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Aluminum is an incredibly versatile metal, and one process that exemplifies that versatility is extrusion. With the extrusion process, a great range of products and shapes can be made to serve a variety of industries. Pieces can be custom-made to suit a particular purpose, or a variety of stock aluminum extrusions are often available to suit more common needs.

How Aluminum Extrusions are MadeThe process of aluminum extrusion begins with heating a large lump of aluminum called a billet. This billet is then forced, under extreme pressure, through a much smaller die. The die is shaped exactly the same as the desired outer shape of the extrusion, so as the aluminum comes out, it looks like the shape of the die. Imagine a cookie cutter. It works much the same way, with the aluminum being like cookie dough. With an extrusion, however, the aluminum isn’t just stamped and cut into a shape, it is actually pulled though the “cookie cutter” to make a longer run of shaped material.

Extruded Aluminum ProductsThe material that emerges from the die is called an aluminum extrusion, and this piece will emerge as a long run of aluminum shaped however you wanted it to be shaped by the die. This can be left as a long continuous piece, as in the case of a gutter or pipe, or it can be trimmed. Since the extrusion will have the same cross section throughout the length of the run, you should be able to cut a large number of identical pieces from each run. These smaller pieces might include functional pieces like panel clips or decorative pieces. Extruded aluminum products are used in the construction, automotive and aerospace industries, among others.

Stock Aluminum ExtrusionsThe first thought one might have when they fully grasp the concept of extruding aluminum is “Now I can make any aluminum product that I want!” This is basically true, within reason, but there are limits. You need to create a die for each new extrusion you want to create, and there is time and expense related to that. The good news is that people have been extruding aluminum for a long time and there’s a really good chance that the piece of aluminum you’re looking for has already been made, and possibly made in bulk. That’s why it’s important to look at stock aluminum extrusions before jumping right into custom ones.

One of the best places to view a wide range of ready-made aluminum extrusions is a Howardprecision.com. Howard Precision specializes in providing aluminum of all different shapes and sizes.