Getting Accurate Design Feedback and Pricing for Aluminum Extrusions

Profile Precision Extrusions has produced over 5500 aluminum extrusion designs over the past four decades. We review over one hundred new designs each month. The information provided in this blog will help you understand the basics of what any aluminum extrusion mill will need to produce your design. For more detailed information please download our 7-Steps To A Successful Aluminum Extrusion Design Guide from our website.

Aluminum extrusion mills generally specialize in extrusions for three or four main industries: Aerospace, Building & Construction, Windows, Transportation, and Industrial are a few examples. Each mill has a limit to the size of the extrusion they can produce. The limit is called the maximum circle size. You’ll want to know the circle size of your design before contacting a mill. You just need to know what the smallest diameter circle that will fit around your design. In addition to circle size, the mill will want to know what alloy & temper you’d like your design to be made from. Thousands of alloys have been developed and each mill has 3-4 they run regularly. Some of the most common are 3003, 6063, 6061 and 7075.

This is an example of a 3” circle size design.

Knowing the circle size of your design and the alloy & temper you’d like it to be made from will help you to quickly narrow down the possible mills to produce your design. Contact two or three mills near you and ask if they can produce aluminum extrusions with the circle size and your alloy of choice.

Once you’ve found a mill or two that produces extrusions that fit your design’s circle size and alloy they’ll likely ask for more information to give you accurate pricing. Some of the details they’ll likely need are:

Your contact information End use of the parts Quantity you’d like quoted Alloy/Temper

Cut length & tolerance Machining details if desired Finish requirements Anodize or paint details if desired

Profile Precision Extrusions helps over 60 new customers each year develop their aluminum extrusion designs. We’d be honored to assist you as well. Our experienced team generally provides feedback within twenty-four hours. In some cases, we need to consult with our tooling suppliers. If that’s the case it may take us up to forty-eight hours to provide initial feedback. Call us today at 623.936.5599 and tell us about your aluminum extrusion idea.