Aluminum Extrusion Cost Savings Come From Smarter Profile Design
The Cost Advantage Is in the Shape The first mistake in quoting extrusion work is comparing aluminum against steel by the pound. A pound is only the starting point. The real question is how many parts, operations, and handoffs the profile eliminates. The broader aluminum extrusion uses only make sense when the cross-section is doing the work of several components at once. In shop-floor terms, the expensive part is rarely the billet. It is the labor wrapped around it: saw time, drilling time, welding time, deburring, coating, inspection, and the inventory burden of every separate bracket and clip. A well-designed extrusion removes those costs before they start. ...