cold extrusion gets you to the production point a lot quicker. You don't need to prepare the metal, and it doesn't need a cooling-off period. So, you can produce parts and products faster.
If you're interested in learning more about cold extrusion, contact metal fabrication specialists.