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Extrusion

Extruding aluminum is the most innovative forming process for this versatile metal, allowing designers almost unlimited creativity and imagination to specify profiles to meet their exact, specialized needs.

The process beImagegins with creation of a metal die, which precisely matches the profile of the shape specified by the designer. Aluminum billets or logs, produced from ingots, are heated and forced under pressure through the die. The process is quite similar to squeezing toothpaste from a tube. The variety of shapes is virtually endless, and profiles are produced to exact specifications, with very close tolerances.

Once the profile is extruded, it can be further fabricated—cut to length, machined, drilled, punched, notched, bent and assembled into a semi-finished product. An extruded tube even can be “stretched” to produce tubing of exact inside and outside dimensions. Profiles can be painted, anodized, brushed or polished, depending on the desired finish.



Related Files

2005 Aluminum Design Competition Winners (Adobe PDF File)
Photos (JPEG Image)

Related Links

Lightweight Extrusions Shoulder Heavy Design Load
2005 Aluminum Design Competition


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