The forcing of solid metal through a suitably shaped orifice under compressive forces. Extrusion is somewhat analogous to squeezing toothpaste through a tube, although some cold extrusion processes more nearly resemble forging, which also deforms metals by application of compressive forces. Most metals can be extruded, although the process may not be economically feasible for high-strength alloys.

The most widely used method for producing extruded shapes is the direct, hot extrusion process. In this process, a heated billet of metal is placed in a cylindrical chamber and then compressed by a hydraulically operated ram (see illustration). The opposite end of the cylinder contains a die having an orifice of the desired shape; as this die opening is the path of least resistance for the billet under pressure, the metal, in effect, squirts out of the opening as a continuous bar having the same cross-sectional shape as the die opening. By using two sets of dies, stepped extrusions can be made.

The extrusion of cold metal is variously termed cold pressing, cold forging, cold extrusion forging, extrusion pressing, and impact extrusion. The term cold extrusion has become popular in the steel fabrication industry, while impact extrusion is more widely used in the nonferrous field.

Schematic of the direct, hot extrusion process.
Schematic of the direct, hot extrusion process.

The original process (identified as impact extrusion) consists of a punch (generally moving at high velocity) striking a blank (or slug) of the metal to be extruded, which has been placed in the cavity of a die. Clearance is left between the punch and die walls; as the punch comes in contact with the blank, the metal has nowhere to go except through the annular opening between punch and die. The punch moves a distance that is controlled by a press setting. This distance determines the base thickness of the finished part. The process is particularly adaptable to the production of thin-walled, tubular-shaped parts having thick bottoms, such as toothpaste tubes.

Advantages of cold extrusion are higher strength because of severe strain-hardening, good finish and dimensional accuracy, and economy due to fewer operations and minimum of machining required