Aluminum extrusion is simple. Heat up aluminum. Push it through shaped holes. Get the parts you need. These parts go into cars and buildings. Plus, they’re important for planes, and electronics. Good suppliers give you great parts without breaking the bank. Here are the top 10!
Key Takeaways
- Makers heat aluminum really hot and squeeze it through shaped holes
- Machine shops can add exact cuts and holes to the aluminum profiles
- Look for ISO 9001 on their website — it means they’re serious about quality
- Walls need to be 1 mm thick to work right
- Different metals (6061, 6063, 7075) do different jobs
What’s Aluminum Extrusion?
Custom aluminum extrusion starts with heat. Heat aluminum until it’s soft (800-925 °F). Push it through metal cookie cutters. Get parts. The special steel tools (dies) make shapes regular factories can’t.
Works for solid or hollow parts. Walls can be 1 mm to 25 mm thick. The finished aluminum products are crazy strong but super light – 70% lighter than steel parts that do the same job. They don’t rust. They move heat really well.
How they Make Aluminum Extrusions
Extrusion suppliers first make special tools for your part. Then they do this:
Basic Process
Step | Heat | Pressure | Time |
---|---|---|---|
Heat the metal | 800-925°F | Normal air | 2–4 hours |
Squeeze it through | 850-900°F | Very high | Seconds |
Cool it down | 350-400°F | Normal air | Minutes |
Make it stronger | 300-400°F | Normal air | 4–8 hours |
Big machines (up to 15,000 tons!) squeeze the metal through at 16–98 feet per minute. After, they stretch the metal a tiny bit to fix stress. Then cut with special saws.
They check everything with super exact tools. Smart extrusion companies use computers to test designs first. Catches problems like rough spots before making anything real.
Top 10 Custom Aluminum Extrusion Manufacturers
1. Yijin Hardware
We’re #1 in custom aluminum. We do both extrusion and machining in one place. Our China factory makes aluminum components for planes, cars, and electronics.
What makes us special:
- Big presses: 1,800-3,600 tons
- Can make circles up to 300 mm
- Walls as thin as 0.8 mm
- Super precise: within ±0.13 mm
- 5-axis machines for tricky shapes
- Works with 6061-T6, 6063-T5, 7075-T6 aluminum
Yijin Hardware offers complete aluminum extrusion solutions from start to finish. Our one company does it all. This saves money and time. Our ISO 9001 stamp means quality you can trust.
2. Hydro Extrusion
Hydro Extrusion has plants in dozens of countries. They make tons of quality aluminum profiles.
What they Offer
What | Details |
---|---|
Certificates | ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF 16949 |
Makes parts for | Cars, planes |
Green stuff | 75% recycled aluminum |
Extra services | Color coating, cutting, assembly |
3. Constellium
Constellium makes super tough aluminum for airplanes. They know metals really well and make parts that don’t break when it matters.
- Makes: Super strong aerospace alloys
- Papers: AS9100, ISO 9001 certified
- Smart stuff: Creates new metal mixes
- Extra work: Heat treats and cuts super exact
4. Kaiser Aluminum
Kaiser Aluminum makes airplane aluminum shapes. They’re pretty big in aluminum extrusion. Their US factories make parts for defense and planes. That also includes cars.
What They’re Good At
- High-quality aluminum extrusions
- Checks every part thoroughly
- ISO 9001, AS9100
- Parts that hold planes together
5. BRT Extrusions
BRT Extrusions makes solid and hollow aluminum shapes in Ohio. They use grades 6005, 6061, and 6063. They keep it simple but good.
What They Make | Who Uses It | Follows | Made Where |
---|---|---|---|
Angles, bars, channels, rods, tubes | Farms, factories, electronics | ASTM, RoHS | USA |
6. Zetwerk Manufacturing
Zetwerk makes exact aluminum extrusions, big and small. They use special methods and work with aluminum plus other stuff.
What Makes them Special
- How they work: Impact and reverse extrusion
- What they use: Aluminum, plastics, PVC
- What they make: Plane parts, connectors, channels
- How much: One piece to thousands
7. PSI Industries
PSI handles hot extrusion work and makes precise metal shapes. They use lots of aluminum types and finish parts in many ways.
Metal Types | Things They Make | Special Features | Extra Work |
---|---|---|---|
1000-6000 series aluminum | Faceplates, flanges, heat sinks | Frosted, curved, thin walls | Anodizing, finishing, assembly |
8. Richardson Metals
Richardson Metals makes finished aluminum extrusion products with lots of extra work after. Their Colorado shop makes custom aluminum extrusions for many industries.
Tech Specs
- Size range: Up to 4.5″ diameter, 0.020″ wall thickness
- How exact: Within ±0.005″
- Surface options: Anodized, painted, powder coated
- Follows rules: RoHS, REACH standards
9. Bonnell Aluminum
Bonnell Aluminum is one of the biggest aluminum extrusion companies in North America. They make custom and standard aluminum shapes for buildings and factories.
- Been around: 60+ years making aluminum stuff
- Sells to: Building makers, carmakers, factory equipment
- Does extra: Custom finishing, cutting and shaping
- Quality check: ISO 9001, AAMA certified
10. Mid-States Aluminum
Mid-States Aluminum makes custom aluminum extrusions and helps with design. Their Wisconsin factory makes one-piece extruded aluminum parts from start to finish.
Extra Services
Design Help | Making Stuff | Putting Together | Materials |
---|---|---|---|
Makes designs better | Cutting, finishing | Complete parts | Many aluminum types |
What Papers Should Good Aluminum Makers Have?
The right aluminum extrusion supplier needs some important papers. First up is ISO 9001. It’s the must-have paper. Shows they don’t just wing it — they follow rules and fix problems. Different industries need extra papers too.
Paper | Who Needs It | What It Means | How They Check |
---|---|---|---|
ISO 9001 | Everyone | They follow basic rules | Someone checks once a year |
AS9100 | Airplane stuff | Super strict rules for safety | Extra tough inspections |
IATF 16949 | Car parts | Prevents mistakes before they happen | They test parts before approval |
ISO 14001 | Earth-friendly companies | They don’t trash the planet | They measure what goes into the air |
There’s also ASTM B221. It’s not a certificate but a rule book. Says how big, strong, and what mix the aluminum should be. Makes sure all fabricated aluminum extrusions work right, no matter which manufacturing company makes them.
How does CNC Machining Make Aluminum Extrusions Better?
CNC machining makes custom aluminum extrusion offers way better by adding super exact features (within ±0.001 inches). It adds threads, slots, pockets, and weird shapes that basic extrusion can’t do. This makes lightweight aluminum components perfect for planes, cars, and medical stuff.
Machining fixes the natural size problems in extrusion (usually ±0.2 mm) by cutting super exact. Places like Yijin Hardware that do both jobs save you 30-40% time versus using two different shops.
The pros say the aluminum extrusion business hit $91.38 billion in 2024. People want more aluminum stuff every year. That’s why CNC machining matters so much now.
Cool things CNC machines can do:
- Cut 3D shapes that look impossible
- Drill super exact holes (some call this H7 tolerance)
- Cut perfect threads for screws and bolts
- Make surfaces smooth as glass (0.8 Ra for the tech folks)
- Create weird shapes no other machine can make
Want Better Aluminum Parts?
If you’re looking for top aluminum parts, you’re in the right spot. Picking the right company is super important. Yijin Hardware does everything — extrusion and machining, all in just one place. Contact us today to talk about your projects.
FAQs
What makes the aluminum parts cost change?
Four big things change the price tag. First, weird shapes need fancy tools ($1,000-$10,000). Second, special aluminum costs more than regular 6061 or 6063 stuff. Third, making tons of parts makes each one cheaper. Last, extra work like cutting or coating costs extra. Order more, pay less per piece.
How do I design parts that won’t cause headaches?
Keep walls the same thickness (at least 1 mm) everywhere. Don’t make any part three times thicker than it is wide. Add little curves (0.5 mm) to corners instead of sharp points. This helps the metal flow and keeps tools working longer. Need super exact parts (better than ±0.13 mm)? Plan for CNC machining those spots.
Why’s aluminum good for the environment?
Aluminum is 100% recyclable forever and ever. It never gets worse when recycled. Using recycled aluminum saves 95% of the energy compared to making new stuff. That cuts carbon by about 92 kg for every kg of recycled metal. Plus, aluminum parts are super light. In vehicles, lighter parts mean less gas. Cut weight by 10%, use 5-7% less fuel.
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