Before discussing what an aluminum extrusion profile is, you need to understand the aluminum extrusion process. First of all, the aluminum billet is heated in a furnace at a temperature between 750 and 925° until it becomes a pliable solid and is ready for the extrusion process. Then the heated aluminum is transferred into an extrusion press container. Next, a hydraulic press forces the gooey aluminum through a die in the cross-section of the final product’s desired shape. That shape is an aluminum profile.
Remember using a Play-Doh Fun Factory as a kid? You packed the Play-Doh into the compartment under the handle? You selected the shape you wanted the Play-Doh to be extruded as whether this was a circle, star, or other shapes, and pushed down on the handle. The Play-Doh was forced out of the plastic “die” in the shape that you selected. This is precisely how an extruded aluminum profile works. Except that the die is constructed of steel, and the Play-Doh is semi-molten aluminum.
Aluminum has characteristics that make it particularly good for extrusion. Aluminum has a melting point of about half that of steel. It is highly malleable, has a high strength to weight ratio, and inexpensive. After extrusion, the extruded aluminum profiles can be heat treated, machined, or have surface treatments such as corrosion resistance applied.
Aluminum extrusion dies can produce simple or extremely complex shapes—or profiles. The complexity of which depends on the quality of the aluminum billet used in the extrusion process. Aluminum billet with a high degree of purity can produce more complex shapes than those using lower quality aluminum billet. There are three types of profiles:
At Getec Industrial, we are aluminum extrusion experts. We provide high-quality extruded aluminum profiles in a variety of shapes and complexity. The quality of our aluminum extrusions that set up apart from our competition is the use of pure, premium aluminum billet. This quality of billet allows us to create shapes that our competitors cannot replicate. To learn more, give us a call at 888-999-8499, contact us online, or send us an email at sales@getecna.com.
