Aluminum, as a material, is quite versatile. It is used by practically every industry in some way, offering distinct advantages over other similar options. The unique properties of aluminum are only part of what makes it attractive to designers and manufacturers. When you partner with a professional provider for custom aluminum extrusion, you gain insight and the ability to produce unique parts and solutions that will help you to save time and money while creating a superior product. The basic process of extrusion is very straightforward. The raw aluminum is heated to a specific temperature and is then pushed through a standard or custom profile made of steel to create the desired shape. Once the profile is produced, it can be stretched, cut, cooled, and heat-treated to achieve the exact specifications of the client. It is possible to make highly complicated cross-sections with aluminum extrusion that would be extremely impractical using other methods, and the process itself helps to maximize the attributes of the metal.
Standard and Custom Aluminum Extrusion
While basic rod and bar aluminum play a significant role in manufacturing, construction, and other industries, more complicated shapes are becoming essential to many products that we use every day. Our team of highly trained, skilled, and experienced engineers can work with you and your engineering team in the early development phases to help you design shapes that will satisfy your requirements. Sometimes custom aluminum extrusion is used to create parts that will overcome certain situations, such as preventing corrosion through design or enhancing the natural abilities of the aluminum materials. Combined with custom aluminum surface treatments, even a standard shape could be even more valuable to the end-user, increasing durability, resistance, and strength.
Aluminum has an exceptionally low density and weight, yet retains a fantastic strength-to-weight ratio. Coming in at just about one-third the density of steel, this lighter weight makes it the perfect solution for aerospace, military, marine, transportation, and consumer vehicles. Aluminum has been used to achieve fuel economy goals and to create safer and more durable products. The raw aluminum is quite malleable and pliable during the extrusion process, making it easy to work with for manufacturing. However, once the extrusion is complete and the metal has been cooled and then heat-treated, it can be nearly four times the strength of stainless steel. Many have discovered that the extrusion process itself is what can make the aluminum even stronger. This is a very cost-effective way to achieve the desired results for manufacturing.
Why Custom Solutions Offer Even More
When it comes to the design of custom aluminum extrusion for manufacturing commercial, industrial, and consumer goods, it pays to consider all of the advantages that it can offer. Aluminum offers a natural resistance to corrosion due to its oxide-layer of protection. However, there are specific environments and situations where even more protection is needed. Aluminum surface treatments can be used to enhance this resistance, including anodizing, powder-coating, and painting. It is also possible to prevent corrosion through design, which is something that our engineers have become quite proficient with at Silver City Aluminum. Our many years of experience working with aluminum materials can be a clear advantage to our clients, helping them to design and develop solutions that will meet or exceed their expectations.
Another way that we help our clients is by offering insight into the best alloys to use for standard and custom aluminum extrusion. Whether you require basic rod and bar aluminum or more complex custom solutions, the alloy you select for manufacturing is an essential part of the equation. At Silver City Aluminum, we utilize aluminum alloys in the 6000-series due to the inherent qualities and benefits that they offer. In particular, the 6005, 6064, and 6463 alloys in various tempers provide unique advantages in tensile strength, mechanical properties, and uses for our clients. Our engineers will work closely with you and your staff to determine your needs based upon the intended use of the finished product to provide the best possible results. Contact our team directly by calling 508-824-8631 to speak with one of our engineers or technicians about your needs for custom aluminum extrusion or any questions you might have about our in-house aluminum surface treatments.