Continuous Twin Screw Rheo-Extrustion of Light Alloys

This project is to exploit the commercial application of the novel Twin Screw Rheo-Extrusion (TSRE) technology and facilitate the related technology transfer to industry. The TSRE process takes advantage of the non-dendritc microstructure and dynamic shear resistance of semisolid-metal slurries and produces simple metal profiles directly from the melt, with designed microstructure, uniform chemistry and excellent properties. This offers a step change for metal production, presenting a major opportunity for the UK industry to save costs and energy and enhance efficiency. The project's core objective is to successfully demonstrate the TSRE process for producing aluminium welding rods/wires at an industrial-scale.

A one-step process is the ultimate route for materials forming directly from melts, which the TSRE technology offers. This project will lead to the progressive replacement of conventional multi-step extrusion processes for light alloys by the one-step TSRE process with lasting cost, material and energy savings and productivity enhancement. A further advantage of this project is the potential benefit to other metallic materials and metallic based composites such as steel, copper, zinc, lead etc and various types of composites. Although further technological development is required, both the rheo-forming technologies and the recycling concept are equally applicable to all other metallic alloys.
The economic benefits will be largely realised by companies from both casting and extrusion sectors in the UK metal industry. The TSRE technology will give them a cutting edge and technology based lead over global competitors and allow them to grow their share of the existing market and expand into new markets due to the improved cost competitiveness and technological advantages. Nevertheless, the economic benefits will be ultimately realised by the end users of light alloys for structural applications such as automotive components since they will be provided with lower cost and high performance products. In particular, the initial high added value niche markets for light alloy welding rods and rivets, together with the compactness and flexibility of the TSRE process design, the low requirement for initial investment, offer excellent opportunities
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for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for new investment. In addition, the TSRE process offers a realistic choice for small users such as welding rod producers to adopt a new business model of “doing it themselves” (in terms of both the capital equipment and feedstock materials) rather than having to buy from large suppliers as they are currently doing.
This project will directly create 5-10 additional jobs at Rautomead (these will be relatively high-level i.e. design, service engineering, electronic/electrical controls and administrative support). As sales of the TSRE equipment increase, more jobs will be generated; for each TSRE machine installed, 5-10 jobs will be generated.
This partnership and the consortium in waiting will work to exploit the application of the TSRE technology in a much wider range of materials and products and a suite of IPs is expected to be generated. Stronger, more efficient companies with technological advantages are better able to compete thereby attracting higher value work which can secure existent employment and encourage plans for growth and increased employment. If a typical SME in this sector employs ~100 people representing 45% of that companies' overhead, a 90% reduction in manufacturing costs of the remaining 55% of overhead will create significant opportunity for investment in people and/or new plant that can lead to business improvement. The societal benefits of this cascade down to many other factors including local prosperity, stability and quality of life.
The TSRE technology also has considerable environmental benefits. It is estimated that the TSRE process will result in significant reductions of 50-80% in operational energy consumption, with equivalent CO2 emission reductions in electricity generations due to the shortened manufacturing route and continuous process. Besides, the TSRE process has a unique feature of higher tolerance of impurities and oxide content in the material, promoting the use of the recycled metals and alloys without compromise in properties. Furthermore, the TSRE products represent a new generation of material and structure design, aiming at positive impact on both the economy and the environment. For example, the aluminium SPRs for lightweight low carbon vehicles will directly reduce CO2 emission by reducing weight and by facilitating re-cycling in the replacement of the steel rivets. All these will contribute to realise the UK government's target of reducing CO2 emissions in 2025 by 25% from 1990 levels.