aluminium extrusions by INAL Metals North Ltd

<body> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top><p><a href="aluminium/aluminium.htm">Aluminium Extrusions</a></p> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Topics Covered</font></H2> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><a href="#_Background">Background</a></SPAN><A href="#_What_is_Extrusion?"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><br /> What is Extrusion?</SPAN></A><br /> <A href="#_The_Versatility_of"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The Versatility of the Extrusion Process</SPAN></A><br /> <A href="#_The_Extrusion_Process"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The Extrusion Process</SPAN></A> <br /> <A href="#_Aluminium_Alloys_and"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Aluminium Alloys and Extrusion</SPAN></A><br /> <A href="#_Extrusion_Machines"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Extrusion Machines</SPAN></A><br /> <A href="#_Design_Aspects_of"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Design Aspects of Aluminium Extrusions</SPAN></A></font></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Background<A name=_Background></A></font></H2> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Extruded products constitute more than 50 % of the market for aluminium products in Europe of which the <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">building industry </SPAN>consumes the majority. Aluminium extrusions are used in commercial and domestic buildings for window and door frame systems, prefabricated houses/building structures, roofing and exterior cladding, curtain walling, shop fronts, etc. Furthermore, extrusions are also used in <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">transport</SPAN> for airframes, road and rail vehicles and in marine applications.</font> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What is Extrusion?<A name=_What_is_Extrusion?></A></font></H2> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The term extrusion is usually applied to both the process, and the product obtained, when a hot cylindrical billet of aluminium is pushed through a shaped die (forward or direct extrusion, see Figure 1). The resulting section can be used in long lengths or cut into short parts for use in structures, vehicles or components. Also, extrusions are used for the starting stock for drawn rod, cold extruded and forged products. While the majority of the many hundreds of extrusion presses used throughout the world are covered by the simple description given above it should be noted that some presses accommodate rectangular shaped billets for the purpose of producing extrusions with wide section sizes. Other presses are designed to push the die into the billet. This latter modification is usually termed "indirect" extrusion.</font> <DIV align=center> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <img src="images/extrude.jpg" alt="aluminium extrusion process" width=158 height=298 border=0 > </font></P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><B>Figure 1. </B>Schematic of the extrusion process.</font></TD> </TR> </TBODY> </TABLE> </DIV> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Versatility of the Extrusion Process<A name=_The_Versatility_of></A></font></H2> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The versatility of the process in terms of both alloys available and shapes possible makes it one of the most valued assets in helping the aluminium producer supply users with solutions to their design requirements.</font> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Extrusion Process<A name=_The_Extrusion_Process></A></font></H2> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The fundamental features of the process are as follows: A heated billet cut from DC cast log (or for small diameters from larger extruded bar) is located in a heated container, usually around 450°C - 500°C. At these temperatures the flow stress of the aluminium alloys is very low and by applying pressure by means of a ram to one end of the billet the metal flows through the steel die, located at the other end of the container to produce a section, the cross sectional shape of which is defined by the shape of the die.</font> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Aluminium Alloys and Extrusion<A name=_Aluminium_Alloys_and></A></font></H2> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">All aluminium alloys can be extruded but some are less suitable than others, requiring higher pressures, allowing only low extrusion speeds and/or having less than acceptable surface finish and section complexity. The term ‘extrudability’ is used to embrace all of these issues with pure aluminium at one end of the scale and the strong aluminium/zinc/magnesium/copper alloys at the other end. The biggest share of the extrusion market is taken by the 6000, AlMgSi series. This group of alloys have an attractive combination of properties, relevant to both use and production and they have been subject to a great deal of R & D in many countries. The result is a set of materials ranging in strength from 150 MPa to 350 MPa, all with good toughness and formability. They can be extruded with ease and their overall ‘extrudability’ is good but those containing the lower limits of magnesium and silicon e.g. 6060 and 6063 extrude at very high speeds - up to 100 m/min with good surface finish, anodising capability and maximum complexity of section shape combined with minimum section thickness.</font> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Extrusion Machines<A name=_Extrusion_Machines></A></font></H2> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Press load capacities range from a few hundred tonnes to as high as 20,000 tonnes although the majority range between 1,000 and 3,000 tonnes. Billet sizes cover the range from 50 mm diameter to 500 mm with length usually about 2-4 times the diameter and while most presses have cylindrical containers a few have rectangular ones for the production of wide shallow sections.</font> <H2><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Design Aspects of Aluminium Extrusions<A name=_Design_Aspects_of></A></font></H2> <p class="MsoBodyText">Inal Metals are a solution driven innovator that design, manufacture and supply aluminium extrusions and fabricated aluminium components.</p> <p class="MsoBodyText">Operating from our site in Manchester we can supply throughout the UK and worldwide. Accredited to ISO 9001:2000, our premise is simple “To understand what the customer wants.. And give it to you”.</p> <p class="MsoBodyText">We are able to supply all types of aluminium extrusions and precision machined aluminium components utilizing aluminium profiles. Industries serviced, include – Automotive, Electronic, Architectural, Building, Medical, among others. Products include special aluminium extrusions, machined aluminium components, aluminium CNC machining, aluminium tubes, aluminium angles, aluminium bars, aluminium cutting, free issue aluminium machining, aluminium castings and aluminium to various alloys including 6063, 6082, 6005.</p> <p class="MsoBodyText">We have our own in-house designer to ensure your aluminium profiles can be made to your specifications. This will enable you to have confidence that your design will be a cost-effective solution. </p>  <DIV align=center> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD> <P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <img border=0 width=300 height=183 src="aluminium_extrusions/extrusion.gif" alt="aluminium extrusions with improved stiffness"> </font></P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><B>Figure 2. </B>Designing aluminium extrusions with improved stiffness.</font></TD> </TR> </TBODY> </TABLE> </DIV> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <P>  </P> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Source: European Aluminium Association <br /> </font> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For more information on this source please visit <A href="http://www.azom.com/"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-font-size: 8.0pt">European Aluminium Association</SPAN></A>.</font> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="home.htm" target="_top"><br /> Aluminium Extrusions</a></font></TD> </TR> </TBODY> </TABLE> </body>