Innovations in the Production of Silver-based Contact Materials: Process Secrets for over 95% Material Utilisation Revealed

What is the Semi-continuous Extrusion Process?

The semi-continuous extrusion process is an emerging technology that reduces material waste by repeatedly loading ingots during the extrusion process. In traditional single-ingot, single-pass extrusion, each process produces head and tail waste along with extrusion overs. These factors lead to low overall material utilization.

With semi-continuous extrusion, ingots are repeatedly loaded during the stable phase of the extrusion process. This approach avoids material wastage that typically occurs in the later stages of extrusion, thereby significantly improving the utilization of precious metal materials.

Advantages of the Process

Studies show that the semi-continuous extrusion process can use over 95% of the material. In contrast, the traditional forward extrusion process only uses about 90%.

This means that significantly less silver-containing material is discarded during production. As a result, overall processing costs are effectively reduced. Specifically, the process improvements are in the following areas:

Reduced waste of extrusion balance and trimmed end material: Semi-continuous extrusion reduces material waste per operation by reducing the number of extrusion stops.

Improved productivity: By minimizing waste, companies can produce more products using less raw material. This leads to improved cost-effectiveness and greater economic efficiency.

Ensure product quality: After testing and verification, the sheet and strip produced by the semi-continuous extrusion process show smooth surfaces. They are free from common defects such as bubbles and cracks. This confirms that the process is not only efficient but also reliable in terms of quality control.

Experimental Validation and Practical Application

The semi-continuous extrusion process has been repeatedly validated in real production scenarios. Fudar’s research team conducted tests using AgSnIn alloy material. They used an 880-ton extruder and performed multiple rounds of ingot loading and extrusion. The entire operation was carried out at a temperature of 700°C. The test results showed that the extrusion process went smoothly. There was no crushing, and the extruded sheets looked good. The bonding between the ingots was tight, and there were no cracks or other flaws.

By comparing the material utilization rates of different processes, it was found that the semi-continuous extrusion process significantly improves the yield of silver-based contact materials. This improvement effectively reduces the manufacturing cost.

Conclusion

The semi-continuous extrusion process is an efficient and cost-saving way to make silver-based contact materials. It not only improves the material utilization significantly but also ensures a high-quality output of the product. As this process is promoted and used more, it is believed that the cost of making contact materials will go down in the future. For more info about Fudar solutions, or to schedule a consultation with our experts, don't hesitate to get in touch.