Systems and methods for extrusion correction

Abstract

A method for work piece correction including providing a work piece and analyzing its geometry. Based on the analysis, the method includes determining an initial design of simulated clamp blocks and conducting an initial computer-simulated analysis of work piece correction using the initial design. The method includes determining whether the initial computer-simulated analysis meets predetermined performance criteria and iteratively repeating additional computer-simulated analyses using additional designs until a final clamp block design produces results that meet predetermined performance criteria. The method includes forming clamp blocks based on the final clamp block design, installing the clamp blocks into clamps of a clamping system, and applying extrusion corrections to the work piece.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for work piece correction comprising:
 providing a work piece;   analyzing a geometry of the work piece;   based on the analysis of the geometry of the work piece, determining an initial design of one or more simulated clamp blocks;   conducting an initial computer-simulated analysis of work piece correction using the initial design of the one or more simulated clamp blocks;   determining whether results of the initial computer-simulated analysis meet predetermined performance criteria;   iteratively repeating one or more additional computer-simulated analyses of the extrusion correction using at least one additional design of the one or more simulated clamp blocks based on the results of previous computer-simulated analysis until a final clamp block design produce results of the computer-simulated analysis that meet the predetermined performance criteria;   based on the results of the computer-simulated analysis meeting the predetermined performance criteria, manufacturing one or more clamp blocks based on the final clamp block design;   installing the one or more clamp blocks into one or more clamps of a clamping system; and   applying one or more extrusion corrections to the work piece.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece is made from an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece is made using an extrusion process. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece is made from a 6xxx series aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece has a length of at least 2,500 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece includes one or more internal cavities. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least one simulated clamp block of the one or more simulated clamp blocks is an internal clamp block configured to be received into at least one internal cavity of the one or more internal cavities. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one simulated clamp block of the one or more simulated clamp blocks is an external clamp block configured to abut at least a portion of an external surface of the work piece. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined performance criteria include at least one of stress, strain, or deformation experienced by the work piece. 
     
     
         10 . A method for fabricating an aluminum alloy work piece, the method comprising:
 analyzing a geometry of a work piece design;   based on the analysis of the geometry of the work piece design, determining a clamp block design of one or more simulated clamp blocks;   conducting a computer-simulated analysis of an extrusion correction using the clamp block design of the one or more simulated clamp blocks;   determining whether results of the computer-simulated analysis meet predetermined performance criteria;   extruding an aluminum alloy work piece based on the work piece design;   manufacturing one or more clamp blocks based on the clamp block design of the one or more simulated clamp blocks;   installing the one or more clamp blocks into one or more clamps of a clamping system;   installing the extruded aluminum alloy work piece into the clamping system; and   applying one or more extrusion corrections to the extruded aluminum alloy work piece.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising iteratively repeating one or more additional computer-simulated analyses of the extrusion correction using at least one additional design of the one or more simulated clamp blocks based on the results of previous computer-simulated analyses until a final clamp block design produces results of the computer-simulated analysis that meet the predetermined performance criteria. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the work piece is made from a 6xxx series aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the work piece has a length of at least 2,500 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece includes one or more internal cavities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one simulated clamp block of the one or more simulated clamp blocks is an internal clamp block configured to be received into at least one internal cavity of the one or more internal cavities. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one simulated clamp block of the one or more simulated clamp blocks is an external clamp block configured to abut at least a portion of an external surface of the work piece. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined performance criteria include at least one of stress, strain, or deformation experienced by the work piece. 
     
     
         18 . A method of correcting an extruded aluminium alloy work piece, the method comprising:
 analyzing a geometry of the extruded aluminum alloy work piece, wherein the extruded aluminum alloy work piece includes one or more internal cavities and an exterior surface;   based on the analysis of the geometry of the extruded aluminum alloy work piece, determining an initial design of one or more simulated internal clamp blocks configured to be received within at least one of the one or more internal cavities and one or more simulated external clamp blocks each configured to abut at least a portion of the exterior surface;   conducting an initial computer-simulated analysis of an extrusion correction using the initial design of the one or more simulated internal clamp blocks and the one or more simulated external clamp blocks;   determining whether results of the initial computer-simulated analysis meet predetermined performance criteria;   iteratively repeating one or more additional computer-simulated analyses of the extrusion correction using at least one additional design of the one or more simulated internal clamp blocks and one or more simulated external clamp blocks based on the results of previous computer-simulated analyses until a final internal clamp block design and external clamp block design produce results of the computer-simulated analysis that meet the predetermined performance criteria;   based on the results of the computer-simulated analysis meeting the predetermined performance criteria, manufacturing one or more internal clamp blocks based on the final internal clamp block design and one or more external clam blocks based on the final external clamp block design;   installing the one or more external clamp blocks into one or more clamps of a clamping system;   loading the extruded aluminum alloy work piece into the clamping system such that the internal clamp blocks are disposed within the one or more internal cavities; and   applying one or more extrusion corrections to the extruded aluminum work piece.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the predetermined performance criteria include at least one of stress, strain, or deformation experienced by the work piece. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the initial computer-simulated analysis and the one or more additional computer simulated analyses include a finite element analysis.