Bicc Public Limited Company

Bicc Plc

John B Childs

Norman R Fairey

Owen P McKenna

In a continuous friction-actuated process for the extrusion of copper, a passageway 3 is formed between an arcuate first member and a second member in the form of a wheel 1 having a circumferential groove 2 formed in its peripheral surface into which groove the first member projects. The wheel is rotated and metal is fed into the passageway at one end and extrudes from the passageway through at least one die orifice 6 located in or adjacent to an abutment member 5 extending across the passageway at the other end thereof. The abutment member is of substantially smaller cross-section than the passageway so as to leave a substantial gap between the abutment member and the groove. Particulate copper is first fed under such conditions that at least a substantial proportion of the copper extrudes through the clearance y between the abutment and the groove surface and adheres to the wheel until the copper so extruded forms a complete lining 8 in the groove, and thereafter copper rod is fed for the remainder of the extrusion operation.

Process for extrusion of copper

In a modified 'Conform' machine for continuous friction-actuated extrusion of metals, especially particulate copper, the abutment at the outlet end of the working passageway does not fully block the end of the wheel groove. Instead a substantial clearance is left, and metal extruding through it adheres to the wheel to re-enter the working passageway at the entry end. Preferably the abutment is of semicircular cross-section. For a given output rate, a significant reduction in torque, and working stresses, is obtained.

Apparatus for continuous friction-actuated extrusion

In a continuous friction-actuated extrusion process, such as the Conform process, particulate material is fed into the extrusion passageway at a rate low enough to the rate at which material is extruded from the die orifice to be determined by and substantially equal to the rate of feeding. Feeding can be achieved by a simple hopper feeding through an adjustable constriction, preferably formed by a simple gate valve, or a gravimetric or volumetric controlled rate feed device can be used.

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London, United Kingdom

John B Childs