Extrusion process of 7075 aluminum alloy bicycle seat post using finite element analysis

Abstract

There are currently many different forms and manufacturing methods for bicycle seat post on the market. This study uses aluminum alloys (A7075) as research materials, and utilizes finite element analysis software along with Taguchi method to design and analyze in order to develop appropriate extrusion dies. A series of simulation analyses in which the variables depend on different thicknesses of the long axis and short axis of the seat post are reveal the effectiveness of decreasing the warp and force deformation in the bicycle seat post extrusion process. We used the multi-quality characteristics (effective strain, effective stress and mold load) of Taguchi method to find the optimal design parameters of design factors. The simulation analysis provided insight into the optimal processing conditions of the sectional shape of an aluminum alloy (A7075) bicycle seat post. The experiment with simulation analysis shows satisfactory results, such as process, mould dimension and mould parameters are obtained.