While most of the clients that we serve has its own unique requirements and needs with regard to the aluminum extrusions that they design and order through our facility, there are some that just need simple, standard aluminum extrusions to get the job done. Created with a standard extrusion die that we provide, these extrusions can be used in many different ways. Some of the industries that have benefited from standard aluminum extrusions include the New England marine industry, manufacturers of aluminum doors and windows, as well as companies that serve the transportation industry.
Standard Extrusion Shapes
There are several different types of standard extrusion die options that are considered to be “standard” in the industry. We primarily offer bars, angles and tubes to our clients. The tubes can either be hollow, solid, squares or circles, so the term “tube” can be somewhat confusing to people who are unfamiliar with this industry term. If you have any questions about the basic standard aluminum extrusions available at Silver City Aluminum, make sure to ask your customer service representative. Other standard extrusion die options that are available in the industry include I-beams, channels, tees and zees.
- ANGLES – Standard aluminum extrusions under the angle category can be made with squared or rounded corners. They are used for structural and decorative purposes. Some of the industry terms used to describe angles made with a standard extrusion die include equal leg angles and unequal leg angles.
- BARS & RODS – This type of extrusion can include the rectangular bar, square bar, half oval bar and aluminum round rod. They can be made in a variety of lengths, depending on the client’s specifications. These are frequently used for framing, chairs, fixtures, displays and much more.
- I-BEAMS – Also known as an H-beam, universal beam, double-T or W-beam, which stands for “wide flange”. The different names depend on the country of origin as well as the industry that is using them. This shape is great for carrying shear and bending loads in the plane of the web. This design has been around since 1849 and is still widely used today.
- PIPES & TUBES – This particular shape is not just a simple round pipe or tube like most people would imagine. Pipes and tubes can be rectangular, square, round and can even be telescoping, depending on the needs of the client. They are used frequently in the building of fixtures, displays, chairs, framing, kiosks and much more.
- CHANNELS – As far as standard extrusions go, this one is particularly versatile. Used for framing, structural purposes and decoration, clients can choose from a U-channel or a C-channel in a wide range of sizes and lengths.
- TEES & ZEES – While it sounds more complicated, the tees half of this, which are sometimes known as T-shape because of their T-shaped cross section, and the zees portion, which are sometimes known just as a Z-shape, due to their half a flange in opposite directions that make a letter Z shape, are pretty simple and straight forward.
Choosing the Best Materials
Standard aluminum extrusions are used for many things that we use every day. We see them frequently in the frames of aluminum doors and windows, but we also might not notice them used underneath other materials as part of a building or bridge structure. It is easy to notice the railings and other visible items that are used on vessels within the New England marine industry, but the standard extrusion die is also used to create parts that are hard at work behind the scenes. There are five things that manufacturers must consider when they decide what material to use for their parts or products.
The first is cost, which aluminum is one of the most cost-effective metals available on the planet due to its high rate of recycle-ability. The second is the strength to weight ratio, by which aluminum has a higher ratio than many other metals, making it a great choice for the transportation industry, including automobiles, trucks, semi-trucks, airplanes, trains and more. The third is sustainability and, once again, aluminum is a great choice for the environment because it can be 100 percent recycled without losing any of its properties and it is the most recycled metal on earth.
The fourth consideration is fire resistance and aluminum has a very high heat tolerance and will not catch on fire even at very high temperatures. Corrosion is the fifth and aluminum has a natural resistance to corrosion due to the oxide layer that forms on the exterior of the metal after standard aluminum extrusions are created. Furthermore, preventing corrosion by design is one of the hallmarks of the extrusion industry, so custom die options can be created for even more advantages in this area.
Trust Silver City Aluminum for Quality Extrusions
If you are in the market for standard aluminum extrusions or custom profile and die creations for your parts and products, look no further than Silver City Aluminum. Located in Taunton, Massachusetts, we serve the needs of customers all over the world. Because we do everything in-house, we are able to increase our lead-time, allowing us to manufacture, ship and deliver orders to clients much faster than our competitors. Give us a call at 508-824-8631 for a FREE quote on any of our services or to find out more about how standard aluminum extrusions can help your business.