Aluminium Extrusion Could Be Saving You Time And Money

Aluminium enables manufacturers to create exact, complex shapes using a process called extrusion. Extrusion can be used to create parts of many industrial applications with the architectural, automotive and engineering industries widely benefiting from the process. 

The components produced using this system are used to make functional devices which often contain complicated shapes. However, by using extrusion, manufacturers can create these shapes without the need for joining procedures. 

While pure aluminium can be used in the extrusion process, the vast majority of manufacturers opt to use metal alloys, usually 6000 series. This allows them to capitalise on the properties of combined metals increasing the adaptability of the product. 

The process works by pushing the heated aluminium alloy through a specially cut die which has been designed to create a specific shape as requested by the client. The metal is then put under high pressure, creating aluminium profiles which can then be cut down to specific sizes as required. 

How extrusion can benefit your business 

Many businesses looking to create specific metal parts often overlook aluminium extrusion as a method of making them, believing the process is expensive, complicated or time-consuming. 

However, aluminium extrusion is actually a simple process, which involves less complex machinery than most production methods. Plus it can help to significantly reduce production time and costs, especially for large businesses requiring numerous extruded products. 

Clients can design their own profiles to create the specific parts they require. These parts can be extruded again and again with the original die, ensuring accurate parts each time and reducing the time taken for design each time. 

This simple process allows businesses to create numerous product varieties, with ample opportunities for customisation and personalisation. Products can be made with solid profiles, soft lines, cavities, deep channels and even uniform walls. Additional features can be incorporated such as screw ports.

While aluminium has high corrosion resistance, aluminium extruded parts can then be fine-tuned using fabrication or finishing in a range of ways such as with a powder coating to a wide range of Ral colours or anodised natural and coloured for aesthetic. However, for businesses who wish to have a finish on their product, it is worth considering how this could affect its recyclability. 

These finishes can have additional benefits for businesses looking to grow their brand awareness. A business can pick one decorative pattern and use it across its extruded products. This will make your customer associate the pattern with your products working as an excelling marketing technique. 

How cost-effective is aluminium extrusion? 

Manufacturers can create complex shapes using aluminium extrusion using fewer materials and with less waste than other manufacturing methods. Although, if creating a solid sheet part, extrusion may be more costly, for more complicated parts the overall process can be significantly cheaper. 

For bigger companies looking to manufacture aluminium parts on a large scale, the process of extrusion is a cost-effective and time-saving method to use. It allows multiple parts to be cut from one long aluminium profile, with little need for any additional steps to the process. 

Aluminium extruded parts often do not need welding or riveting as the part can be made in the desired shape. These profiles can also be created with holes, slots, or screw ports incorporated into the shape, eliminating the need for secondary operations and thus reducing manufacturing costs. 

When using alternative manufacturing processes, businesses can find themselves stretching the budget to accommodate large scale machinery and maintenance for any long-standing production projects. However, with extrusion, once a die is made it can be used time and time again with little need for maintenance. 

As the parts made through extrusion are often cut to the exact specifications needed, there is no need for businesses to spend more money on machinery to cut or shape the products. This again helps to reduce the overall costs of each project. 

Love Aluminium’s extrusion process 

At Love Aluminium we have over 30 years of experience in the aluminium industry, creating custom extruded products for a wide range of clients. Our team will help businesses complete their project from start to finish, including the design stage and final stock management. 

We use CAD technology to help businesses turn their designs into physical creations, working from simple sketches or electronic files to create a truly extrudable concept. This is then agreed upon with the client to ensure it works for them before moving on to the next stage of the process. 

Once a design is approved we then create the die which will enable the extrusion process to take place. The aluminium die is a steel tool which is used to shape the aluminium as it is pushed through it under force. 

After the die is created, the extrusion process can take place. At Love Aluminium we can create aluminium profiles of lengths up to 7 meters long, allowing multiple parts to be cut down to size. We then offer a complete fabrication process to finish off the products. 

We go above and beyond to accommodate our clients, providing stock storage and delivery service to ensure you get the product you need when you need it. Our complete service is designed to meet all of our client’s needs. To find out how we can meet yours visit www.lovealuminium.co.uk or call 0333 4560121.