Manufacturers across just about every industry take advantage of the benefits of aluminum extrusion. While some choose aluminum extrusion profiles because they are affordable, quick to procure, and easy to use, others prefer to design their own custom aluminum extrusion solutions to increase the value of their finished product. There are many benefits of aluminum products, including strength, durability, natural corrosion resistance, electrical and heat conductivity, light reflection, and much more. Modular aluminum pieces can be used to quickly build, assemble, and enhance everything from the workspace to the assembly line, and even consumer product development.
The Extrusion Process
While aluminum itself is an amazing metal that embodies many unique and desirable characteristics, the point where the benefits of aluminum products really come into play is when they are created with standard or custom aluminum extrusion. The extrusion process itself is significant in the benefits of the versatile material, helping to create parts, components, and finished products that feature a high strength-to-weight ratio that is more durable, reliable, and adaptable than even other aluminum products that are created using different manufacturing methods. Structural aluminum extrusion profiles can be used in construction, as well as the marine, aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing industries. An endless opportunity to create pieces in every size, shape, and unique ability come directly from the use of extrusion in manufacturing.
Extrusion is the process of shaping materials by forcing them through a shaped design at extremely high pressure. Think of squeezing toothpaste through a tube or pushing play clay through a shape as a child to create long pieces that resemble logs or thin spaghetti. When it comes to the use of aluminum alloy in the extrusion process, the metal is heated to a specific temperature and is then pushed through a steel die at more than 10 million pounds of pressure to create the desired shape. These shapes can be standard stock profiles, such as tubes, squares, angles, and the like, or they can be unique designs created to produce custom aluminum extrusion based on the specific needs of the client or project. Aluminum is an excellent choice for extrusion because it is quite malleable and, when heated properly, can be pressed through a steel die much easier than other materials.
Quality Materials and Methods
At Silver City Aluminum, we purchase our aluminum billet from several different suppliers. It is made from 99.9 percent recyclable aluminum. We take steps designed to minimize scrap and reduce the cost for our clients, including pre-cutting the seven-inch diameter billets into the proper size, according to the length and weight of the client’s profile. We pre-heat the materials by loading them into a long oven before they reach the extrusion press. A specific temperature is used to optimize the finished product. The heated metal is then pushed using 10,000,000 (yes, that’s ten million) pounds of pressure through the chosen profile or die to create the desired shape.
We utilize a top of the line, fully integrated, and automated extrusion system to provide precise results according to the client’s specifications. Our technicians use advanced PLC control technology to monitor everything from the extrusion recipe to the rate of speed to ensure consistent and dependable quality control. We do everything in-house from the engineering of the custom aluminum extrusion profile with the client to extrusion, fabrication, secondary operations, finishing options, and shipping. Quality control is an essential part of the process and a leading reason why Silver City Aluminum has such a solid reputation for delivering the very best in standard and custom aluminum extrusion.
The Benefits of Aluminum Products
There are many advantages associated with choosing to use aluminum alloys in your manufacturing process. The benefits of aluminum products depend heavily on the quality of the materials, the process used in manufacturing, and other factors directly related to the benefits of aluminum extrusion itself. The cost-effectiveness of the process, high resistance to corrosion, increased electrical and thermal conductivity, variety of shapes and sizes that can be created, and the high strength-to-weight ratio are just some of the reasons why our clients choose aluminum extrusion. To learn more about aluminum extrusion profiles and the services available at Silver City Aluminum, give us a call at 508-824-8631 or use our online contact form to reach out to one of our experienced engineers or technicians about your needs.