How to order aluminum profiles
Considerations and recommendations before ordering a batch of new aluminum profile.
Nonstandard aluminum profile
If you develop any unique or just a new product, and it is desperately needed aluminum profile, then you are unlikely to find it in numerous catalog companies in the production and sale of aluminum profiles. These directories may contain thousands of different aluminum profiles, but you, of course, I need your, non-standard and special.
Custom aluminum profiles – those profiles, that, excuse the tautology, They are not standard, namely – channel, corners, brand, rectangular tubes, etc.. P. (Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Standard aluminum profiles. are shown schematically, including, without rounded corners
Special aluminum profiles
Custom profiles are being developed for certain specific purposes. The figure 2 show examples of constructional techniques and tricks to impart a non-standard profiles specific special functions.
b) Recess for screw installation
c) Risk for drilling a screw hole
f) Preparation of edges for welding
Figure 2 – Examples of structural members
custom profiles
Minimum lot and the minimum delivery time
Usually aluminum profiles manufacturers insist on a minimum party of non-standard profiles about 250 kg and ask for lead time to manufacture a new batch of aluminum profiles - in a new extrusion die - from six to eight weeks. However, there are manufacturers of aluminum profiles, for which there is no concept of "minimum quantity", but, understandably, и the price of aluminum profiles will be higher. Anyway, good produce and to buy just such a number of profiles, which you really need.
Aluminum alloys for profiles
Most aluminum profiles made of alloys Al-Mg-Si - 6xxx series alloys. The most popular is the aluminum alloy AD31 GOST 4784 or its foreign counterparts - the "European" alloy 6060 and "American" Alloy 6063. These alloys are referred to as "soft" alloys, they are used to not too loaded structures. If your profile requires high strength, the, perhaps, it must be pressed out of stronger alloys, for example, 6005, 6061 (AD33) i 6082 (AD35) or even 7005 (1915) and 7020. All these alloys are compressed on a conventional high-speed extrusion presses, which was quite a lot in recent years,.
It should be understood, what, if you set sights on stronger alloys, for example, the famous "duralumin", then you need to look special – Low speed is more powerful and – press, which in our time is very short. Price profiles, wrought on such presses, "At times" above, than usual.
Aluminum profiles according to customer drawings?
Usually non-standard (special) aluminum profiles are called profiles according to customer drawings. However, this is a great exaggeration! Not every profile, which drew customer, you can normally Pressed. Drawing on the customer profile – it is rather a sketch Profile, which necessarily must be adapted to the possibilities of molding technology, generally, and in particular the press, in particular.
Nowadays, all factories for the production of aluminum profiles have designers for the development (design) of aluminum profiles. These designers is sufficient to provide a rough sketch of your future aluminum profile. They usually work with standard file formats such as .dxf and .dwg. These formats are used as in the design drawings of the matrix for your special profile, and machine tools with numerical control, on which this matrix will be done.
The cross-section of the new aluminum profile
The design and functionality of aluminum profiles almost endless. Aluminum profiles can make the most incredible shape and appearance, which can only invent sophisticated brains of engineers and designers. However, there are some technological limitations, which still need to keep in mind.
In agreement with the designers Profile - matrix and - the wall thickness of your profile can be up to as much 0,5 mm for flat matrix - continuous profiles - and to 0,7 mm hollow matrices - profiles with cavities. It is almost beyond the capacity of aluminum extrusion technology and possible only for “soft” aluminum alloys, for example, technical aluminum or “diluted” alloy 6060, and not on each extrusion press.
Quality aluminum profile
However, it should be borne in mind, Thin-walled profiles that are highly prone to warping, a lot more, than thick. This occurs at the output profile from the matrix, and compounded during its cooling by quenching in a press. So often from the elegant thin-walled profile refused because, that make it very difficult, and if possible, the overly large share of marriage Warp – curling, flatness, non-rectilinear, etc.. P.
Experienced designers-Extruders prompt you, where best to place the various functional elements of your profile - ports for screws and screws, latch and landing place of various parts. Little of, they will be able to meet all your requirements and profile form, in the same time, ensure its successful pressing on the extrusion press.
They will make sure that, that your profile has a form, that he not only successfully emerged from the matrix, but reached safely – without warping, scratch, attritions, dents and stains – to the packaging itself. To do this he must overcome without damage all stages of its manufacture, including:
- hardening on press,
- transfer on roller tables and conveyors,
- dimensional cutting,
- laying in a basket,
- heat treatment in the aging ovens.
Development and manufacturing of the matrix
Though, basically, It can be made of aluminum profiles of different shapes, some considerations must be taken into account. Simple shaped aluminum profiles are the most cost-effective, since their matrix will not be too complicated and therefore relatively cheap. More complex shaped profiles require complex - and expensive - matrices.
by pressing of aluminum profiles plant itself will produce a custom template for your profile or will order it on a dedicated on matrices fabrication facility.
corner rounding
Usually, all the corners of the cross-sectional profile - external and internal - are performed with some small radius. be sharp edges should not or they should be minimal. This requires Aluminum Extrusion Technology.
Tolerances of sizes and shapes of profiles
Typically, profile manufacturers guarantee standard tolerances for the dimensions and shape of the cross-section of the profiles and their longitudinal shape (curvature and twisting). Standard dimensional tolerances on aluminum profiles in Europe sets the European standard EN 755, and the tolerances of the chemical composition of aluminum alloys - EN 573.
Upon request, and in agreement with the manufacturer may apply stricter tolerances on dimensions and shape of the profiles alloys 6060 и 6063: according to European standard EN 12020-2. Naturally, profiles with tighter tolerances will have a higher value.