As an aluminum extruder, Silver City Aluminum buys billet from several different suppliers that is made of 99.9 percent recyclable aluminum.
Pre-Cutting the Billets
Once we receive the aluminum billet from our suppliers in long lengths, our crew pre-cuts these 7-inch diameter pieces of raw aluminum billet into the proper size, as a means of minimizing scrap. We calculate our cuts based upon the length and weight of the profile.
Pre-Heating the Materials
After the aluminum billets have been pre-cut for processing, we load them into a long oven and pre-heat them before they reach the extrusion press. We bring them to a specific temperature for proper extrusion.
Creating the Custom Shape
The metal is then pushed at approx. 10,000,000 pounds of pressure through the customer’s steel profile, which is called a die. The aluminum then subsequently flows through the custom steel profile to come out in the exact shape that our client has designed, or from a stock profile.
Cooling the Finished Products
The last phase of the extrusion process involves cooling down the finished products on a 160-foot table. We have a maximum extrusion length of 30 feet, which are then stretched into perfect dimension while still warm through the use of opposing stretchers. The metal is then cut to the client’s requested length before it is heat-treated in order to harden the aluminum to its maximum capacity.
At Silver City Aluminum, all of the components in our extrusion system are the top of the line. They are fully integrated and full automated. Through the advancement of PLC control technology, we are able to communicate with our machines via the Internet, from virtually any location in the world. This helps us to see how the machine is functioning, at what rate of speed, the extrusion recipe and all other variables, providing consistent and dependable quality control. We are able to keep a constant eye on the extrusion processes every step of the way.