Effect of Ultrasound-assisted Extrusion on Plastic Deformation of 6061 Aluminium Alloy and Forming Quality

ZHONG Bin; MA Zhao; YU Zhengyang; YANG Jiachen; LIU Yufei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.05.003

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (5) : 24-33. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.05.003

Light Alloy Forming

Effect of Ultrasound-assisted Extrusion on Plastic Deformation of 6061 Aluminium Alloy and Forming Quality

ZHONG Bin^1,*, MA Zhao¹, YU Zhengyang², YANG Jiachen¹, LIU Yufei¹

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Abstract

The work aims to propose a novel ultrasonic vibration-assisted extrusion process designed for low-load, high-quality precision forming to deal with the problem that conventional extrusion of difficult-to-deform materials suffers from high forming forces and low efficiency, especially under large deformations. A modified constitutive model for 6061 aluminum alloy was developed, incorporating the ultrasonic acoustic softening mechanism and accounting for energy attenuation in the metal medium. The model was implemented in ABAQUS to simulate the ultrasonic-assisted tube extrusion, with results subsequently validated by experiments. The findings demonstrated a significant reduction in macroscopic deformation resistance due to ultrasonic vibration. The peak extrusion force was reduced by 26.9%, from 93 kN to 68 kN. On a micro-scale, the ultrasonic vibration optimized the stress distribution within the deformation zone, mitigated stress concentrations, and enhanced material plastic flow, as indicated by the increase in maximum equivalent strain from 0.576 5 to 0.656 7. Furthermore, the observed stress gradient in the extruded pipe corroborated the phenomenon of ultrasonic energy attenuation. The developed modified constitutive model can accurately describe the optimized stress distribution behavior of 6061 aluminum alloy during ultrasound-assisted extrusion deformation, improve the plastic rheological behavior of the material, and precisely predict the above physical phenomena. It proves that this model is applicable to numerical analysis of ultrasonic-assisted extrusion, providing both a robust theoretical foundation and a predictive framework for the future application and optimization of this technology.

Key words

ultrasonic extrusion / 6061 aluminium alloy / acoustic softening effect / ultrasonic attenuation / isomorphic model / finite element simulation

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ZHONG Bin, MA Zhao, YU Zhengyang, YANG Jiachen, LIU Yufei. Effect of Ultrasound-assisted Extrusion on Plastic Deformation of 6061 Aluminium Alloy and Forming Quality[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(5): 24-33 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.05.003

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Funding

Shaanxi Province Innovation Talents Promotion Plan-Scientific and Technological Innovation Team (2021TD-27); National Natural Science Foundation (51705416)