- Thursday, May 02, 2024
By: Eastern Eye Staff
In aluminum processing, extrusion refers to the process of heating an aluminum alloy to a high temperature and forcing it into a die that chops it and presses it into the desired profile or shape. One popular type of aluminum extrusion is the 15 series. It’s often used in manufacturing structural parts, machine guards, robotics, and other applications that benefit from strong yet lightweight materials.
Here’s a look at the 15 series aluminum extrusion process and properties.
15 series aluminum is an alloy of aluminum, silicon, and magnesium, in the ratio 90-95/5-7/0-2. The magnesium improves its corrosion resistance, while the silicon makes it stronger and hard. Indeed, this alloy has tensile strength to the limits of 35,000 psi. It also has excellent machinability properties allowing for its use in various automotive, aircraft, and marine applications.
The 15 series belong to a group of aluminum extrusions that come out with T-slot profiles. It’s a simple yet useful idea because the T-shaped grooves allow for many strong coupling alternatives without any welding. Indeed, you can simply slide other T-shaped aluminum pieces into the groove and lock them in place with the help of various T-slot fasteners. Afterward, you can improve or strengthen this basic assembly with various accessories and t-slot hardware.
That said, there are also round and rectangular 15-series aluminum profiles used in furniture, bridges, tunnels, machine frames, etc. On the other hand, t-profiles are used in applications that require easy assembling and disassembling.
15 series aluminum extrusion is the process of molding aluminum alloy into a desired cross-sectional profile. Usually, a billet of the alloy is heated to around 900 F and then forced into a die which presses it into the desired shape that can be cut and used in various applications. The extrusion process requires great precision.
Accurate machining is a must to ensure the final product meets the required specifications. Also, careful temperature control must be done to prevent overheating. Some of the benefits of 15-series aluminum profiles include the following:
15 series aluminum contains silicon, magnesium, and aluminum. Silicon is added to improve hardness and strength, making the alloy useful in applications requiring great tensile strength, up to 35,000 psi.
The magnesium in the alloy improves its corrosion resistance properties, making it suitable for harsh environment applications. The alloy can also be anodized for extra corrosion resistance.
Another advantage of 15-series aluminum extruded by an aluminum extrusion system is that it’s lightweight. Indeed, silicon increases its strength without increasing weight, giving it a desirable strength-to-weight ratio.
Furthermore, 15 series aluminum profiles offer excellent machinability. They can be customized to different shapes and adapted to different applications.
Common uses of 15-series aluminum profiles include:
Weiye is one of the world’s leading producers of different aluminum profiles and fabricates. We also offer different solutions, such as surface treatment and profile customization, to meet specific project requirements. Contact our team to learn more about our services.
