An Introduction to Aluminum Extrusion and Profiles

An Introduction to Aluminum Extrusion and Profiles

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The aluminum extrusion process involves bulk plastic deformation. It begins with heating an aluminum billet to a temperature that allows for plastic flow, yet remains well below its melting point. This heated billet is subsequently forced through a die designed to shape it into the desired profile cross-section. Much like shaping different types of pasta or the forms made in children’s Play-Doh, this industrial technique molds aluminum into specific shapes.

Benefits of Aluminum Extrusion

Aluminum is favored in extrusions and shape profiles due to its advantageous mechanical properties. Its high malleability allows easy shaping into varied sections without substantial energy expenditure. Furthermore, aluminum’s melting point is significantly lower than that of steel, contributing to its low energy consumption during the extrusion process. This results in reduced tooling and manufacturing costs. Aluminum's notable strength-to-weight ratio also makes it suitable for a broad range of industrial applications.

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Profile Varieties

Profile Types

Many complex aluminum extrusion profile types can be created with various thicknesses. These profiles can feature intricate void spaces as needed for their end-use applications. An array of internal voids is available to support numerous automation applications and to meet specific weight requirements. The most common profile type is the hollow beam, a variation of the square profile. Other profile types include triangular, single radius, and L-shaped profiles.

Surface Characteristics

Extrusion can produce surface lines as a byproduct of the tooling. These lines can be removed with additional surface treatments, like face milling, after the main extrusion process. These treatments enhance the surface finish, reduce surface roughness, improve profile geometry, and add corrosion resistance, hardness, or electrical insulation. Applications with precise parts positioning often specify such treatments.

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Application of Profile Sections

Aluminum profiles are extensively used in industrial automation, including automated motion on production lines and manufacturing industries. They are lightweight yet strong enough for manual handling and assembly into various configurations according to automation needs. Beyond automation, structural-grade aluminum extrusions are also used in weight reduction in consumer products like automobiles and LEED building projects. Advances in aluminum alloys and surface coating techniques continue to broaden their applications.

Conclusion

In summary, aluminum extrusion profiles are versatile and ideally suited for building automation applications. Aluminum, as a structural material, fits perfectly with profile extrusions, offering numerous options for specific automation applications.

Uses of Aluminum Extrusions

The extrusion process leverages aluminum’s excellent malleability by softening preheated aluminum alloy billets and forcing them through special steel dies using a hydraulic press or ram under high pressure, producing aluminum pieces that retain the die's shape.

Hydro Extrusion, the largest aluminum profile company globally and the North American leader in common alloy standard and custom extruded aluminum products, boasts vast resources and technical competencies. This allows Hydro to produce the most comprehensive product line in the extrusion industry. It is also the largest soft alloy extruder in North America with indirect press technology, offering more consistent grain structures and better dimensional tolerances, enhancing product machinability and finishing.

Most Hydro extrusions undergo various fabrication or finishing processes, transforming them into usable components, including cutting, punching, machining, bending, or welding. These products range from simple to complex shapes like seamless and structural aluminum pipe and tube, rod, bar, structural angles, and beams, in both standard and custom forms.

Applications for Aluminum Extrusions

• Transportation Industry: Due to aluminum’s strength-to-weight ratio, extrusions are ideal for engine blocks, transmission housings, panels, roof rails, and chassis of vehicles, including cars, boats, trucks, and railway/subway cars. Notably, the demand for lightweight structural components, such as in the Ford F-150 pickup truck, has increased.
• Heat Conductivity: Aluminum’s efficiency in conducting heat makes it essential in automobile radiators, air conditioners, condenser tubes, nuclear reactors, pharmaceutical thawing units, and cooling devices of electronics.
• Corrosion Resistance: Aluminum’s natural resistance to rust and corrosion, attributed to a protective film of aluminum oxide, makes it highly durable.
• Non-Magnetic Properties: Extruded aluminum tubing houses coaxial cables and wires due to its non-magnetic nature, which is useful in high-voltage applications and areas involving magnetic fields.
• Construction: Extruded aluminum withstands weather and building-induced distortion, retaining strength and flexibility, and recovering well from impacts.
• Reflectivity: The reflective nature of aluminum extrusions makes them useful for shielding products or areas from light, radio waves, or infrared radiation.

Hydro Extrusion operates over 20 locations with more than 60 extrusion presses across North America, offering a broad range of product capabilities in press sizes, tonnages, alloy selection, profile types, and green billet. Their complete fabricating services include precision cutting, semi-finished, and fully finished parts that meet AAMA specifications and CSI codes.

For all your aluminum extrusion needs, Hydro can take your project from conception to prototype to production.

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