Copper rod forming has its own unique principles. The copper rod forming process can also be considered the copper rod production process. Different types of copper rods require different forming processes and possess different characteristics. Today, we will focus on a detailed introduction to the "Copper Rod Forming Process and Procedures."
What materials are copper rods made of? Copper rod materials include H59, H59-1, H59-2, H59-3, H60, H60-2, H62, H63, H65, H68, H70, H80, and H90; C1100, C1020, C2680, C2800, C2600, C2801, C5191, C5210, C2200, C7521, C7541, C17200, C1070, C7701, QSn6.5-0.1, QSn8-0.3, QSn4-0.3, BZn18-18, BZn15-20, and CuBe2.
Before introducing the copper rod forming process and procedures, let's discuss the various metal forming processes.
1. Metal solidification forming is conventionally referred to as casting. Casting is a process in which molten metal is poured, injected, or drawn into a mold cavity and, after solidification, is produced to create a casting with a specific shape and properties.
2. Metal plastic forming is a processing method that utilizes the plastic deformation capacity of metal materials to produce a desired plastic deformation under the action of external forces, resulting in a part or blank with a specific shape, size, and mechanical properties. Processes are generally categorized as free forging, die forging, sheet metal stamping, extrusion, and pressing. In engineering, the forgeability of a metal is often used to characterize its performance. Forgeability is often measured by the metal's plasticity and resistance to deformation. High plasticity and low resistance to deformation indicate good forgeability; conversely, poor forgeability indicates poor forgeability.
3. Metal welding. Welding is a forming process that achieves atomic bonding of metal materials through the application of heat, pressure, or both, with or without filler materials. Common classifications include fusion welding, pressure welding, and brazing.
What are the copper rod forming processes? There are many copper rod forming processes, including extrusion, rolling, continuous casting, stretching, etc.
Copper rod forming process flow? There are three types of copper rod forming process flow:
1. Pressing - (rolling) - stretching - (annealing) - finishing - finished product.
2. Continuous casting (upper pull, horizontal or wheel type, crawler type, dipping) - (rolling) - stretching - (annealing) - finishing - finished product.
3. Continuous extrusion - stretching - (annealing) - finishing - finished product.
Extrusion of copper rod forming process?
1. Types of extrusion: Extrusion is divided into three types: forward extrusion, reverse extrusion and special extrusion.
(1) Forward extrusion: refers to the extrusion behavior in which the extrusion direction of the product is the same as the direction of the extrusion force.(2) Reverse extrusion: The extrusion direction is opposite to the direction of the extrusion force.
(3) Special extrusion: refers to other extrusion methods such as hydrostatic extrusion.
2. Characteristics of extrusion:
(1) Characteristics of forward extrusion: Among them, forward extrusion equipment is relatively simple and is the most widely used. (2) Characteristics of directional extrusion: Reverse extrusion reduces the friction between the ingot and the extrusion barrel, reduces the extrusion force, and can increase the tool life. It is widely used in small and medium-sized extruded products. 3. Precautions for extrusion: During the extrusion process, the ingot is subjected to three-dimensional compressive stress in the extrusion barrel and can withstand a large amount of deformation. During extrusion, the mold should be reasonably designed and the extrusion process parameters should be selected according to the characteristics of the alloy, the specifications and technical requirements of the extruded product, and the capacity and structure of the equipment. This includes the specifications of the ingot, the extrusion ratio, the extrusion temperature, the extrusion speed, etc. In order to ensure and improve the surface quality of the extruded product, copper alloys are often extruded by peeling extrusion to remove defects on the surface of the ingot. For precipitation-strengthened alloys, water seal extrusion can be used to achieve solid solution treatment before cold deformation in the extrusion process. Quantongwang experts said that for ordinary alloys, water seal extrusion can reduce surface oxidation of the product and avoid re-pickling of the product. Horizontal forward extrusion is the most traditional and common extrusion method. The main problem when it extrudes pipes is the double core of the pipe. Reverse extrusion not only reduces eccentricity but also allows for the extrusion of longer ingots, increasing yield. Vertical extrusion minimizes eccentricity, but limits the length of the extruded product. Continuous extrusion offers a short process flow, heavy coils, and the ability to produce long products. It is particularly suitable for the production of products with special cross-sections, with a high yield rate of 90-95%. It also reduces metal consumption, energy consumption, equipment investment, and footprint, facilitating continuous production and being environmentally friendly. With technological breakthroughs in product width, continuous extrusion is now being developed and applied in the production of oxygen-free copper and pure copper strip. The main drawback of this method is the short die life. Improvements in die design and the lifespan of the die material are crucial.
Copper rod forming process: rolling? There are three types of copper rod rolling: die rolling, spinning, and planetary rolling.
Copper rod forming process: stretching?
1. Definition of stretching: Stretching is a pressure forming process in which the billet is passed through a die hole and subjected to tensile force to change its shape and size. It is also a key step in the production of finished copper rod and wire. 2. Stretching Characteristics: This process ensures that the product's shape and dimensions meet the required specifications, with high dimensional accuracy and excellent surface finish.
3. Rod and wire stretching is a diameter-reducing stretching process: Pipe stretching can be categorized into expansion stretching, diameter-reducing stretching, and diameter and wall-reducing stretching. Pipe stretching uses mandrels of fixed, floating, and long cores.
During floating core stretching, the mandrel's shape creates a force balance, stabilizing it within the deformation zone. This method offers a high per-pass elongation coefficient and significant diameter and wall reduction, making it suitable for the production of long pipes and coils. Fixed core stretching requires a mandrel to stabilize the mandrel within the deformation zone and is primarily used for the production of shorter, straight pipes.
Common stretching equipment includes chain stretchers, disc stretchers, hydraulic stretchers, and combined stretchers. Chain stretchers are primarily used for stretching straight products and are available in single-chain, double-chain, single-wire, and multi-wire types. Disc stretching machines are primarily used for the production of small and medium-diameter coils. Combined stretching machines primarily produce small-sized products from coils to fixed-length straight bars. They can simultaneously perform stretching, straightening, surface polishing, and cutting to length, directly producing finished products.
What are the heat treatments for copper rod forming processes?
The heat treatment of tubes, rods, and profiles primarily involves intermediate annealing and final annealing. The annealing schedule is tailored to the alloy characteristics, product condition, and performance requirements.
Currently, bell-type, roller-hearth, and chain furnaces with specific atmospheres are widely used for the heat treatment of tubes, rods, and profiles. While employing a protective atmosphere, enhanced atmosphere circulation ensures a uniform atmosphere and a bright product surface.
Pass-through induction furnaces are primarily used for intermediate annealing of internally threaded air conditioning tubes. The coils are unrolled, annealed, and then re-coiled, achieving continuous annealing from "basket to "basket." This equipment features not only gas shielding but also an internal purge cleaning system.
The heat treatment of rods and profiles also includes quenching and aging. It is primarily used for heat treating alloys with age-hardening properties to improve the material's strength and overall performance. Quenching of extruded products is typically accomplished with a water seal at the extrusion outlet, while drawn products require a dedicated quenching furnace.
Copper Rod Forming Process: Finishing?
Finishing of copper alloy tubes, rods, and wire primarily includes trimming (sizing), straightening, and surface treatment. Depending on the product specifications and requirements, trimming can be done by sawing or shearing. High-precision, large-format products are generally sawed. Straightness is a key quality indicator for tubes, rods, and profiles. Commonly used straightening machines for tubes, rods, and profiles include roller straighteners, pressure straighteners, sinusoidal straighteners, and tension straighteners, with roller straighteners being the most widely used. Roller straighteners straighten the product by repeatedly bending it with different roller profiles. Tension straighteners clamp the product at both ends and apply opposing tension, causing slight deformation to achieve straightening. They are primarily used for straightening specialized profiles. Their elongation reaches 1-3%. Pressure straightening machines are generally used to straighten large or extra-large bars, profiles, and thick-walled pipes. Sinusoidal straightening is primarily used to straighten small-diameter pipes and bars by repeatedly bending them using sinusoidal straightening rollers.
To ensure a clean and glossy finished surface, the product surface (including the interior of the pipe) requires surface treatment, which can be performed manually or automatically. Manual treatment primarily involves an operator wiping away oil stains and dirt from the pipe or bar surface (including using compressed air to blow cotton balls into the pipe). Automatic treatment primarily involves cleaning the pipe or bar with a liquid containing a cleaning agent (including blowing air into the pipe) and drying it.
The company has a cluster of leading copper processing production lines in China, including:
German imported precision copper tube production line (annual output of 30,000 tons)
Japanese technology copper foil rolling line (thinnest up to 6μm)
Fully automatic copper bar continuous extrusion line
Intelligent copper sheet and strip finishing mill unit
Digitalized control and management of the whole production process is realized through MES system, and the dimensional accuracy of the products can reach ±0.01mm.
