Blogs → Advantages and Disadvantages of Alu… | May 06,2021 • Smartfix
Aluminium is widely used in different kinds of products. The top ten uses of aluminium include power lines, high-rise buildings, window frames, consumer electronics, household and industrial appliances, aircraft components, spacecraft components, ships, trains, and personal vehicles. It’s not surprising though, because this material is durable, easily malleable and ductile, and has excellent corrosion resistance. Plus, it is one of the most abundant metallic elements on Earth.
There are also many methods to create products made from aluminium. One of those methods is called aluminium extrusion moulding. To better understand whether or not you should utilise this method, let’s discuss and learn its advantages and disadvantages.
Aluminium extrusion moulding is a method to form aluminium into different shapes and sizes. To put it simply, it is like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. Technically, the toothpaste has no definite shape other than its container. However, when you squeeze it out of the tube, the toothpaste takes form to that of its opening.
That is what aluminium extrusion moulding is. The heated aluminium billet is filled into a container. The container has an opening with the desired shape of the anodized aluminium coating product. This is often called the die opening. This can take different and unique shapes, but the most popular ones are round tubes, aluminium angles, and aluminium channels.
A ram pushes the heated aluminium billet into the opening similar to that of your hand pushing the toothpaste out of the tube. When the material gets out of the container through the die opening, it comes out with the desired shape.
This method is very useful and efficient, yet it also has its own disadvantages when compared to other methods in creating aluminium cladding system and other products.
As mentioned, aluminium cladding is used by a lot of contractors for the façade of the buildings they’re constructing. Despite its popularity, there are still those that question if the material is the best choice for their building. So, if you are still unsure if you should go with getting an aluminium composite cladding installation, read on. Here are the advantages of using aluminium composite panels for your structure.
When compared to other aluminium moulding methods, products made using aluminium extrusions in Sydney are relatively durable. In detail, the aluminium has a more defined surface quality and high dimensional accuracy. This outcome has something to do with how the moulding method works, as moulding it in an extruding direction makes it more durable and better in quality.
When it comes to aluminium moulding, the extrusion method is among the most flexible and adaptive techniques. It is because when you want to change the product you have in mind, you can simply change the mould. In this case, you are only changing the shape of the anodized aluminium product and not throwing away anything excessive. Changing moulds in itself is also very easy and efficient.
As stated before, to change the aluminium products that you want to make, you simply change the mould to your desires. This makes it a low-cost solution. Compared to other methods, there aren’t too many things that are disposed of or considered useless after manufacturing. It also involves less equipment and investment when compared to other moulding methods.
The aluminium products created through aluminium extrusion moulding have a higher deformation capacity than other methods. This is due to the extrusion method and the stresses involved in making them. However, when the products do become obsolete, the products can also be reused in different manners.
Here’s what you should know. Only five per cent of the energy used to make the product is used to recycle aluminium. With extrusion moulded aluminium, you can just disassemble the product and put the pieces to work differently.
As discussed, aluminium extrusion in Sydney involves pushing heated aluminium billet into the die opening to form the product. However, once it reaches the end of the billet, a small portion of it cannot be pushed through the die opening. As a result, this leftover aluminium is considered a waste and is generally known as the “butt end” of the extrusion moulding.
When using the extrusion moulding method, lubrication is used because it might cause issues related to temperatures. There are different materials needed to act as a lubricant depending on the temperature of the material. Since the aluminium billet is hot, the high friction is often reduced using molten glass.
However, when lubrication is not used, there can be tendencies of uneven tissue performances on the product. In that case, their surface layer, centre, head, and tail may often be uneven and might result in durability issues.
The extrusion die can easily get worn out due to many circumstances involved in the method. One factor that attributes to its lifespan includes the high temperatures that the method operates in. Another factor could be the pressure experienced by the mould when extrusion is performed.
Stop searching the internet for ‘aluminium suppliers near me’. If you want custom aluminium extrusions in Sydney, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Call us today on +61 2 6282 8822 or you can send us a message at info@smartfix.com.au.