What Aluminum extrusions do you need?

Different types of extrusions commonly created and their uses

Big projects, depending on the details, sometimes require a small, custom piece to keep everything stable. Whether it is a bracket, bearing, T-slot, or anything with a designated shape, it can all be achieved through an extrusion process.

An extrusion process puts raw material, such as steel or aluminum, through a custom die to produce a desired shape.  There are many different types of extrusions and extruded aluminum profiles available to fit into large scale projects and everyday household items. 

Types Of Extrusions

Metal fabricators everywhere are thoroughly familiar with the types of extrusion presses used to create a custom aluminum piece. A key benefit in using this process is that no matter the project size or specification, there is an extrusion that will fit your project needs.

Here are some commonly used extrusion techniques to fabricate a specific part needed (no matter the shape) for any project.

Direct Extrusion:

Often referred to as a Forward Extrusion, this process involves a piece of material forced in the direction of a feed through high pressure from a ram.  The ram pushes the material forward toward a die during an extrusion to create the final product. This process does allow the use of hot and cold temperatures and is commonly used in the metal manufacturing process.

It is often used to create pipes, framework, rails, and engine rings.

Indirect Extrusions:

This process is the opposite of direct extrusions mentioned above and can be referred to as a backward impact extrusion. This technique allows the material to flow toward the direction of the plunger movement while being pushed into the container.

This type of extrusion is used to make cylindrical shapes such as, food cans, drink containers, and aerosol cans.

Hot Extrusion:

This process involves adding heat to the material to keep it from hardening (but not close enough to melt), which makes it easier to push through the die. Using a hot extrusion takes less time as compared to the cold extrusion processes and uses a larger amount of material.

Cold Extrusions

Both hot and cold extrusions can be used to create T-shapes, C-shapes, I-shapes, and H-shapes from aluminum.

Your Choice for Aluminum Extrusions:

Aluminum extrusions have several applications in a wide range of industries, including – electronics, automotive, general engineering, mass transit, telecommunications and more.  As an advanced engineering material, the benefits can make a difference in your project’s budget without losing quality in your work.

Sheet metal fabrication is a business we have expertise in since 1976.

The metals you choose can impact the strength, longevity and quality of your finished project. Based on the types of manufacturing you partake in, this can be a critical choice. Choose a professional that understands aluminum and precise designs of manufactured pieces.

Our metal service center enables us to produce, fabricate, stock and ship custom aluminum extrusion profiles in a variety of formats ready for use.

Click here to learn more about our American Douglas Metals and our various extrusion solutions.