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Need strong, lightweight tubes for your project? Confused by different manufacturing terms? Extruded aluminum tubes offer unique benefits through a special process for various uses.
An extruded aluminum tube is a hollow profile made by forcing a heated aluminum billet through a specially shaped die. This process creates consistent cross-sections ideal for many structural and custom applications.
At SWA Forging, we live by our slogan: "Master Southwest Aluminum Right." While our specialty is crafting large-diameter forged rings and forged discs, we understand the entire aluminum ecosystem. Many of our clients, whether they are Traders sourcing materials or Machining Plants creating finished parts, often work with various forms of aluminum. Understanding processes like extrusion helps everyone appreciate the different properties and best uses for aluminum products. So, let's explore what an extruded aluminum tube1 actually is and why it's such a common and useful item.
What is the difference between extruded and drawn aluminum tube?
Choosing between extruded and drawn tubes for your needs? Unsure which offers better precision or strength for your parts? The manufacturing method makes a real difference.
Extruded tubes are formed by pushing aluminum through a die in one step. Drawn tubes start as extruded tubes and are then pulled through a smaller die, improving tolerances and surface finish.
The main difference between an extruded aluminum tube and a drawn aluminum tube lies in how they are made and the characteristics that result. Extrusion is a "push" process. We take a heated aluminum billet and force it through a die to create the tube shape. This method is very good for making complex cross-sections and is generally a cost-effective way to produce tubes for many standard applications.
Drawn tubes, however, go through an additional step. They typically start as an extruded tube, often called a "tube shell" or "hollow bloom." This shell is then "pulled" through a smaller die. Sometimes, a plug or mandrel is used inside the tube during this drawing process to control the inner diameter very precisely. This drawing operation does several important things:
- Tighter Tolerances: Drawing allows for much more precise control over the outer diameter (OD), inner diameter (ID), and the wall thickness of the tube. This precision is very important for our Machining Plant customers who need exact dimensions for their components to fit perfectly.
- Improved Surface Finish: The drawing process generally results in a smoother and brighter surface on the tube.
- Enhanced Mechanical Properties: Cold drawing (drawing done at room temperature) can work-harden the aluminum. This means the material can become stronger and harder.
So, if your project needs very exact dimensions or a particularly smooth finish, a drawn tube might be the better choice, although it usually costs more. For many structural uses or general-purpose applications where standard tolerances are fine, extruded tubes are perfectly suitable and more economical. We at SWA Forging know that the initial form of the material is key. Our forged products, for instance, offer a specific refined grain structure that is very beneficial for strength, different from what extrusion or drawing provides.
Is 6061-T6 aluminum extruded?
Using the popular 6061-T6 aluminum2 for your project? Wondering if this strong alloy is available as an extruded product? Yes, it's very commonly formed this way.
Yes, 6061-T6 aluminum is very commonly extruded into tubes and other shapes. The "T6" temper means it's solution heat-treated and then artificially aged after extrusion to achieve its high strength.
Yes, absolutely. The 6061 aluminum alloy is one of the most versatile and widely used aluminum alloys available. It is very frequently manufactured into tubes, solid bars, and a wide variety of other profiles through the extrusion process. The "-T6" part of its name is very important because it tells us about its temper, or its heat treatment condition.
After the 6061 aluminum is extruded into the desired shape, like a tube, it goes through a specific heat treatment process to achieve the T6 temper. This process involves a couple of key steps:
- Solution Heat Treatment: First, the extruded 6061 aluminum is heated to a high temperature, usually around 985°F (which is about 530°C). This high heat dissolves the main alloying elements, primarily magnesium and silicon, into a solid solution within the aluminum.
- Quenching: After heating, the aluminum is cooled down very quickly. This is usually done by submerging it in water. This rapid cooling, or quenching, "freezes" those alloying elements in the solid solution.
- Artificial Aging (also called Precipitation Hardening): Finally, the quenched aluminum is reheated to a lower temperature, typically somewhere between 320°F and 350°F (about 160°C to 175°C), and held at that temperature for a specific amount of time. This step causes the dissolved alloying elements to precipitate out as very fine, evenly distributed particles throughout the aluminum's internal structure. These tiny particles are what significantly increase the strength and hardness of the 6061 alloy.
This T6 temper makes 6061 aluminum ideal for many structural applications. You'll find it in the Construction Industry, in parts for the Automotive Industry, and in Machinery Equipment where a good balance of strength, weldability, and corrosion resistance is needed. Many of our Machining Plant customers who also use extruded products appreciate the consistent and reliable properties of T6 tempered materials, just like they value the dependable quality of our forged aluminum products.
What is the difference between aluminum and extruded aluminum?
Hearing terms like "aluminum" and "extruded aluminum"? Confused if they are the same thing or if there's a difference? "Extruded" simply describes how an aluminum part was made.
"Aluminum" refers to the base metal itself or its alloys. "Extruded aluminum" specifically describes an aluminum product that has been shaped by forcing it through a die, like a tube or a beam.
This is a good question, and it helps to clarify the difference between a material itself and a manufacturing process used to shape that material.
- Aluminum: When we talk about "aluminum" in an engineering or manufacturing context, we are usually referring to the chemical element, which has the symbol Al. More often, though, we mean an aluminum alloy. Pure aluminum is quite soft. So, to make it stronger and give it other useful properties, we mix it with other elements like copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, or zinc. These mixtures are called aluminum alloys. So, when someone mentions "aluminum" for a product, they are typically talking about a specific aluminum alloy, for example, 6061 alloy, 7075 alloy, or 5052 alloy.
- Extruded Aluminum: This term refers to an aluminum product that has been formed using the extrusion process. Extrusion is a manufacturing method where a billet of aluminum (which is the raw material, itself an aluminum alloy) is first heated to make it softer. Then, this heated billet is forced, or pushed, through a die. This die has an opening with a specific cross-sectional shape. The aluminum comes out of the die with that shape. The resulting product is an "extruded" piece of aluminum. This product could be an aluminum tube, a solid aluminum bar, an L-shaped aluminum angle, or even a very complex custom profile designed for a specific purpose.
You can think of it this way: "aluminum" (the alloy) is like "flour." "Extruded aluminum" is like "spaghetti." Spaghetti is made from flour, and it has been processed (extruded through a pasta maker's die) to get its long, round shape. In the same way, an extruded aluminum tube is made from an aluminum alloy, and it has been extruded to get its tubular shape. At SWA Forging, we work with various high-quality aluminum alloys. However, our primary manufacturing process is forging, which is different from extrusion and gives the aluminum different characteristics, such as a refined grain structure for superior strength. Our Trader customers often handle both extruded and forged aluminum products because they understand that each process creates unique qualities suitable for different end uses.
Conclusion
Extruded aluminum tubes are versatile, shaped by forcing aluminum through a die. Understanding this, and its differences from drawn or general aluminum, helps select the best material for any project.
