When manufacturers are looking for ways to save money and expedite orders using custom extrusion dies to create custom aluminum products, it pays to work with a professional extruder like Silver City Aluminum. We are a one stop shop fabrication and finishing provider who does all of our own secondary operations in-house. This allows us to have more quality control over each and every order that we create for our clients and reduces the amount of time that would normally be required to send out the extruded aluminum pieces to other vendors to complete surface treatment and other finishing services.
When Secondary Operations Are Required
In many cases the secondary operations that are used on our custom aluminum products are more about aesthetics than anything else. However, there are some finishings that add an extra layer of protection to the aluminum itself, giving it a longer-lasting life. Before any type of surface treatment is done to the pieces that are created with our custom extrusion dies, the surface quality and appearance of many profiles is perfectly fine for most applications. Aluminum has a natural anti-corrosion quality that helps it to withstand many conditions that would be detrimental to other metals. However, there are cases where extra corrosion protection can be beneficial.
Other secondary operations can include de-burring, which we do standard on all of the custom extrusions that we make at Silver City Aluminum in our one stop shop fabrication production. Heli-coiling is another custom service that we provide to our clients, as is assembly. We can do short part fabrication, punching, precision sawing and mitering all on-site at our Taunton, MA location. The time that is saved by doing all of these things at one single location for our custom aluminum parts is definitely a huge advantage to our clients and is one of the many reasons why we have such a high rate of return business.
Aluminum Surface Treatment and Finishing Options
The aesthetic reasons why some customers prefer to have us do these secondary operations as part of our one stop shop fabrication includes changes to be made in the color of the finished custom aluminum products, as well as the reflectivity of the metal itself. Other reasons can include making changes to the structure of the surface itself, increasing hardness and wear resistance, electrical insulation and, of course, corrosion resistance. However, it is important to note that there are many instances where the surfaces to not need or require any additional treatment after they are created with our custom extrusion dies.
- MECHANICAL TREATMENTS – There are three primary secondary mechanical operations that are done to improve surface quality on custom aluminum products. Those finishing operations include grinding, which leaves a fine striation or grain that goes in the direction of the grinding in our one stop shop fabrication; polishing, which is typically done on products that are going to be anodized in order to achieve a gloss or high-gloss finish; and tumbling, which is usually just for deburring, but can create surface changes that range from matte to gloss shine, depending on the polishing medium.
- ANODIZING – One of the most common types of secondary operations for surface treatments, anodizing is create using a process of dyeing short or long pieces in either small or big runs following the initial fabrication using the custom extrusion dies. The custom aluminum products can then be anodized using clear, black or multi-color anodizing options as well as custom finishes according to the client’s specifications. Other benefits of anodizing include enhanced corrosion resistance, anti-slip surfaces, abrasion-resistance, electrical insulation and to create a base for printing inks or adhesives to be applied.
- PAINTING – Another one of the secondary operations available at Silver City Aluminum for finishing of our custom aluminum products, painting allows clients to create an unlimited array of color choices through protective powder coating or the electrostatic application of polycron paint. Our team works with several different powder coaters to help our clients get the custom aesthetic look and feel that they desire. By doing all of this in-house in our one stop shop fabrication facility, we help to increase lead time and improve quality control of the finished product.
Create Custom Aluminum Products at Silver City Aluminum
To find out more about all of the services available at our one stop shop fabrication center or to learn more about creating your own custom extrusion dies, just give us a call at 508-824-8631 at our Taunton, MA location. Our goal is to always strive for perfection in each and every order that we produce from the day we take your order to performing secondary operations and finishing services. Contact our team and start designing and creating your own custom aluminum products today!