The Modern World Depends on Aluminium Extrusions
Many people are new to the process of aluminium extrusion. But when they learn about it and look around them at the houses, condos and other buildings, they realise that this process is fundamental to the construction industry all over the world.
Many of the window frames, ducting, railings, gutters, tubing and other construction components contained in a building are composed of extruded aluminium.
The extrusion process is often compared to squeezing a tube of toothpaste, with the aluminium representing the toothpaste—the process results in lightweight but strong construction pieces in a myriad of shapes and sizes. The process has become indispensable to the construction industry and helps keep homes and other buildings affordable. Extruded aluminium pieces are relatively inexpensive to make, and their lightweight means that transporting and installing them is often just a one-person job that saves on labour expenses.
Modern Aluminium Extrusion Process
First, a piece of steel is manufactured into a die that has a hole in the shape of the cross-section of the resulting extrusion. This piece fits on the end of the long extruder and is heated up to the melting point of aluminium to enable the extrusion to slide through the die easily as it’s being formed.
Next, a solid block of aluminium is put into an oven and heated almost to its melting point, which is between 400-500 degrees Celsius. This makes the metal malleable but still able to hold the shape of the die. A lubricant is applied to the aluminium to further enable the aluminium to slide easily through the extruder.
Once the aluminium has reached the target temperature, it’s transferred into the extruder. A long ram at the back of the extruder starts to push the aluminium forward through the die. The ram applies up to 15,000 tons of pressure that compresses the aluminium as it slides through the extruder. Compressing the metal ensures there are no flaws or air bubbles in the resulting extrusion.
The long extrusions are guided onto a “runout table”, sliced into long lengths and cooled by a water bath, fans, or a combination of the two. The cooled extrusions are then transferred to a cooling table, where they wait until they reach room temperature.
Finishing the Extrusions
The room-temperature long extrusions may have experienced some warping and twisting as they were being extruded, so they are moved to a stretching machine that brings them into alignment before being cut to length and having protective finishes applied.
Industry Leader in Aluminium Extrusions
Goldstar Metal is the leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality extruded aluminium in Thailand. We employ a wide variety of extrusion presses so we can easily meet the needs of our valued customers within their deadlines.
We have nearly three decades of experience and have a modern ERP system that enables us to respond quickly and accurately to the needs of customers. In addition to our extrusions, we offer various finishing services. Contact us to learn more about the excellent services provided by Goldstar Metal.
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