Why Aluminum Extrusions
Choose Aluminum
Aluminum is one of the world’s most abundant metals and is therefore very cost-efficient. High strength-to-weight ratio combined with extraordinary corrosion resistance and flexibility make aluminum a desirable solution for product design. Aluminum is cost efficient and meets the production needs for a variety of uses.
ALUMINUM | ROLL FORMED | COPPER | MOLDED | WOOD | VINYL | |
| Strength (Tensile) | Very good mechanical properties. | Very high mechanical properties. | Average to low mechanical properties. | Wide variation in properties from .08 to .8 tensile strength of aluminum extrusions for glass filled compounds. | Good compressive properties; variable with the species of wood and moisture content. | Low mechanical properties. |
| Density | Lightweight: about 1/3 that of copper or steel. | High density; high pounds per cubic foot. | About three times heavier than aluminum. | Very lightweight; about 60% the weight of aluminum. | Very lightweight; about 1/3 the density of aluminum. | Very lightweight; about 60% the density of aluminum. |
| Strength-to-Weight Ratio | Very Good. | Good. | Low. | Low-good. | Low-good. | Low-good. |
| Corrosion Resistance | Excellent; it can be further increased, along with enhanced appearance, through anodizing or other coatings. | Poor; usually requires protective coatings for corrosion service. | Excellent. | Excellent; choice of compound and color important for weatherability (UV). | Not directly applicable; decomposes in the presence of some acids. | Excellent; high resistance to alkalis and salts but is attacked by organic solvents and strong acids. |
| Formability | Easily formable and extruded in a wide variety of complex shapes including multi-void hollows. Formable to net shapes, and extrusions provide for the placement of metal where it’s needed. | Readily formable; thinner cross-sections than aluminum extrusions; metal cannot always be located where best used in design. | Excellent formability and easily extrudable. Formable to net shapes. | Easily formed or molded into complex shapes. | Poor; cannot be routinely formed. | Easily formed or molded into complex shapes. |
| Electrical Conductivity | Excellent; on a pound for pound basis, twice as efficient as copper, used in bus and electric connector applications. | Poor; cannot usually be used as an electrical conductor. | Excellent thermal conductivity. | Poor; used as an insulator, high dielectric capability. | Poor; cannot be used as an electrical conductor. Usually cannot be employed as an insulator. | Poor; electrical and thermal insulating characteristics. |
| Thermal Conductivity | Excellent; ideal for heat exchanger applications. | Poor; cannot usually be used as a heat exchanger. | Excellent thermal conductivity; second only to silver in industrial applications. | Poor; low coefficient of thermal (heat) transfer. | Poor. | Poor. |
| Finishing | A near limitless array of finishes can be applied including mechanical and chemical prefinishes, anodic coatings, paints and electroplated finishes. | Protective coatings such as paint finishes are employed along with electroplated finishes. | A variety of coatings and platings can be employed. | Color can be integral with material as well as plated, painted, and hot stamped. | Paint and stain coatings can be employed. | Color can be integral with material. |
| Recyclability | High scrap value; routinely reprocessed to generate new extrusions. | Low scrap value. | Very high scrap value. | Routinely reprocessed but loses properties; reprocessed material is added to new stock. | Low scrap value. | Low scrap value; routinely reprocessed. |
| Tooling Economics | Extrusion tooling is relatively inexpensive. Generaly, a simple shape will cost only a few hundred dollars. Short lead times for tooling construction. | Typical tooling cost are thousands of dollars. Long lead times are required. | Inexpensive tooling costs for extrusions. | Tooling is expensive; generally in the thousands of dollars. Long lead times required. | Very inexpensive. | Relatively inexpensive. |
| Energy Savings | Lightwight aluminum extrusions can offer energy savings for transportation vehicles. | Life time energy requirements for wrought steel vehicle components are twice those for aluminum components. | In transportation vehicles, copper is less energy-efficient than aluminum. | Savings for vehicles, processing, insulation. | In certain applications. | Can offer energy savings in appropriate transportation applications. |
| Combustibibility | Non-combustible; does not emit any toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures. | Non-combustible; does not emit any toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures. | Non-combustible; does not emit toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures. | Combustible; may emit toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures. | Combustible; emits toxic fumes while burning. | Combustible. May emit toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures. |