You can use directories and spend all day finding the right extruder, or you can rely on Qualified Vendor's marketplace to get you multiple quotes quickly. When you put your job in our marketplace we notify all the right aluminum extrusion suppliers that match your profile. From there, up to five self select to quote your job. Self selection is an important key to our marketplaces. By getting multiple quotes, you meet extrusion companies with spare capacity and you get a feel for their level of customer service.
When we post your job we pay attention to the circle size first. Although it's best shown in an
article in our Extrusion Blog, circle size varies from
vendor to vendor. To match your job we find all the extruders that can produce up to the circle size of your
part and then we filter by proximity.
Since extrusion jobs are produced by the billet, and a typical
can weigh several hundred pounds, freight costs are a consideration. For this reason, most of the larger
extruder businesses have facilities all over the country. We always source closest to you first and then spiral out.
Finishing is an important aspect of aluminum, brass and copper extrusion. Many companies are set up to produce raw tonnage and either refuse to do secondary operations or outsource everything. If you're making window frames, this may be acceptable. If you're making intricate housings or elaborately machined heat sinks, good luck. The rule of thumb is: the more links in the chain the more likely it is to be broken.
This ties back into our self selection. People come to us with all kinds of jobs ranging from extrusions less than an inch across to 30 inch tubes. We can find extruders to do it all.
Some typical secondary operations include:
We want to help you with you design. We maintain a blog to help you with basic
terms and design guidance and we also keep a list of good industry links. If you have
any suggestions, drop us a line.
Have questions? We’d be happy to talk to you in person. Feel free to call or email us anytime: 888.392.3885.