Before Extruded Aluminum Profiles are discussed at length it would be pertinent here to discuss about the efficacy of Aluminium Extrusions. Aluminium extrusions over the years has been known for its performance superiority, reliability of operations and a wide usage for a variety of markets. Some of the important parameters on which aluminium extrusions have shown excellent adaptation includes time, cost and process repeatability. Aluminium extrusions have successfully ventured into the territories of consumer durables, buildings, transportation, electronics etc.

Ten Points on Why Aluminium is a preferred choice for extrusions Lightness Density of Aluminium is just1/3rd as compared to steel. Elasticity This is advantageous in cases of structures under shock loads. Conductivity Good conductor of heat and elasticity. Corrosion resistance Non-toxicity Recyclable Resistance Power Resistance to weather and other atmospheric liquids or gases. Reflectivity Makes it useful for decorative purposes. Flexibility Can be easily extruded, drawn, milled etc. Machining Suitable for forming in both hot and cold conditions.

Let's compare Aluminium extrusions vis-a-vis other processes.


Advantages of Aluminium Extrusion

• Design Flexibility
  Aluminum Extrusion products give unlimited leverage to designers as well as manufacturers. There is freedom for incorporating in designs a vast range of functionality that is totally integrated into a single but inexpensive component. A custom extrusion design offers very simple ways for combining everything into a single component. This way there is considerable savings in terms of metal content, assembly time and the expenditure.
  
  
  
• Appearance
  Products of Aluminum extrusion offers a natural metallic and reflective appearance. This helps to add on to the aesthetic appeal of the assembly.
  
  
• Strength
  Aluminium alloys commonly exhibit tensile strengths between 70 and 700 MPa. The range for alloys that is applied in extrusion process is 150 – 300 Mpa.. Unlike most of the steel grades, aluminium shows no tendency towards brittleness at low temperature and instead, its strength shows an increase.
  
  
  

Manufacturing Aluminium Extrusions
A Typical Aluminium extrusion process begins with design. In the designing process itself, care is taken regarding extrusion shape, incorporating built in for reducing weight, simplifying assembly, and adding functionality along with minimising finishing costs. Actually a design process combines the unique properties of aluminium, with the extrusion process, to deliver a cost-effective product that has optimum functionality along with an attractive appearance.

A typical extrusion process from beginning to delivery to the customer is shown here:


Aluminium Extrusion can be done by two processes. The two methods are the following:

• Direct Extrusion
• Indirect Extrusion

Keys To a Good Aluminium Extrusion Design

Types of Extruded Shapes
It is actually the extrusion die design which decides the cross-sectional dimensions and an extrusion's shape that is referred to as the profile. So based on this die design the shapes of extruded profiles, can primarily of three types. Solid extrusions without any cavity say a round bar. Hollow extrusions with cavity say a round tube and finally a semi hollow profile.

These three types of shapes are shown here:

Hollow profile A profile a part of whose cross section fully enclosing a void.	Semi hollow Profile A profile with a part of its cross-section partially enclosing a void area, that is considerably greater than the square of the width of the gap.
Solid profile The least complex of the three. It can assume any form as long as there is no void in its cross-section.

Popular Extrusion Aluminium Alloys
The following table gives the extrusion suitability and properties of some common aluminium alloys used for the extrusion process.



Applications of Aluminium Extruded Profile

• Transport Industry
  Undoubtedly it is the transport industry, that is the major consumer of extruded profiles. Profiles are used in trucks, ships, buses, cars, trains etc.
  
  
• Architectural Applications
  Architectural applications typically include curtain walling, shopfront systems, doors, windows, facade panels, skylights, louvres and supports. Interior applications include partitioning, strip ceilings, curtain tracks, office skirting, shower cubicles, blinds and carpet accessories.
  
  
• Other applications
  Other types of applications include swimming pool handles, flag poles, ladders, irrigation equipment, sport and camping goods, scaffolding, domestic appliances and general engineering equipment.