The History and Future of Aluminum Extrusion

Aluminum is all around you. In fact, aluminum is actually the third most abundant element (coming in after oxygen and silicon) and far and away the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust. So it truly is all around you. However, aluminum is ubiquitous in our lives in more than just the sense that it's an abundant material.

When compared to materials like copper and steel - the use of aluminum is relatively recent. This was because until the late 1800's, when the Hall-Heroult process was developed, aluminum was quite difficult to extract from the various ores it was found in. In fact, at the time ore was even more valuable than gold. With more efficient refining processes, the availability of aluminum quickly made it an incredibly popular material.

While aluminum has most likely existed since the beginning of time, modern and ancient civilization alike have constantly found more uses for the material, which leads to the topic at hand: aluminum extrusion.

In 1797 English inventor and locksmith Joseph Bramah patented the first extrusion process, which he used to make lead pipe. His early, primitive process involved forcing the metal through a die by using a hand-held plunger. This process was expanded upon with Thomas Burr's hydraulic press in 1820, which eventually led to the creation of the hot extrusion press by Alexander Dick in 1894. What was revolutionary about Dick's press was the fact that it extended the extrusion process to most non-ferrous alloys.

With the advent of extrusion came a dramatic rise in the amount of cutting end manufacturing being done, especially in the automotive industry. But aluminum extrusions aren't just found on cars. The process has been utilized in many ways since its introduction to the world. While the earliest extrusions were various pipes and wires, modern aluminum extrusions can be found in everything from sporting goods to high tech aerospace components.

While the newfound availability of aluminum made a major impact on the industrial sector, and especially the automotive industry, aluminum extrusions would prove to be an even greater game changer later on. This was seen during World War I and World War II, where the need for rapid manufacturing of aircraft was matched by short lead times afforded by the aluminum extrusion process. Because of this, the rapid development of the extrusion process received a valuable boost that propelled its expansion beyond automotive, aerospace, and military endeavors into many other industries ranging from housing to consumer goods.

Today, the aluminum extrusion process continues to see extensive growth and continued development in terms of the materials and processes used. New methods and techniques for making the extrusion process more precise and efficient are continually being found, but the legacy of the process remains the same. If the rapid growth of the extrusion process is any indication, aluminum extrusions will contribute to innovation for years to come.