Extrusion
Extruding aluminium billets through dies with a force of thousands of tons creates a wide range of profiles and opens up an even larger choice of applications.
In this area, improvements has always been the key to success and will continue to be so. It means, better service and greater shape complexity combined with higher productivity.
The driving force to achieve lasting improvements is the combination of ambitious people, a high level of skills and systematic work. In Hydro Aluminium, this is true in a number of areas: Precision Tubing, with a strong focus on process reliability; Automotive Structures, with step change projects on die life and continuos improvements in productivity; and the Extrusion sector, with the idea to stabilize the runners at a high level of productivity and quality. The focus for extrusion is on achieving results - result's that increase the skill level in the organisation, and create improvement systems. Lasting improvements will help us do our best so our customers can do theirs.
The ECC is split in three dedicated R&D units supporting the business units Precision Tubing (HAPT) and Automotive Structures (HAST)and the Extrusion sector (HAEX). HAPT and HAST are both a part of the Automotive Sector in Hydro Aluminum, focusing on heat exchanger's and crash management systems respectively. HAEX is a sector for the general extrusion market dealing with all sorts of products and more than 100.000 customers world wide. The ECC units work in close collaboration with the plants - which are our customers. There is a strong focus in generating ownership of the projects in the plants to secure implementation.
The ECC is dedicated towards the following competencies:
- Extrusion process control
- Extrusion technology
- Tube drawing process
- Die technology
- Alloy development
- Extrusion applications
Laboratory facilities frequently used by the ECC:
- Metallographic lab.
- Mechanical testing lab
- SEM / GDOES
- Corrosion lab
- Brazing lab.
- Bending and End-forming
