Aluminum is used extensively in the production of modern aircrafts. According to the Aluminum Association, aluminum comprises 80 percent of the weight of typical passenger aircraft. Many different forms of aluminum are utilized: plate is used in aircraft skin, forgings are used in landing gear, aluminum extrusions as structural components in wings and fuselages, and extruded tubing in hydraulic lines. Alloys 6061 and 6063 find their way into the aircraft interior in non-structural applications.
There are several advantages to the 6xxx family of alloys used in aircraft interiors. The aluminum is lightweight which helps to minimize fuel consumption. It is easily formed into a wide variety of structural and custom shapes. It machines easily which helps to minimize the cost to build an airplane. It can be made to be very appealing cosmetically by using mechanical finishing techniques such as brushing or polishing, and it can be anodized for durability.
Two common applications that every passenger will see inside the fuselage are extruded trim pieces and extruded hollow custom shapes for hinges. The photos above show an example of extruded trim. The extruded aluminum channel trim is 6061-T6511 and .030” thick. The photo on the left shows the aluminum in the raw state (mill finish). The photo on the right shows the extrusion after brush finishing and clear anodizing. Parts like these are commonly seen protecting the edge of a lavatory door or cabin divider.
The photograph above shows a hinge that is commonly found in overhead bins and galley doors. The extrusion is produced with a small hole in the knuckle of the hinge. Extruding the hole saves the hinge manufacture the time and cost of having to drill such a small hole during the hinge fabrication process.
Profile Precision Extrusions specializes in producing small hollow shapes and aluminum tubing for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications. Contact us today to find out how we can help bring your aluminum extrusion design to life.
