Q – Does Silver City Aluminum ship outside of Massachusetts?
A – Yes, while Silver City does a lot of business in the Massachusetts area, we also ship our extruded aluminum products all over the world.
Q – What is the average lead time at Silver City?
A – Our average lead time is three to four weeks maximum, from the day we receive your order until the day that it ships from our facility (Some jobs that include intensive fabrication can take slightly longer depending on the job).
Q – What if I need an order filled on an emergency basis?
A – We do have the capability to fill orders on an emergency basis for our clients with a lead time of three days to one week from receipt of order to shipping. Contact our customer service agents for details on this special emergency opportunity.
Q – What is a billet?
A – Also known as ingot logs, an aluminum billet is the raw material that is cut into smaller lengths before being fed into the aluminum extrusion machinery to be formed into a custom shape.
Q – What is CAD?
A – CAD stands for “computer assisted design” and it is a 3-D program that is used by our clients to provide our technicians with a three-dimensional example of the custom shape that they want made at Silver City Aluminum.
Q – Can I use any other programs or formats besides CAD?
A – In most cases, yes. We need a 2-D representation of the custom shape that you want created out of of extruded aluminum. Speak with one of our trained technicians if you have any questions about the format required for placing an order. All file types that can be submitted include the following: .DWG, .DXF, .STP or .iges (3-D Models).
Q – What is de-burring?
A – De-burring is a process or technique that is used to remove burrs or sharp edges from a finished product. Silver City Aluminum uses several different methods of de-burring to provide our clients with a superior end result.
Q – What is a die?
A – A die is a tool that is used to help forge a custom shape during the extrusion process. The die is made from durable steel so that it can be used again and again to fill the client’s order.
Q – What does extrusion mean?
A – Extrusion is the process that is used to create custom shapes from raw aluminum materials according to a client’s specifications. The raw materials are heated and are then forced through a die to create the desired shape using extreme pressure.
Q – What is powder-coating?
A – This is another type of chemical finishing that can be used to protect aluminum extrusion materials once they are completed. It is also used to create a certain desired look, color or texture that’s thicker than a paint finish, and yet also more durable. It is however, more expensive. Powder-coating is achieved by mixing finely ground color powder with resins and other chemical-based additives in order to achieve the desired finish.