IQS Newsroom Articles on Aluminum Extrusions
About Aluminum Extrusions and Aluminum Extruding
Including: Aluminum
Channels, Aluminum
Extruded Shapes, Aluminum
Extruded Tubing, Aluminum
Profiles, Extruded
Aluminum, Heatsinks & Metal
Extrusions.
Aluminum extrusions are linear aluminum products highly valued in a wide spectrum of structural applications due to aluminum's high strength-to-weight ratio and the cost effectiveness of the metal extrusion process. Like other types of metal extrusions, aluminum extrusions are either hot extruded or cold extruded through a die, shaping aluminum stock into various types of extruded aluminum shapes, aluminum channels, aluminum profiles or aluminum extruded tubing. Aluminum channels, shapes and profiles are both strong and lightweight, making them perfect for structural applications such as light poles, light building frames, window frames, lighting fixtures, car bumpers, hardware joints and many other uses in construction, industrial and automotive industries. Shapes and channels can be extruded into complex, precision tolerance shapes to interlock with other aluminum channels or structures, or they may be extruded into heat sinks for cooling electronics, refrigerators and heat engines. Because aluminum is strong, rust and temperature resistant, easily fabricated and 100% recyclable, aluminum and aluminum alloy extrusions are often the first choice in building or structural materials.
The number of industries which use aluminum extrusions is both extensive and diverse. Extruded aluminum channels make great components for automotive and transportation construction, as it is light and corrosion resistant; aluminum channels and profiles are used in trains, SUVs, semi trucks and cars as panels, window panes, runners and bumpers. Machinery and industrial equipment such as scaffolding, process and mining equipment use extruded aluminum tubing, shapes and profiles as lightweight, durable equipment components, while many types of office and hospital furniture use aluminum tubing and channels in their construction. Building, architecture and construction use aluminum profiles extensively, whether it be for structural and ceiling beams or for decorative trim and window paneling. Capable of being extruded through complex dies into close-tolerance shapes, small extruded aluminum shapes are frequently fabricated into medical and electronics components such as heat-absorbing and dissipating heat sinks.
The process of extruding aluminum may use "hot extrusion", "warm extrusion" or "cold extrusion", each of which have their own benefits and drawbacks. In order for stock aluminum to be formed into tubing, channels, shapes or profiles, round aluminum stock called "billet", or "logs" are pressed by a ram through a die, which is a hollow profile that shapes the aluminum into a specific extruded shape as the billet is squeezed through. Direct extrusion holds the die stationary while the ram forces the aluminum alloy through the die opening, while indirect extrusion holds the die stationary as the hollow ram moves into the stationary billet from one end, forcing the metal to flow through the die. The temperature of both the billet and the die are crucial for uniform extrusions. In cold extruding, aluminum billet is pressed through the die at room temperature or near room temperature, yielding close-tolerance components with high strength and a good surface with minimal finishing required. Warm extruding, or forging, is done on billets brought to temperature ranges between 800 and 1800 degrees F, with ideal ranges being between 1,000 and 1,330 degrees; these temperatures remain below material recrystallization temperatures, enhancing billets' ductility while keeping the material solid. Warm extruded aluminum requires less ram force (and energy) and often requires no secondary heat treatment. Hot extrusions are performed on aluminum which has been fully plasticized by heat and is often performed in a vacuum to avoid oxidation. After a shape or channel has been extruded, it is straightened by a stretcher.
Although the process of extracting aluminum ore from the Earth's surface is relatively costly, aluminum has a far longer service life than most metals and may be fully recycled while retaining 100% of the material's original properties. Using aluminum extrusions in transportation often saves on carbon emissions, as aluminum is a far lighter metal than its alternatives, such as steel; aluminum combines stainless steel's beneficial properties of corrosion resistance and strength with 1/3 the weight. Aluminum is easily formed and machined and is an excellent conductor and reflector of heat, making it an ideal material for heat shielding applications such as heat sinks. As the recycling industry expands its capabilities to recycling a broader range of aluminum parts, large aluminum extruding and manufacturing companies are also beginning to invest in aluminum recycling. Recycling aluminum requires only 20% the amount of energy used by acquiring virgin materials; this energy savings is converted into a significant cost savings by aluminum extruders who use recycled aluminum materials.
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Aluminum Extrusions and
Aluminum Extruding Image Provided by GSH
Industries |
Aluminum Extrusion Types
- can be customized for almost
any application. Standard shapes include angles, channels and tubing.
- is
molded with dies into specific shapes.
- provide clean, straight installation of
anything from boat dock ladders to doorframes.
- are lightweight, have high rigidity and
often have anodized surfaces. Extruded aluminum profiles are used
for applications
such as floor frames and tracks along which machinery runs.
- is heavy-duty and very strong but still
flexible enough to withstand windy conditions.
- A heatsink is a metallic device that absorbs thermal energy, or heat,
from another object through thermal compounds.
- are created using hot extrusion or cold forming, and commonly made of semi-soft metals, such as lead, tin, aluminum alloys, copper, titanium, etc., which are less expensive to extrude then high-strength alloys.
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can be used in building most anything but are commonly seen in enclosures,
cabinets, shelving, machine guarding systems, industrial workstations,
office partitions, computer server racks, trade show exhibits, material
handling and robotics.
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Aluminum Extrusion Terms
- An aluminum alloy that
is very simple to maintain and remains stable under a wide variety of
temperature and pressure conditions.
- The most
commonly available, heat-treatable aluminum alloy that is easily cold-worked
and formed in the annealed condition by stamping,
bending, spinning
and deep
drawing. The 6061 aluminum series is typically used in the manufacturing
of heavy-duty corrosive resistant structures, truck and marine components,
railroad cars, furniture, tank fittings, general structural and high pressure
applications, wire products and in pipelines.
- An aluminum alloy that may be heat treated
for strengthening, has average machinability and good forming ability
(both hot and cold) and is readily welded by all conventional methods.
The 6063 aluminum series is typically used in the manufacturing of furniture,
windows, stair rails and other architectural applications.
- Also called "precipitation heat-treating," it
is a process that naturally or artificially induces changes in aluminum
alloy properties. Natural aging occurs at room temperature, while artificial
aging occurs in an oven at higher, controlled temperatures, quickening
the pace.
- A compound consisting of either multiple metals or a metal
and a nonmetal blended together. An aluminum alloy consists of aluminum
and at least one other element, but usually consists of a combination
of elements such as zinc and silicon.
- A compound of aluminum oxide obtained from bauxite during
the production of aluminum.
- A hard mineral formed from the chemical reaction
between oxygen and aluminum. The creation of aluminum oxide on the surface
of a metal prevents future occurrences of oxidation.
- The primary ore from which aluminum originates. Four
pounds of bauxite produces one pound of aluminum.
- In aluminum extrusion, a solid- or hollow-heated aluminum
material forced under pressure through a die in an extrusion press to
form an aluminum extrusion. Average billet lengths range from 26 to 72
inches.
- A raised area (bubble) on the surface of an extruded
product caused by gas expansion below the surface, which occurred during
extrusion or thermal treatment.
- A chemical
polishing process of aluminum that yields a mirror-shiny, highly reflective
surface, typically with the use of a mixture of nitric acid and phosphoric
acid. Bright dipping is commonly followed by the anodizing
process in order to protect the surface and provide a choice of colors.
- An alkaline substance, usually consisting of sodium hydroxide,
used in the removal of aluminum from an extrusion die.
- Uneven imperfections in an aluminum extrusion characterized
by ridge and depressions, which produce a wavy appearance.
- The process in which properties of an aluminum alloy,
such as strength and hardening, are manipulated through the subjection
of the alloy to low temperatures.
- A term referring to very low temperatures. Aluminum
becomes stronger as the temperature decreases, making it an ideal material
for cryogenic applications.
- The opening, formed to resemble the shape needed, in an extrusion
press through which aluminum is pushed under pressure to form an extruded
shape.
- Lengthwise depressions or protuberances resulting from
friction produced as the aluminum flows through the die bearing.
- An aluminum alloy that obtains added strength
and hardening through cycles of heating and cooling.
- Lengthwise extrusion imperfections resulting from high
speed and temperature.
- An aluminum alloy that obtains added
strength and hardness through cold working and aging, as opposed to cycles
of heating and cooling.
- A compound created through the chemical reaction between
oxygen and another element.
- Pulling or stretching of aluminum extruded
parts past the yield strength of the extrusion in order to make them
straighter.
- The maximum amount of stress that can be applied
to an object, such as an aluminum extrusion, without changing the dimensions
of the object. The increase of stress past the yield strength of the
object results in its permanent deformation.
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