Resources / Solutions / Aluminum Extrusion Prototype Advantages

In today’s fast-paced first-to-market environment, engineers are encouraged to explore various benefits afforded through the aluminum extrusion prototyping process. Utilizing this process allows engineers to set high performance expectations for these components and the value they bring to the end product. From a functional perspective, it is important to ask what is the key purpose this component will serve? How will the part fit, function and appear in the end?

Independently finding these answers can be an intimidating task if the engineer is unfamiliar with the aluminum extrusion process and its prototyping advantages. Aluminum extrusion suppliers with a dedicated prototyping lab including tooling equipment and advanced engineering assistance like Alexandria Extrusion Company can provide research and design assistance from the conception of an idea to applying the idea to a functional, 3-dimensional model.

The method of prototyping, utilizing the aluminum extrusion process, has proved to be the most preferred mechanical method of prototyping used today. The majority of aluminum prototypes originate from aluminum “bar stock,” which is a common industry term, however a designing misconception. Aluminum “bar stock” is simply a rectangle, square, hexagon, octagon or a circular-linear mass of extruded aluminum (standard shapes). To develop a finalized prototype, a variety of machining and fabrication processes will follow the extrusion process of these standard shapes. The use of standard shapes provides a very limited selection of shapes to choose from, typically pushing the purchase of oversized “bar stock” to ensure an adequate amount of material is present during the secondary operations.

The significant advantage of designing and developing prototypes with an aluminum extruder is the opportunity to create a near net shape ‘bar stock,’ which minimizes material content and overall secondary operations to develop a functional prototype. Aluminum extrusion dies can be designed to form a virtually limitless array of profiles and sizes and the costs are as low as $1,500. Net shape extrusion tooling has a considerably shorter lead-time than tooling required for other processes - generally one to two weeks as opposed to 12 weeks for castings and injection molding. The prototype phase at AEC is compressed and your product can move more quickly and efficiently into the marketplace.

Call on AEC to assist you in redesigning and evaluating existing products to increase performance with prototype and final component concepts. We are known for advanced creation of prototypes and performance in small production runs for concept definition, market testing and product introduction.

AEC offers an in-depth aluminum extrusion seminar at your site to educate designers and engineers about aluminum extrusion prototyping philosophies. If you would like to discuss your prototyping needs or learn more about the aluminum extrusion seminar, please contact your sales specialist. Please visit our web site www.alexandriaextrusion.com for more information.