Look What You Can Do!

Maybe you need a bracket, or a housing, or a means of dissipating heat, a rotating component or a structural element. A properly designed and fabricated extruded aluminum component can meet these needs ... and many more. Check out the examples below, and learn about the design solutions they facilitated.

	If you're on a commercial fishing vessel, you need a lot of ice to preserve the catch. And you need an ice-maker that will stand up to extreme temperatures. This multi-void extrusion is at the heart of the ice-making system: coolant flows through the small perimeter holes, taking advantage of the extrusions thermal conductivity to chill/freeze seawater that is pumped through the central hole.
	This three-lobe rotor is extruded with a special die that imparts a precision twist. Cut it to length and bore a center hole to accept a hardened steel driveshaft and you have one half of a handed pair of rotors that comprise the a key element of an automotive supercharger, compressingair to provide additional oxygen to enhance engine efficiency. This extrusion replaces a previously cast part, to minimize porosity and secondary machining.
	Non-magnetic, and able to be formed into complex near-net shape parts, aluminum extrusions are an excellent choice for electric motor housings. This is a section of a motor housing with a difference; the perimeter holes provide for liquid cooling — capitalizing on aluminum's thermal conductivity — for the motor of a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
	This extrusion — after machining and finishing — provides the "riser" for a compound bow for archery target competitions. It replaces a previously forged part, with a substantial reduction in secondary operations and the ability to be adapted for multiple bow models; the prior forged process required dedicated processes for each model.
	This complex multi-void hollow of 6005-T5 alloy is sliced on the diagonal and anodized in a variety of colors to hold linear chords in a highly flexible truss system used for displays and staging.
	Extruded from 6063, this electronic component enclosure incorporates heat dissipating fins. Subsequent to extrusion, it was machined in a multi-axis CNC machining center and anodized with a clear finish.

Images: Werner Extrusion Solutions, Hydro Aluminum, Taber Extrusions, Alexandria Industries