Common Everyday Uses of Custom Aluminum
Extrusion by Consumers
Certain innovations have had a significant
impact on the daily life of the average American that stand out in our history. The
development of standard and custom aluminum extrusion changed the way this metal was
processed, formed, and manipulated to create the parts, products, and components that we
use throughout our daily lives. Everywhere you look, traditional aluminum frames and other
types of sustainable aluminum extrusions are present. Whether they are simple, straight-
forward solutions or require multiple post extrusion operations to work as they are intended,
we count on extruded aluminum in many more ways than we realize on a daily basis.
Things We Use Every Day
To create a list of all the places where custom aluminum extrusion is used would be
exhausting, however, once you start to see where these extrusions are used and how they
can be applied to make improvements on existing products and tools, it becomes much
easier to spot them on your own. Sustainable aluminum extrusions can be created
according to standard or stock profiles. Rods, bars, angles, and other basic shapes are
used to create the products we use every day, as well as the equipment used to
manufacture consumer products or build structures, such as scaffolding, tables, carts, and
much more.
Some of the things that you use everyday that rely on aluminum extrusion include:
Transportation – Cars, trucks, trains, bicycles, airplanes, boats, and buses.
Construction – Internal structural support, railings, windows, doors, and aesthetic
design elements.
Lighting – LED lighting tracks, commercial lighting, and new consumer lighting options.
Technology – Computer parts, frames, server configurations, keyboards, and screens.
Industrial – Tables, carts, robotic components, manufacturing equipment and more.
Home Decor – Picture frames, artwork, as well as indoor and outdoor furniture.
Office – Cubicles, desks, chairs, computer parts, shelving, and breakroom furniture.
How Extrusion Works
If you are unfamiliar with the process required for standard and custom aluminum extrusion,
as well as all of the secondary options for finishing and post extrusion operations, it pays to
take a little time to learn how it is all done. The more you know about the process, the better
equipped you will be to design your custom components for sustainable aluminum
extrusions. Whether your goal is to create straight-forward traditional aluminum frames or
something more complex, working with a facility that is experienced and knowledgeable in
the engineering requirements for custom extrusions is the best way to go. Silver City
Aluminum has many years of experience providing top quality extrusions for clients here in
the United States and all around the globe.
The basic definition of extrusion is a process that involves the shaping of malleable metals
or plastics that are then forced through a profile or die to create the desired shape. An
extremely high amount of pressure is required to press these materials through the shaped
steel, depending on the type of material that is used. Real life examples of extrusion include
making pasta, squeezing toothpaste or caulking out of a tube, and those extrusion sets you
probably had as a child for making shapes out of play clay or dough.
When custom aluminum extrusion is made at Silver City Aluminum, it starts by heating up
the raw aluminum billets to a very particular temperature. The billets are pre-cut according
to the order requirements to reduce waste. However, any excess material will simply be
melted down for recycling to be reused again. In fact, 99.9 percent of the aluminum billet
that we purchase from area suppliers to be used for sustainable aluminum extrusions
comes from recycled aluminum. We push the heated metal through the standard or custom
profile using 10 million pounds of pressure to create the desired shape. It creates one long
and continuous section of metal that will then be cut according to the client’s specifications.
Post extrusion operations, including CNC fabrication, heli-coiling, and other custom options,
as well as finishing that includes anodizing, powder-coating, and painting, can be added to
any order.
Why Silver City Aluminum is the Best
Our many years of experience in the design of custom aluminum extrusion and extensive
work with industry leaders in construction, transportation and common elements, including
traditional aluminum frames, has helped Silver City Aluminum to be the best option for
manufacturers across the country and around the globe. To work with one of our
experienced engineers or technicians to create your custom order, give us a call at 508-
824-8631. We can help you create the standard or custom parts, components, and products
that you require to take your business to the next level.
