Aluminum extrusion is a manufacturing process that forces heated, softened aluminum alloy (billet) through a shaped opening in a steel die. Think of it like squeezing playdough through a mold. The process:
- Billet Heating: A cylindrical aluminum log (billet) is heated to 400-500°C.
- Extrusion: The billet is loaded into a press and pushed by a ram through the die. The aluminum emerges as a continuous profile with the die’s cross-sectional shape.
- Cooling & Stretching: The long profile is cooled (quenched) and then stretched to straighten it.
- Cutting & Aging: It’s cut to length and undergoes artificial aging (heat treatment) to achieve the desired mechanical properties (T5 or T6 temper).
It’s a highly efficient way to produce long, complex, solid, or hollow shapes with excellent dimensional consistency, ideal for structural frames, heat sinks, and countless other applications.