Aluminum is dense, light weight, and extremely ductile and malleable, permitting it to be stretched and shaped without cracking or breaking. In fact, aluminum is the second most malleable metal (after gold), and the seventh most ductile. These exceptional properties allow aluminum alloy to be transformed via the extrusion process into an unlimited number of durable parts and shapes.
The extrusion process creates shapes by heating a billet of aluminum alloy to soften it and then forcing it with a hydraulic press or ram through a special steel die. The end result is a piece of aluminum that will maintain the specific shape of the die. Extruded aluminum shapes can range in size from one millimeter to several feet long. They can be welded, bonded, riveted or bolted together, customized to very close tolerances, painted, powder coated or anodized, and provide years of little to no maintenance in all weather conditions.
Aluminum shapes are indispensible and used in nearly every industry - consumer, commercial and industrial - in products as diverse as drink cans, ice cube trays, cooking utensils, camera lenses, fishing reels, computers, architectural components, auto parts, bridge decking, sailboat masts and bicycle frames. Aluminum can be used a substitute for steel, copper, plastic or wood, is practically available in unlimited quantities, and is 100% recyclable.
Offering the industry’s broadest product capabilities in press sizes and tonnages (direct and indirect extrusion), alloy selection, circle sizes (up to 22.5”), profile types and “green” billet, Hydro Extrusions’ aluminum extrusion shapes are available in seamless pipe, structural pipe and tube, standard and specialty rod and bar, jumbo rod and square and rectangular bar (ACC-U-ROD™, ACC-U-HEX™, ACC-U-BAR®, and ACC-U-PLATE®), for standard, high fin and thin fin heat sinks and our slip-resistant Diamondback® Systems.
We also offer custom aluminum shape extrusion and in-house die making facilities, bringing you our decades of experience and quality aluminum alloy composition capabilities to fill your specific requirements.
Hydro Extrusion's facilities have unmatched capabilities to create uniform grain and microstructure with advanced processing and heat-treating equipment. Our extensive fabrication facilities are integrated with our extrusion operations, so you can sequence 100% usable net weight parts directly into a production line.
Hydro Extrusion offers a wide selection of tempers and complete capabilities in CNC machining centers, precision cutting, punching, bending, forming, deburring, beveling/chamfering and welding, and painting or anodizing. Our engineering, manufacturing, design and marketing specialists can assist you with custom solutions for your unique applications. We also employ the latest technology for the design and manufacture of extrusion tooling, including CAD/CAM design, to ensure that our solutions exceed your expectations.