Extrusion Dies Key Terms

Get acquainted with the technical terms related to extrusion dies

By Howard Robertson

An extrusion die is an important component of an extrusion machine that decides the quality of the extruded products. Before selecting an extrusion die, you must identify your application requirements, such as the material to be extruded or the required production rate.

While interacting with the suppliers of industrial extrusion dies, you will need to understand various technical terms that indicate type, specifications and technologies for different extrusion dies.

This guide will explain some extrusion dies key terms, such as solid die, hollow die, extrusion speed and hot or cold working.

Hollow die

As the name indicates, these dies are useful for producing hollow or semi-hollow shapes. However, extruded profiles have one or more seams.
Try: You can read through the glossary of technical terms at Extruded Profile, a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace for extrusion products.

Solid die

These dies are useful for extruding open profiles, such as angles, bars and channels. These dies have a metal plate with an aperture with a cross-section that is similar to the required profile.
Try: AACOA, a supplier of extrusion products, offers a glossary of technical terms that explains hollow and solid dies.

Billet

A billet is the raw, solid material kept in the extrusion die for further processing. Billet dimensions are extremely important for the selection of extrusion dies. Generally, "billet" is the term used for raw material in a metal extrusion process.
Try: Automation Supplies provides an informatory website that offers an aluminum extrusion glossary.

Butt

A butt (also called a heel) is the unextruded portion of the billet that remains in the extrusion die even after the extrusion process is complete.
Try: Alumax, a provider of bath enclosure and shower doors, offers a glossary of technical terms, including billet and butt.

Extrusion speed

Extrusion speed is an important specification of any extrusion process. Before selecting an extrusion die, you must evaluate the required extrusion speed.
Try: Burak Aluminium offers a glossary of technical terms such as hollow dies, solid dies and extrusion speed.

Cold working (or cold forming)

Before buying or renting an extrusion die, you must specify the type of extrusion operation that you want to opt for. Cold working is when the metal working operation is performed at room temperature. However, extrusion at room temperature might induce some stresses in the extruded product.
Try: You can browse through a metal forming glossary at Advantage Fabricated Metals, a manufacturer of metal components for original equipment manufacturing (OEM) applications.

Hot working (or hot forming)

As the name indicates, hot working is when the metal working operation is performed at high temperatures. At higher temperatures, the yield strength of a metal or alloy is less than its value at room temperature.
Try: Sandmeyer Steel Company, a supplier of industrial steel products, offers a glossary of technical terms, including cold forming and hot forming.