Aluminium Extrusion Profile for Machine Frames, Guards and Structural Assemblies

Aluminium Extrusion Profile

An aluminium extrusion profile is a length of aluminium alloy that has been pushed, while hot, through a shaped steel die so that the metal takes on the cross section of the die opening. The same die can run thousands of metres of identical section, which is why extruded profiles are used wherever a repeatable structural shape is needed. Profiles are supplied in straight lengths and can be cut to the sizes a project requires.

How the Profile Is Made

Production starts with a cast aluminium billet, which is heated to a temperature at which the alloy flows but does not melt. The billet is pressed through the die, and the emerging section is cooled, stretched to remove the slight curve left by pressing, and cut into lengths. Many profiles are then aged in an oven so that the alloy reaches the temper the customer ordered. Each of these steps influences the straightness and the surface of the finished length.

Cross Section and Slots

The cross section decides how a profile is used. Structural profiles usually carry one or more T-slots along the faces, and those slots accept square nuts, hammer nuts and T-bolts, so brackets and panels can be fixed anywhere along a length without drilling new holes. Wall thickness around the slots and the size of the central bore both affect how much load a section can carry, which is why the same nominal size is offered in light and heavy versions.

Cutting and Assembly

Profiles are normally cut to length with a saw that leaves a square end, and the cut ends can be tapped or drilled so the section can be joined to a mating part. Frames are usually assembled with internal connectors, angle brackets or self-tapping screws, and because the slot runs the full length of the profile, a frame can be squared up on the bench and adjusted before the fasteners are finally tightened.

Applications

Extruded profiles appear in machine frames and guards, workbenches and assembly stations, conveyor supports, display and exhibition systems, and the enclosures that house electrical equipment. They are also used for furniture, for access platforms and for the lightweight trolleys found in workshops and warehouses, wherever a frame has to be built quickly from standard parts and then changed later.

Ordering Notes

A clear order states the profile series and cross section, the alloy and temper, the length or the cut list, and the quantity required. It also helps to say whether the cut ends need tapping or drilling, and whether the visible surfaces must be free of marks, because that determines how the lengths are handled and packed. Agreeing these points before production avoids lengths arriving that cannot be used as they are.