QForm UK Extrusion is the only program currently able to simulate material flow thermally and mechanically coupled to die deformation — even for very complex thin walls. Combining advanced automatic meshing with a parametric representation of the bearing geometry, it is purpose-built for material-flow analysis during extrusion and for the stress-strain state of the die set. Because the bearing is a parametric surface, even slight die deflection — a few angular minutes of inclination in the choke or relief — is captured, and production data confirms that flow patterns are highly sensitive to such changes. Built for production engineers and die designers, it requires no prior finite-element knowledge.
Advantages
- Coupled mechanical-thermal simulation of material flow and die deformation, each influencing the other.
- Fastest simulation speed for the most complex profiles, via a unique Lagrange-Euler method.
- Simulation of elastic-plastic profile deformation from post-extrusion cooling.
- Highly precise results from adaptive meshing and tightly integrated mechanical/thermal tasks.
- Intuitive interface, simple data input and a short learning curve.
- Fully automated simulation, with results viewable during calculation.
Features
- Solid, semi-hollow and hollow profiles of any complexity, with front-end shape prediction.
- Velocity, temperature, stress and strain distribution in any cross-section of workpiece and tool, at any process stage.
- Coupled mechanical/thermal calculation for any number of billets.
- Die-life prediction and assessment of profile distortion from die deflection and cooling.
- Extrusion-load estimation and bearing-height optimisation.
- Longitudinal seam-weld and charge-weld (billet-to-billet) prediction, and percentage of new material relative to ram displacement.
- Precise heat-gradient calculation across the billet, fully automatic adaptive meshing, user subroutines, point tracking and report generation.