Aluminum Extrusion

Aluminum Extrusion

The Benefits of Aluminum Extrusion in Industry

The process of aluminum extrusion is similar to squeezing toothpaste from a tube, pushing aluminum alloys through precisely shaped dies to fabricate innovative parts and products. While this can be accomplished using a variety of metals, aluminum’s divergent yet complementary properties of structural strength and easy ductility make it a popular choice for many applications.

The use of aluminum extrusion has increased drastically in the last two decades, now forming 50% of the total market share of all extruded metal products. Aluminum offers a long list of definitive characteristics that leads to an even longer list of industries that can benefit from aluminum extrusion products.

Aluminum’s Advantages for Extrusion

While aluminum’s malleable qualities allow for more options in design and cost-effective production, it does not require any sacrifice in strength and durability in the end product. While pure aluminum may be used for certain extrusion applications, it is most often blended with other metals to form alloys, thus building on aluminum’s already remarkable range of attributes. This versatility is the basis for a multitude of products that can be created through aluminum extrusion.

Use of Aluminum Extrusion in Diverse Industries

In addition to the ready workability and substantial strength of aluminum, there are many other traits that offer benefits in various industries:

- High conductivity of heat and electricity opens many doors for aluminum extrusion products. The efficient transfer of heat makes aluminum a favorite for use in condenser tubes, radiators and air conditioners in the automobile industry, and in nuclear reactors. It also promotes the use of aluminum extrusion products in the heating and cooling devices of mainframe computers, electronics, audio and video systems as well as in thawing units for the pharmaceutical industry.

- With its low weight to high strength ratio, aluminum extrusions are ideal for manufacturing aircrafts, cars, boats, subways, railway coaches, and trucks. This includes panels, cylinder heads, engine blocks, transmission houses, and chassis. This same light yet strong characteristic makes aluminum an optimal choice for manufacturing spacecraft bodies and parts.

- Because aluminum is corrosion resistant, it can be used in mining to transport and dispose of mined materials and waste using tubing created with aluminum extrusion. This rust resistant property also makes it suitable for military armaments.

- Aluminum tubing is used to house braided coaxial cables and wires, due to its non-magnetic properties.

Additionally, aluminum can be repeatedly recycled while maintaining its structural integrity and is abundantly available in nature. Aluminum extrusion is becoming the most viable solution to meet the specific manufacturing needs of design flexibility, cost savings, and product performance.