The finite element package, Deform-3D was used to numerically model the extrusion process. The simulation
system is designed to analyse the three-dimensional (3D) flow of complex metal forming processes. The choice of
finite element software to use was dictated by multiple factors: needs to handle large scale plastic deformation
associated with extrusion, allows to generate a bilayer surface mesh for coating (shown in Fig 5), predicts the
amount of tool wear that occurs on a component during extrusion, predicts loads over the entire range of extrusion
process (i.e. upsetting of the billet until steady state extrusion) and most importantly predicts stresses the
components undergo during the extrusion process for optimization of die design.