There are many benefits of aluminum extrusions and tubing, especially when compared to machining parts out of standard rod or bar. When you purchase extruded shapes and aluminum tubing from Profile Precision, an additional benefit is that we can meet your unique and challenging requirements by utilizing what we’ve learned from working with past customers to make their projects successful. For example:
Specialty Extrusion Dies
In 2009, a design engineer approached us with a component he wanted to transition from stainless steel to an extruded aluminum hollow shape. The incredibly small size of the part and alloy/temper combination made it an extremely difficult shape. We extruded samples…barely. And unfortunately, we knew that we would never be able to run production quantities. We checked with our existing die makers but they could provide no assistance, and the engineer could not change his design.
A breakthrough came from our research in the form of a small specialty toolmaker, which was using European extrusion die design technology. The die cost was four times our normal cost, but allowed us to successfully run the parts in production volumes. The customer was very excited we found a solution, and is now one of our “Top 10” customers.
We have used the same die maker for many other extruded tubing projects since 2009–all of them for parts that we couldn’t extrude using industry standard extrusion dies.
Custom Processing Techniques
Customers who work in the aerospace and medical industries often require that we develop special processes for extrusion, machining, coating and inspection of their parts.
A large European manufacturer of aerospace components came to us with the requirement of a hollow extrusion for the Boeing 787 with very stringent profile and straightness tolerances. Working with a team of their engineers and our production team, we came up with a number of studies on the effect of quenching method on straightness. Based upon the information, we developed a customized method to minimize distortion while continuing to meet or exceed strength requirements. Because our plan was successful, we have used the same methodology for a number of other projects.
Another example of custom processing innovation is for aluminum cable clamps for small lanyards. These extruded clamps are typically a commodity item from China. A U.S. manufacturer was losing market share to Asian competitors, so it needed to reduce costs and increase quality through automation. They designed a custom machine to assemble the lanyards. A key component was a very precise hollow aluminum shape that allowed for the lanyard wire to be automatically inserted into the clamp, form the lanyard loop, and then crimped. Working closely with our customer, we were able to develop the extrusion, as well as a method for bundling, cutting & deburring the extrusion to meet their needs.
Visual Inspection System
We employ a Micro-view digital inspection system with 10 times higher resolution and accuracy than the traditional Optical Comparators found in most extrusion plants and machine shops. The system utilizes CAD file from design for inspection. Because it’s a camera, we see actual features rather than a shadow using an optical comparator.
We inspect heat pipes extrusions for satellites, difficult-to-measure elliptical curves, multi-void shapes and even our extrusion dies. Our Micro Vu system was purchased in 2012 to duplicate the inspection equipment and methodology of our largest medical device customer.
LED Optical Micrometer
Minimizing straightness and twist variation is very important in the function of many extrusions. A longtime customer of ours purchases a two-piece telescoping drive shaft that operates at very high RPM. Straightness of our extrusions is very important in minimizing vibration during use. This device, along with our custom fixture we designed and built, enables us measure the straightness of our extruded parts much more accurately than with a granite block and feeler gages. In fact, the resolution is one hundred times better than feeler gage. We can also accurately measure multiple locations on a single shaft, and we have 360 degree measurement capability.
As you can see, Profile Precision Extrusions has a wide range of knowledge and capabilities when it comes to manufacturing custom aluminum extrusions. Our past experiences with customers have enabled us to refine and strengthen these skills so that we can design and machine even the most complex parts. With our expertise, along with the amazing benefits of aluminum, we can make products and prototypes that exceed your expectations.
