Aluminum as a metal has been used to produce a wide range of products for varied uses. Since its discovery in 1827, every year more and more uses are found for products of extruded aluminum. Aluminum extrusion can produce everything from the most common large extruded profiles as well as thin-wall extruded profiles. One common and one of the most popular product of aluminum extrusion is packaging material.

Aluminum extrusion process
Aluminum extrusion is defined as the process of shaping aluminum by forcing it to flow through a shaped opening in a die. Extruded aluminum comes out as an elongated piece with the same profile as the die opening. The most important factor to remember in the aluminum extrusion process is temperature because it gives aluminum desired characteristics like finish and hardness.

Factors to be considered for extrusion
A wide variety of shapes can be extruded in aluminum extrusion, but there are limiting factors to be considered such as follows:

• Extrusion ratio
• Size
• Shape
• Alloy
• Tolerance
• Tongue ratio
• Finish factor and
• Scrap ratio etc.

Advantages of aluminum extrusion packaging

• The freedom to design profiles to meet your exact needs
• Choosing the right alloy
• Surface finish
• Tolerances required
• Excellent strength
• Excellent extrudability
• Good surface finishing response
• Low impact resistance
• Machinability
• Weldability
• Formability etc.

Aluminum extrusion packaging products

• Tube
• Pallet
• Bubble-wrapper
• Poly-bags
• Cartons
• Corrugated/cardboard boxes
• Divider strips
• Trays
• End Caps
• Flexible wraps and laminates
• Foils
• Rigid containers
• Closures
• Collapsible tubes