Why Choose Aluminium Extrusions? By Dave Lavoie At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Many industries are finding that aluminum extrusion is a very useful and versatile method of manipulating aluminum to specific needs, and there are many reasons why this has become apparent. Let’s look at the more important qualities of both aluminum and the extraction process.

1: Excellent strength to weight ratio

Aluminum is a lightweight metal – it is half the weight of copper for the same mass, for instance – but that does not mean it has any inherent weaknesses. Far from it, in fact, for aluminum, when extruded – that is forced, when hot, through special shaping dies to create the required shape – uses the available metal in the most efficient way, with very little waste and great accuracy, thus creating a very strong material indeed.

In terms of strength to weight there is little to match extruded aluminum for efficiency, and this is reflected in the versatility of the product.

2: Great ability to be manipulated

Extruded aluminum is easy to mould into shape once made, and can be bent or moulded to very tight radii without the use of any special tooling or machinery.

This factor can be built in at the point of design, with the originator able to specify a thickness of aluminum in the extrusion that will allow the required amount of post manufacture manipulation.

The very nature of the material means it is easy to drill and, hence, easy to fix, for not only can rivets and nuts and bolts be used, aluminum can be fixed using welding or soldering, and with a variety of adhesive bodings, too. The extra accuracy of the extrusions process makes the joining of two identical parts very efficient in deed.

3: Extremely cost effective.

Aluminum extrusions are very cost efficient indeed, thanks firstly to the relatively cheap method of manufacture, and to the lack of wastage in any great degree.

A die for producing extruded aluminum will cost a fraction of that for a casting or form – used for other methods of shaping metals – and can be used a number of times, offering the option of further runs of the same extrusion at very reasonable cost indeed.

Many manufacturers will offer a range of standard extrusions – those that are popular across a given industry – and these can be even more affordable than one might think.

4: Corrosion free and with great conductivity

In terms of anti corrosion properties, little can match extruded aluminum, for while the metal is surprisingly resistant to corrosion, an extra layer of oxide film adds to the property. Aluminum is also a great conductor of electricity – better by far than the heavier copper, for instance, and can also be used as a heat conductor, or frequently as a heat reflector in heat shields.

The above are just a few of the many reasons why one should consider using extruded aluminum, for with it being such a versatile and attractive material there will be many more across any number of different industries and uses.

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