Aluminium Extrusion
Profiles
Design & manufacture of bespoke
aluminium extrusions and profiles
ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION PROFILES
One of the stand-out qualities of aluminium is its malleability and ability to be worked. With its natural ductility it allows the metal to be shaped into lengths, or profiles, which have a wide variety of applications. As well as this particular property, aluminium offers a wide variety of other benefits as a material, especially in its extruded form.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING ALUMINIUM PROFILES?
The variety of uses for this element is a testament to its many useful properties. It is a very light weight material, with around a third of the density of steel for example. This means it is very valuable as an asset to wide-ranging applications. Because of the requirement for light weight materials to improve fuel efficiency amongst other factors, extruded aluminium profiles are ideal for use in a range of applications. For similar reasons, it is widely used in logistics more broadly, with its light weight quality again cutting the volume of fuel needed in transporting goods and thus reducing costs.
This lightweight property also means it is ideal for household fittings and domestic design accessories and features. It is widely used for light fittings, as it can be fitted to walls and ceilings and its naturally highly reflective surface, meaning more reaches the environment.
Aluminium can also be found being used in construction. Because it is resistant to corrosion, it can be used in external metalwork and in situations where strong and light weight metal need to be exposed to the elements. Whilst other metals such as iron show signs of rust, aluminium maintains its finish and strength over time. It is for this reason, along with its strength, that extruded aluminium is such a popular resource for window frames, fencing and other structural elements.
The process of extrusion means that aluminium can be worked into a variety of different shapes and cross sections, we design each of our products from scratch to ensure they are exactly what you need. Part of the manufacturing of these profiles involves the addition of extra channels and fixings for other components, which means that often no further work needs to be undertaken to amend the aluminium profile which is produced in order for it to be compatible with other elements of a project. The malleability of the metal allows for complex pieces to be machined and finished to a high standard of precision, which are then ready for purpose.
HOW DOES THE ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION PROCESS WORK?
There are several variants of the extrusion process, although typically it starts with cylindrical units of the aluminium being heated to increase its ductility even further. Whilst this isn’t always required, and ‘cold extrusion’ is also practised, this heat aids in preparing the metal to be manipulated.
The construction of aluminium on a particle level allows for its atoms to slide over each other, due to their free electron. This means that whilst aluminium is a very strong metal, it isn’t completely rigid and can be strung out into profiles.
The prepared metal is forced through a die at this stage, with metalworking lubricants applied to ease this process along. Intense pressure is applied to the aluminium in order to drive it through the bespoke die. These dies are created uniquely to your requirements, we make each die to order depending on the necessary specifications.
Once the metal has been driven through the die and the initial cross section of the extruded aluminium profile has been manufactured, it is cooled before being cut into the appropriate lengths of metal. In most cases the process of the aluminium billet being pressured through the die is caused by the die remaining stationary and the aluminium moving, although indirect extrusion involves the die being driven against the aluminium, although the outcome is the same.
We then improve the metals strength by ageing the aluminium with heat, meaning that we can produce pieces in very fast turn around times. To find out more about our bespoke service and the benefits of the best quality extruded aluminium profiles for your business.
