Abstract
The extrusion experiments using the 7075 aluminum billet have been performed to investigate the effects of die cooling and ram speed on the occurrence of surface defects on the extrudate. The purpose of die cooling was to suppress overheating of the extrudate at the moment of extrusion. In the present die cooling system, liquid nitrogen has been injected in to the die and sprayed to the surface of extrudate. Ram speed was either kept or varied in the range of 1.1~1.7 mm/sec. throughout one extrusion shot to check the occurrence of surface defects. Every extrusion started at a ram speed of 1.25 mm/sec. The temperature of extrudate was measured using a laser thermometer. The 7075 billet of 180 mm in diameter and 550 mm in length was preheated at 390℃ and extruded to get a single plate of 8000 mm in length, 150 mm in width and 10 mm in thickness. Each extrudate was checked by eye to find the surface defects. The microstructures were obtained in the specimen cut from each corner of the extrudate using the EBSD micrographs.