Analysis of plastic flow and die design during extrusion of CPU heat sinks

Abstract: In this study, a design guideline for flow guides and dies is proposed for extrusion of complex cross-sectional shape products, such as CPU heat sinks. The plastic flow pattern of the billet inside the die cavity and the front-end shape of the extruded product are analyzed using a commercial finite element package “DEFORM 3D”. The configuration and dimensions of the flow guide and die for obtaining a straight product without curvature are investigated. The stress and deflection distributions of the die fin in the lateral and extrusion directions in the early non-steady state stage of the extrusion process are also discussed. Furthermore, experiments of extrusion using A6061 as the specimen with two different flow guide designs are conducted. The experimentally obtained front-end shape of product is compared with the simulation results, from which the simulation results are validated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]