Aluminum Extrusions

Extruding is a manufacturing process of forcing aluminum billet through a shaped opening in a die, on an extrusion press. The extruded material emerges as an elongated piece with the same profile as the die opening. The basic principal of extrusion is as simple as squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. Pressure is applied at the closed end of the toothpaste tube which forces the paste to flow through the open end. The shape, or profile, of the paste reflects the shape of the opening through which it is forced. Pressure in an extrusion press is applied by a hydraulic ram which forces heated aluminum billet through the container and out of the die. The amount of force dictates the size of the profile it is capable of producing; the higher the tonnage of the press, the larger the possible extrusion. The container of the extrusion press is a hollow chamber fitted with a removable liner. The container has a slightly larger inside diameter than the billet to be extruded. The die is a steel disc at the end of the container. Heated aluminum is forced through the opening in the die to create the extruded shape. Extrusion dies are available in three basic categories; solid, semi-hollow and hollow.

Manufacturing Capabilities

• Extrude Aluminum
  • Extrusion Presses:
    • 880 ton — 4.5″ (113mm) diameter
    • 1800 ton — 7.0″ (178mm) diameter
    • 2200 ton — 8.0″ (203mm) diameter
  • Extrudable Weight:
    • 0.040 lbs/ft up to 5.0 lbs/ft
  • Tempers:
    • F / T1 /T4 / T5 / T6 / T61
  • Profiles Extruded:
    • Solids / Semi-Hollows / Hollows
• Fabrication
  • Precision cutting, Miter-cutting, V-notching
  • Punching (150 ton presses with 126″ beds)
  • CNC Machining Centers (long-bed, high-speed, vertical, horizontal, tapping centers)
  • Drilling/Tapping/Countersink/Counterbore
  • Milling
  • Deburring
  • Bending/Forming
  • Automated robotic cell handling and machining applications
  • Hardware Insertion (clinch studs & nuts, heli-coils, riveting)
  • Prototype Production
  • Wire EDM Machine
• Tooling
  • In-house Tool & Die Services
• Anodizing
  • Any size extrusion up to 150 inches in length. Our two-step process incorporates sulfuric anodizing with inorganic and electrolytic color methods to provide the traditional range of attractive, durable colors. All colors currently offered are aluminum, light and weather-fast, and will outperform any organic coating in the market.

• Part Specifications
  • Maximum Width of 30″
  • Maximum Height of 48″
  • Maximum Length of 150″

Materials

• 6063, 6463A, 6005A, 6061