N5 liquid nitrogen die cooling.
A closed-loop liquid nitrogen control system that pulls excess heat out of extrusion tooling, so you can run faster without losing control of exit temperature. AEMP represents ATIE in the United States and Canada.
Heat buildup in the tooling limits your line speed.
Liquid nitrogen is metered into the extrusion tooling channels, which can run as hot as 454°C (850°F). Getting that flow right by hand is close to impossible: a human operator working with cryogenic media tends to over-correct, which over-cools the die and can damage tooling and cut production. The N5 system replaces manual control with a computer algorithm built from ATIE's own extrusion experience.
Hardware and software, engineered together.
- LN2 supply
- A keep-full liquid nitrogen tank ensures LN2 is always available when the system calls for it.
- Delivery line
- A vacuum-insulated pipeline connects the tank to the press area, minimizing losses in transit.
- Control valve
- A precise proportional cryogenic valve, computer-controlled, meters the flow of nitrogen into the tooling.
- Temperature feedback
- An IR non-contact sensor monitors extrusion exit temperature, paired with billet temperature feedback to close the control loop.
- Control software
- PC algorithms developed by ATIE monitor exit temperature, ram speed, and billet temperature in real time, then adjust extrusion speed and cooling to hold the highest safe speed at a maximum allowable exit temperature.
Tower Extrusions
Tower Extrusions installed the N5 system to improve productivity and die and surface-finish quality, on presses ranging from 1,400 to 4,400 tons running 6 to 12 inch diameter billets. Excessive heat buildup in the tooling had been limiting both speed and finish quality; the N5 system's automatic control was chosen over manual cooling for the consistency it offers across a shift.
According to ATIE, the N5 system was first developed in 2007 and has since been implemented on more than 70 extrusion lines worldwide, on presses from 1,600 to 6,000 tonnes, processing 1000, 3000, 6000, and 7000 series aluminum alloys.
Case history and specifications as reported by ATIE Uno Informatica.