Extruded Aluminum Tube vs. SWA Forging’s 3D Precision Forged Components: Engineering for Ultimate Aerospace & Industrial Strength

Are standard extruded aluminum tubes¹ limiting the performance and safety of your aerospace or industrial applications? Discover the unparalleled strength and reliability of SWA Forging²'s precision-forged components.

When extruded aluminum tubes fail to meet the stringent demands for material integrity, fatigue strength, and reliability in critical aerospace and industrial applications, SWA Forging's custom-forged 3D components offer a superior, monolithic solution with optimized grain structure and enhanced mechanical properties.

Many of our clients at SWA Forging begin their material selection process by considering extruded aluminum tubes. Extrusion is a widely used and efficient manufacturing process for creating aluminum tubing³. It involves pushing heated aluminum through a die with a specific cross-sectional shape, allowing for the creation of various tube profiles and sizes. These tubes are common in many sectors, including aerospace, automotive, and construction, due to their versatility, relatively low cost, and ease of manufacturing complex shapes. However, for applications where extreme stress, high internal pressures, or exceptional fatigue resistance are paramount—such as in critical aerospace structural components, landing gear, or high-performance engine parts—the inherent characteristics of extruded tubing can present limitations. The extrusion process, while efficient, can sometimes result in a less uniform grain structure and may leave residual stresses within the material. This is precisely why SWA Forging specializes in custom precision forging. We take high-performance aluminum alloys⁴ and shape them under immense pressure, creating monolithic components with a refined and aligned grain structure, virtually eliminating internal defects, and achieving superior mechanical properties that far exceed those of standard extruded tubes for the most demanding aerospace and industrial applications.

What is the strongest extruded aluminum?

The strongest extruded aluminum alloys are typically found within the 7000 series, specifically those with high zinc content and processed to achieve optimal temper conditions.

The strongest extruded aluminum alloys are generally within the 7000 series⁵, particularly alloys like 7075 and 7050. When heat-treated to a high-strength temper such as T6 or T73, these alloys exhibit exceptional tensile and yield strength, making them suitable for demanding aerospace applications.

When discussing material selection at SWA Forging, especially for aerospace applications where strength is paramount, understanding the capabilities of extruded aluminum is important. The 7000 series of aluminum alloys, which use zinc as the primary alloying element, are known for achieving the highest strengths. Alloys like 7075 are a prime example. When 7075 is extruded and then subjected to specific heat treatments, such as a T6 temper (solution heat-treated and artificially aged), it achieves very high mechanical properties, including excellent tensile and yield strength. Similarly, 7050 is another high-strength alloy, often used in aerospace for its good fracture toughness and resistance to stress corrosion cracking, particularly in thicker sections. While these alloys can be extruded into tubes or other shapes, it's crucial to remember that forging these same alloys typically results in even higher overall performance due to the controlled grain structure and elimination of internal voids inherent in the forging process. For critical components requiring the absolute maximum strength and reliability, our forged solutions often surpass even the strongest extruded forms.

Strongest extruded aluminum alloys:

• 7000 Series Alloys: Primarily zinc-based.
• Key Alloys: 7075, 7050.
• Key Tempers: T6, T73 (achieve high strength through heat treatment).
• Properties: Very high tensile strength, yield strength, and hardness.
• Applications: Aerospace structures, aircraft components, high-stress parts.

These alloys offer the highest strength capabilities in extruded forms.

What is the difference between drawn and extruded aluminum tubing?

While both processes create aluminum tubing, they differ in how the shape is formed and the resulting material characteristics.

Extruded aluminum tubing is formed by pushing heated aluminum through a die, allowing for complex cross-sections. Drawn aluminum tubing is typically produced by pulling a pre-formed tube through a die or over a mandrel, which refines the shape, tightens tolerances, improves surface finish, and often increases strength through cold working.

For clients at SWA Forging, understanding the nuances of tubing manufacturing helps clarify why our forged components offer a different level of performance. Extrusion is a primary forming process that pushes softened aluminum through a die to create a shape. It's very versatile for creating initial forms and complex profiles. Drawing, on the other hand, is often a secondary process used to further refine a tube. When aluminum tubing is drawn, it is pulled through a die that is smaller than the tube's current diameter, and often over a mandrel that controls the internal diameter and wall thickness. This drawing process elongates the tube, reduces its dimensions, improves surface finish, and can increase its strength through work hardening. Thus, drawn tubing generally has tighter dimensional tolerances and a smoother surface compared to simply extruded tubing. However, both extrusion and drawing are forming processes that work the metal at specific temperatures. Our forging process fundamentally restructures the aluminum's internal grain, aligning it for optimal strength and fatigue resistance, which is a step beyond the material refinement achieved through drawing alone, especially for critical aerospace and industrial applications.

Process distinction:

• Extrusion: Pushing aluminum through a die to form a shape.
• Drawing: Pulling tubing through a die or over a mandrel for refinement.
• Result of Drawing: Improved surface finish, tighter tolerances, increased strength (work hardening).
• Versatility: Extrusion excels at creating initial complex shapes.
• Performance: Forging offers superior grain refinement and strength.

Drawing refines and strengthens tubes, often after extrusion.

Which aluminum is the strongest?

The strongest commercially available aluminum alloys are found in the 7000 series, primarily those alloyed with zinc.

The strongest aluminum alloys are typically in the 7000 series, with specific alloys like 7075, 7050, and 7068 being among the top performers. These alloys, when subjected to appropriate heat treatments, exhibit significantly higher tensile and yield strengths compared to other aluminum series.

When clients at SWA Forging are seeking the absolute highest mechanical properties for their critical components, the question of which aluminum alloy is the strongest invariably comes up. The answer consistently points to the 7000 series of aluminum alloys. These alloys use zinc as their main alloying element, often combined with magnesium and copper. For example, alloy 7075 is widely recognized as one of the strongest aluminum alloys, offering strength comparable to many steels while maintaining aluminum's lightweight advantage. It's a staple in the aerospace industry for structural components that must withstand high loads and fatigue. Other alloys in this series, like 7050 and the exceptionally strong 7068, offer even more specialized high-strength capabilities. It’s important to note that the strength of these alloys is largely dependent on heat treatment, such as the T6 or T7 temper. At SWA Forging, we work extensively with these high-strength alloys, employing forging techniques that further optimize their metallurgical structure to deliver components with unparalleled strength, reliability, and performance for the most demanding aerospace and industrial applications.

Top-performing aluminum alloys:

• 7000 Series: Highest strength potential.
• Key Alloys: 7075, 7050, 7068.
• Primary Alloying Element: Zinc.
• Heat Treatment: Essential for achieving maximum strength (e.g., T6 temper).
• Applications: Aerospace, high-stress structural parts, performance equipment.

The 7000 series alloys offer the pinnacle of aluminum strength.

What is extruded aluminum used for?

Extruded aluminum is highly versatile and used across a broad spectrum of industries for a wide range of applications due to its unique properties and manufacturing advantages.

Extruded aluminum is widely used for manufacturing components with complex cross-sectional shapes that maintain consistent profiles along their length. Common uses include structural framing, window and door profiles, automotive parts, heat sinks, railings, electrical conduit, and aerospace components where its strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance⁶ are beneficial.

At SWA Forging, we often see how extruded aluminum serves as a foundational material in many industries before clients seek out our specialized forged solutions. The extrusion process allows for the creation of intricate shapes that are difficult or impossible to achieve through other methods, making extruded aluminum incredibly adaptable. In construction, it's essential for window frames, door frames, curtain walls, and railings due to its durability, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic possibilities. The automotive industry uses it for structural components, chassis parts, and decorative trim, leveraging its lightweight properties to improve fuel efficiency. Electronics manufacturers utilize extruded aluminum for heat sinks, as the material's thermal conductivity is excellent for dissipating heat. In aerospace, while critical structural parts often demand forged solutions, certain less critical components or internal structures can benefit from the shape-making capabilities of extrusion. Essentially, wherever a lightweight, corrosion-resistant material with a consistent, often complex, shape is needed, extruded aluminum is a primary choice. However, for applications demanding the ultimate in fatigue strength, impact resistance, and structural integrity under extreme loads, our custom forged components provide a superior performance advantage.

Key applications of extruded aluminum:

• Construction: Window frames, door frames, curtain walls, railings.
• Automotive: Structural parts, chassis elements, trim.
• Electronics: Heat sinks, enclosures.
• Aerospace: Certain internal components, structural elements.
• General Industrial: Furniture, machine frames, conduits, tubing.

Extrusion is a fundamental process enabling the creation of many everyday and specialized aluminum products.

Conclusion

For aerospace and industrial applications demanding the highest levels of strength, fatigue resistance, and structural integrity, moving beyond standard extruded aluminum tubes to SWA Forging's precision-forged 3D components ensures unparalleled reliability and performance.