The Benefits of Aluminum Extrusion for Sustainable Manufacturing
14/05/2024 09:19
Chia sẻ:Sustainable aluminum extrusions have helped not only to reduce manufacturing costs but have also helped industries to keep in line with their commitment to reduce energy consumption associated with production. Aluminum is a very sustainable material, but when designers take the next step and decide to create custom aluminum extrusion parts, products, and materials, the results are even greater. The benefits of using aluminum in manufacturing have even exceeded the expectations of those within the aluminum industry, as the use of this versatile material continues to expand and progress.
Why Aluminum is Sustainable
As the third most abundant element on the planet, aluminum already beats out many other common materials used in manufacturing and industry on that fact alone. Aside from its abundance, aluminum also has the unique ability to be recycled over and over again without losing any of its essential qualities or properties, including strength and durability. Approximately 75 percent of the aluminum that has been produced around the globe is still in use in one form or another today. It can be used across many different industries, such as construction for high-rise structures and residential homes. It can be used to create environmentally-friendly and efficient materials, including doors, windows, and LED lighting casings.
While it can be cast, forged, and rolled, aluminum provides even greater strength, durability, and flexibility when it is used to create a custom aluminum extrusion. It’s lighter weight and great strength combine to provide solutions for fuel economy in consumer vehicles and other essential transportation industries. Aluminum can be used in environments where corrosion and rust are a problem, as it has a tough resistance to both through a natural oxidation coating that can protect against things like temperature variations, air, salt, and even water. There are many benefits of aluminum products for industry, and we have only begun to explore all of the ways that sustainable aluminum extrusions can be used to our advantage.
Increased Sustainability in Production
In addition to all of the ways that extruded aluminum can reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental concerns, the Aluminum Association has worked hard to further increase sustainability in the production of raw materials. The base material for aluminum is typically a combination of bauxite minerals and hydroxides. Outside of oxygen and silicon, it is the most abundant element in the world. For over 25 years, those in the aluminum industry have been monitoring the sustainability of mining practices to proactively make improvements in the performance of the aluminum industry as a whole. Compared to other types of mining, bauxite mining requires a very small amount of energy and has a very small footprint.
Because aluminum has the ability to be recycled over and over again without losing its essential qualities, recycled aluminum is often used for the creation of extruded aluminum. In fact, at Silver City Aluminum, we use billets that are comprised of 99.9 percent recycled aluminum for our standard and custom aluminum extrusion. Engineering and design of aluminum structures, products, parts, and industry solutions have expanded greatly in the last couple of decades. The more involved our team is with our clients, the better the results are for the finished product. Our team has many years of training and experience, enabling us to provide top quality engineering, design, and manufacturing guidance to our clients that will help them to meet or exceed their expectations.