Aluminium extrusion has a long, productive and colourful history. It is seen as one of the most important advances in the industrial revolution. This method of production has been partially responsible for the explosion in popularity of the metal and the many applications it’s now a part of.
The basic extrusion process has been with us for ages. Clay bricks and pipes have been formed by extrusion since the beginning of the 17th century. But it wasn’t until 1797 that an Englishman named Joseph Bramah invented and patented a method for extruding pipe out of soft metals. The method was seen as ground-breaking and led to many improvements and refinements over the years.
Birth of Aluminium Extrusion
Bauxite, the ore that aluminium is derived from, was first discovered in 1807 but wasn’t refined successfully until almost 20 years later. Inventors of the era spent the next few decades finding applications for this brand-new type of metal. Towards the end of the century, a man named Alexander Dick invented the hot extrusion process. This process allowed non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium, to be successfully extruded.
The extrusion process was seen as the most logical method of turning the raw material into products that would offer all the benefits of the metal’s characteristics. Aluminium was soft and malleable, making it useful for creating long, durable pipes, channels, and supporting frames. It was lightweight and strong, which was ideal for being used as a building material. It was also corrosion-resistant, which meant you could use it in both outdoor and indoor applications. By extruding the aluminium, you could also add to the metal’s strength.
Extrusion Strengthens Metals
The extrusion process forces the material through a smaller opening, like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. The process compacts and aligns the molecules of the material being extruded, making the resulting product stronger than the material it’s made from.
Once Alexander Dick perfected the hot extrusion process for metals, and it was applied to aluminium, the resulting products began to find all sorts of uses. The invention of the hot extrusion process coincided with the start of the industrial revolution, and extruded aluminium became extremely popular as a basic material in factories and plants around the world. It could be moved and formed easily, yet the finished products were strong and resilient. As aircraft technology was proceeding in leaps and bounds, the strong and lightweight material was instrumental in speeding along developments in aircraft building.
Future of Aluminium
For a material that has been all around us for over two hundred years, aluminium still has a bright future ahead. The particular characteristics of the metal have never been surpassed by any other material.
Gold Star Metal is one of the leading aluminium manufacturers and distributors in Thailand. They have been in the metal fabrication business for almost three decades and have earned many certifications and production standards awards over the company’s history. If your company is looking to partner with one of the premier aluminium manufacturers in Thailand, look no further than Gold Star Metal.