Aluminium Extrusions: Price, MOQ & Lead Time – Why is it Important?

Whether it’s at the workplace or at home, developing a new product or renovating a project, completing the task at the highest level is usually the first thing to do. While selecting an aluminium extrusion manufacturer for your project, thorough research is essential. It is important to ask the extrusion expert a few basic questions before finalizing with one. So, what sort of questions should you ask when selecting the best aluminium company in Chennai? We would recommend you begin by finding your ideal aluminium extruder by considering these 3 parameters:

PRICES:

The extrusion die can be done in a virtually unlimited range of forms and dimensions. The die is a stainless steel (usually H13) disk with an opening cut through it, and the size and shape of the intended cross-section of the finished extruded product. This is generally grouped into solid (or flat) dies, producing solid shapes and hollow shapes that produce hollow or semi-hollow shapes.

Single Die: A single die can be incorporated into combinations of solid, half-hollow and/or hollow shapes. A solid die can have one or more orifices through which the soft alloy is forced to pass (extruded). Multiple apertures in a single die produce multiple extrusions with each stroke of the press.

Hollow Die: Hollow dies take several different forms: for example, bridge, porthole, and spiders include, as an integral part of the die, a fixed stub mandrel. All the hollow extruders have their own advantages and disadvantages and serve certain features. The processes and costs of production vary widely.

Semi-hollow Die: A semi-hollow die is a nearly hollow form that partly encloses a void with a wide area (the die tongue area) as compared with a gap where the tongue is linked with the main die-body.

Aluminium extrusion tooling costs (and lead time) generally are much lower than that required for alternative technologies such as die-casting, steel roll forming, vinyl extrusion, jolt extrusion and stamping or pultrusion, respectively. A typical extrusion operation involves the die assembly including the die itself which is contained within a die ring, placed in front of a bolster with a sub-bolster, and all containing a tool carrier as a unit. The backer, bolster and substratum support the die during the extrusion process. The total costs for the extrusion tooling may include the cost for these additional tools depending on the complexity of the extruded shape. When the product designer, die designer, extruder and buyer recognize the requirements of each other and work together, the best combination of product performance, quality and cost is achieved.

MINIMUM ORDER QUANTITIES (MOQ):

The Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ) of the order required by the press can represent an unexpected significant expense or waste to small volumes buyers or to those who buy lightweight profiles. The most obvious cause for a small order is that as a first-time sample, it can often gain hundreds of pounds. You may think that these guidelines are a way to get more out of every order by the company, but the reasons why these guidelines are present are economic and technical. And it is for these good reasons that MOQs had been set up:

Overhead costs: : When small quantities are required, the die preparation, additional work and time are taken off the press. All these overheads add up to bring together for a small lot of extrusion and are therefore a good reason why MOQ’s are established.

Shape and size of the profile: The profile’s shape, size and weight will affect the size of the press that can be used by a die. This in turn affects the MOQ required for a production process, i.e. the bigger the press, the higher the MOQ.

Quality checks: When a new die is first run, additional systems are always made to ensure that the operational conditions of that particular die produce the required quality. In order to ensure that the extruded shape meets the tolerances, it’s important to have all the critical areas of the profile described in detail in the technical drawing.

2nd and 3rd attempts: It is not always possible to achieve tolerances at the first run, but, for cleaning, and sometimes for minor adjustments, the die has to go back to the die-shop. In order to achieve the required result, the running conditions may need to be adjusted. The required expertise and time during the extrusion process cannot be underestimated.

LEAD TIME:
The three primary factors that influence production lead time include:

Tooling Lead Time: The die is an important part of the process of aluminium extraction. The tooling lead time refers to the length of time it takes to construct the shape. This is done before the customized aluminium extrusion is produced. On average it takes between 2 and 4 weeks to create a die for extrusion. The overall size, geometry and shape of the extrusion process may require more time depending on the intricacy of the die.

Aluminium Extrusion Lead Time: It is now time to produce the aluminium extrusion after the die has been created. At this stage, the amount of time it takes to produce the extrusion depends largely on where the production schedule for your order falls. The die must be tested to see if the extrusion matches the print shape to be replicated to meet industry requirements. The die can now start production once the extrusion sample is approved or in spec. The aluminium must then be cooled, stretched, cut, thermally treated and embedded after it is extruded.

Fabrication Lead Time: In some cases, no further manufacture is necessary for aluminium extrusion. However, many orders require the production of the parts and a possible finish for the final extrusion. Further steps including the application of coats, deburring, anodisation, cutting to lengths, drilling slots or holes are only a few items that can comply with the actual process of production after extrusion. Depending on the complexity and size of the order, production lead times may add more days or even weeks.

Here, at KMC Aluminium, our objective is to reach you as quickly as possible with your personalized aluminium extrusions in order to be the best aluminium fabricators in Chennai. We provide some of the shortest lead times vis-à-vis competition in the sector, thanks to the development of streamlined production processes. We work with you to arrive at a time that is tailored to your requirements. We ensure that we maintain the quality, lead time or value of our extrusions that has made us the best aluminium company in Chennai.

Our expert team is ready to answer your questions and discuss the extrusions of aluminium needed for your next project. Call or place an order today for further details. We look forward to collaborating with you on your next project!