When choosing an aluminum extrusion provider, what types of questions should you be asking? We recommend initially starting with these 5 questions when searching for your ideal aluminum extruder:
- What types of aluminum extrusions is your company really good at producing? Aluminum extrusion companies generally serve many different industries. Usually, they focus on two or three industries that make up a majority of their business. Some extruders focus on aluminum extrusions for the automotive market, and others focus on the aerospace market. Ideally, you’ll want to choose a supplier that knows your industry well.
- Do I have to buy a die? If I do buy an extrusion die, who owns it? This is a 2-part question that is important. Many aluminum extrusion companies have extrusion dies to make structural angles, tee’s, channels and round tubes. These are generally open for use by any customer. If they have something that will fit your needs, it will reduce your cost for tooling and reduce the lead time to have your order shipped. If a standard extrusion will not work for you, be sure to ask who owns the die. Some companies have a policy that they own the tool you buy. You are just paying a fee to have it built & maintained. The good news is that you generally only have to pay for the die once. After your initial purchase, any maintenance or die replacement that is required is paid for by your supplier.
- What was your on-time delivery percentage last month? Last year? A company that tracks its on-time shipments is committed to great customer service. One that doesn’t will consistently miss deliveries costing you time and money. A missed delivery of your aluminum extrusion order might also cost you a repeat order from that big opportunity you’re counting on for future growth.
- Will you machine, anodize, or paint my extrusion? In most cases, simplifying your supply chain makes sense. A company that can offer you a finished component rather than just an aluminum tube does just that. You save time by managing a smaller vendor base. You save money by having fewer vendors marking up your components. You also tend to have better quality because the parts pass through fewer hands.
- What tools will you use to measure my parts? Precision measurement tools range from hand-held instruments costing a few hundred dollars, to sophisticated computerized systems costing hundreds of thousands. Choosing the right tool for the job is important. It’s important to be sure that your aluminum extrusion supplier is using the same measuring tool that you’ll be using. If the both of you are using different tools, there’s a chance that they’ll send you extrusions that they think meet your needs, but actually don’t.
Here at Profile Precision Extrusions, we answer the questions above as follows.
- We specialize in precision aluminum extrusions and aluminum tubing.
- If you buy your own die, you own it.
- Our on-time delivery rate is 87.6%.
- We will fabricate, machine, and coat your aluminum extruded components.
- Our measurement tools range from hand held micrometers to a CMM (coming soon).
With these questions, you can hopefully determine the best extruder for your needs. Contact us today to see if we’re the right aluminum extrusion partner for you!
