Custom aluminum extrusions are widely available and used in a wide range of industries. Thanks to its qualities, aluminum has been a popular material in many construction projects for the last century. Once rare, difficult to extract and with no reliable extrusion process, the metal was originally more expensive than gold. However, developments in the processes used to extract and manufacture the metal have led to it becoming one of the most commonly used materials in many sectors. In construction it’s used – sometimes in alloy form – in many building projects. The motor and aviation industries have long prized the lightweight qualities the material offers and it is popular in the space industry for the same reasons.
Special qualities
The process of producing aluminum components is in part responsible for contributing to the metal’s properties. Aluminum extrusion creates products that are easily created to custom design. The material is heated to high temperatures and pressed into a die to create the specific design required. Other metals can be added to alter the qualities of the finished product – many metals are used depending on the requirement of the customer. In general, aluminum is highly resistant to corrosion, it is strong compared to its lightweight qualities, and it adapts well to different temperatures, conducting both electricity and heat well. Alloyed with other metals, these qualities can be altered (less conductivity for example) while taking advantage of the metals malleability, low weight and strength.
Global domination
Now used widely in car manufacture and the space industry (including for the construction of the International Space Station), aluminum is becoming one of the most ubiquitous materials of the century. One feature that is likely to make it increasingly popular is the fact that aluminum is also easily and effectively recycled. For this reason it remains popular in an environmentally friendly construction industry, but can also be found in many domestic appliances and furniture. Given the continually rising demand for ‘green’ building materials it seems likely that this demand will only continue to rise in future. Thanks to the simplicity of the extrusion process and the ease with which custom aluminum extrusion products can be created it’s also a very inexpensive solution for many products and components across a wide range of industries.
Howard Precision Metals is one of the Midwest’s largest distributors of aluminum. In addition to Aluminum Plate and custom aluminum extrusion products, they stock a huge range of sawing equipment; you won’t find a better aluminum distributor in the area.
