Finite Element Modeling of Brick Extrusion: Optimizing Die Angle for Uniform Outlet Velocity

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran

Abstract

Extrusion is a manufacturing process in which material is fed into a chamber and subjected to pressure. A die of the desired shape is placed at the exit of the chamber. The formed material exits the die and takes on the shape of the die cross-section. This study used the Herschel-Bulkley-Papanastasiou (HBP) model as the material model for simulating this process. To optimize product quality, we applied genetic algorithms to assess key parameters influencing the extrusion process, which helped us pinpoint the ideal die angle for achieving a more uniform outlet velocity distribution. The results showed that adjusting the die angle significantly improved flow uniformity, reducing velocity differences at the outlet by up to 60% compared with non-optimized dies. Finally, a physical experiment validated these findings, showing a close match with the predictions from our numerical simulations and optimization results.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Materials Forming
Volume 13, Issue 4
October 2026
Pages 60-70

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