Last Updated on December 28, 2022 by Leizi
Aluminum extrusion is one of the metal manufacturing processes used to create metal parts with a specific cross-section. It has a wide applications in our daily life while we may have never noticed it. This article will offer a guide from the working principle, advantages and disadvantages, post-processing of aluminum extrusion.
1. What Is the Working Principle of Aluminum Extrusion?
Aluminum extrusion is to push the heated aluminum billet into the mold and extrude the extruded aluminum parts with a specific cross section.
Five steps of aluminum extrusion :
Step1: design and create the mold
CNC and EDM processing are ofen applied to create the steel mold.
Step2: heating the aluminum material
Because aluminum extrusion is to form specific parts by extruding materials. Before extrusion, we must first heat the aluminum material at a high temperature of 500°C.
Step3: High Pressure Treatment
To reduce friction during processing, it is necessary to fill the extrusion machine with lubricant, which will push the billet easily into the mold through high pressure.
Step4: Cooling
After being extruded through the die, the aluminum extrusion with its characteristic cross-section enters the cooling table. We generally cut to the length we need by using the sawing tools.
Step5: Additional finishing
Some customers may require additional finishing on parts of the aluminum extrusions, such as CNC machining.
2. Why Choose Aluminum Extrusion?
1) Customized section parts
In aluminum extrusion, we apply custom-made extrusion machines make metal overlays with different lengths and cross-sections. The extrusions cannot be completed easily by other processing methods.
2) Mass production.
Aluminum extrusion is generally suitable for mass production of metal parts. In mold designing stage, its processing and material costs are more expensive. At the same time, aluminum extrusion is not suitable for small batch fabrication because it is expensive. If you check the quality of our extrusions before mass production, we are glad to complete small batch production according to your drawings first.
3) Fast production
With the upgrading of equipment, the entire production process of aluminum extrusion has been basically automated. Once the mold is created, you will get 10,000+ pieces of parts within a few days.
4) Excellent mechanical properties
Aluminum is the most popular metal for extrusion because of its high strength-to-weight ratio. It is widely used in many industries: automobile, aviation, household appliances, etc.
3. What Are the Limitations of Aluminum Extrusion?
1) The die life of aluminum extrusion is relatively short. Because in the process of aluminum extrusion, the mold will withstand high temperature and friction wear for a long time.
2) High cost. The cost of making extrusion dies is very high, and it is only suitable for mass production.
3) Design limitations. Aluminum extrusions have a uniform cross-section, which is a design limitation for designers.
4. What Are the Common Surface Finishes Used for Aluminum Extrusions?
To increase the ornamental and functional properties of aluminum extrusions, various surface finishes are often used. The following are the four types of post-processing most commonly used for aluminum extrusions:
1) Powder coating
Metal parts are given a more lustrous and textured finish by dusting them. You can choose any color combination to make the part more decorative.
2) Oxidation
Oxidation is a chemical treatment that gives aluminum extrusions a more corrosion-resistant surface and textured appearance by adding an oxide film to the part. At Ruitai, we will mix up the oxidation color according to the Pantone number you provided.
3) Sandblasting
Sandblasting can not only cover up the cutter marks on the surface of metal parts, but also to add texture. If sand blasting is performed on these parts before oxidation, the surface of the oxidized aluminum extruded part will have a more matte texture.
4) Silk screen
If you want to add a unique icon to the surface of each aluminum extrusion, silk screen printing is a post-processing method that can help you achieve it.
At Ruitai, we have a professional engineering and production team to support your aluminum extrusion project. If you need any guidance, contact us now!