Profile Precision Extrusions reviews hundreds of aluminum extrusion and extruded aluminum tubing designs each year. No two projects are the same, but one thing all extrusions we produce have in common; they must fit within a 4.50” diameter circle. We know that designers and new customers have questions about the design and our capabilities, so we’ve gathered some common questions and answered them right here. 
How thin can you extrude the walls of the shapes and tubing you produce?
- The wall thickness depends primarily on the alloy, design size, and design geometry. We primarily extrude 6063 and 6061 alloys. We also produce small quantities of 3003 and 1100 alloys.
- Our rule of thumb for the wall thickness we can extrude:
| 6061 | 6063 | 3003/1100 |
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- The reason the wall thickness varies by alloy is that some alloys are more challenging to extrude than others.
How long does it take to produce an aluminum extrusion die?
- The time it takes to build an aluminum extrusion die is dependent upon the design. Generally, it takes two weeks to fabricate a solid design and three weeks for a hollow design. Hollow designs take longer as they are more complex to build.
| Hollow Die | Solid Die |
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- Once your die is completed you can expect to have samples in two or three weeks.
What is your minimum order size?
- We have no minimum order size! Unlike many aluminum extrusion companies in our industry!
- If you order an extrusion die, we include samples of your design free of charge.
Which alloys do you extrude?
- 6061 – this alloy is used in many industrial and aerospace applications. It has the highest mechanical properties of all of the alloys we extrude. It machines well in -T6511 temper.
- 6063 – this alloy has slightly lower mechanical properties than 6061. The surface finish and anodize response is better than 6061.
- 3003 – this alloy is available in -H112 and -0 tempers. It is the easiest alloy to extrude and has high thermal conductivity properties.
- From time to time we extrude other alloys in the 7xxx, 6xxx, 2xxx and 1xxx alloy families.
Get Our Free Design Guide
For those of you who like to do more research before starting a project, we’ve developed an aluminum extrusion design guide that’s free to download. Just click on the “Free eBook” link on the right-hand side of our website.
Call us today and find out how we can help you lower your overall costs, increase quality, and save time by allowing us to manage the value chain for you. Profile Precision Extrusions would love to help with your unique challenge!
