Reduce Machining Time and Expense
Saving money while maintaining freedom of design presents a challenge for every manufacturer using machined extruded parts.
Every industry that uses the extrusion process as an integral part of their design can benefit from the expertise Alexandria Industries offers. Fastening extrusions together without unnecessary machining or fabricating will reduce costs and increase flexibility in the design process.
There are several ways to mate extrusions without machining by designing an attachment method into the extrusion profile. These profile design options allow you to fully realize the benefits of the aluminum extrusion process.
- Instead of machining a bevel for welding or a recess for sheet metal, these feature can be extruded into the profile. Using near net-shape aluminum extrusions as the raw material of the part, you can minimize the amount of metal that must be removed while reducing the cycle time and expense for machining manufactured parts.
- A screw boss allows your part to accepts self-tapping screws, thereby eliminating drilling and tapping operations performed on the ends of the extrusion for fastening.
- Other features like screw chases, T-slots or dovetails can be alternative attachment methods that eliminate machining of holes for pem studs, tapping or clearance holes.
- If a part requires a clearance hole for a bolt, extruding a T-slot allows the head of the bolt to slide without rotation.
- If a hole is required, a drill index groove in the extrusion will eliminate the need for center drilling.
- A fully functional 90-degree plus hinge can be designed into the extruded part with no machining necessary.
Our design experts can help customers create an aluminum extrusion profile that is very close to the desired finished component. With profile dimensions of aluminum extrusions typically accurate within thousandths, we can hold close tolerances to minimize machining requirements and additional operations on the periphery of any extruded part.