extrusions

Hah, what's a reasonable price? In the distant past we ordered a ton of extursions from here,

I think ordering a ton was the only way to keep the price down. We've got a life time supply... I have no idea if their quality is still good.

They also did some machining and anodizing on the part.

George H.

We'll try them. We want to cut/machine/anodize too.

Thanks

John

OK.. They made the channel for our Two slit.

George H.

Try Tendon Manufacturing in Cleveland if that is viable for you. Get ahold of Jim Moderelli and tell him Jeff sent you. He is not necessarily in sales , he is like an all around guy for them. Probably does expediting and whate ver because he does go on the road and he does have skills. So that is a re asonable assumption.

On their homepage of the graphics, at the top right, or third on because wh o knows your screen resolution, they give the info.

Actually, if you only need a few pieces and they aren't all that hard I mig ht be able to get them out of there under the table. they do let him do tha t from time to time. Then all we have to pay is him.

I also got a guy very adept with Rhinoceros and Solidworks. He can probably bust out code faster than almost anyone on those. You probably don't need him though, you probably have the drawings, but if they want any significan t extra charges find out why and I can tell him the problem.

It's like - how many pieces are we talking here and what do they look like ? he can do jet engine impellers or coffee pots, where does this stand in t hat spectrum ?

Everything but 'small' you get from aluminum manufacturers.

The aluminum extrusion process squeezes out a limp strand, then stretches it straight, and typically that means ten meters or more is the minimum size. It's kind important (economics, you know) to sell the whole length, and the 'aftermarket' folk that cut and debur sections from that length are the ones that have inventory of multiple patterns, and anodization in colors, etc. The aftermarket delivers 'standard' items from stock, and their distributors charge high prices.

Probably, for 'custom' designs you have to go to a real extruder plant that makes dies, and commit to a few ten-meter lengths. Ryerson, MInalex look like good prospects.

Right, do a bang-up job creating a universal extrusion for your needs, order a lifetime supply of long pieces, get a local ship to cut, machine and anodize specific versions.

We're tired of buying stock extruded enclosures that are expensive and poorly designed. It's time we did our own extrusions. We could buy a truckload.

It would basically be the sides of something like this

We'd make the top/bottom/ends out of flat sheets, to make it easier to work on.

We'll ping Jim. Thanks.

Hi, John:-

Be sure to talk to your prospective supplier before finalizing the design, if you can avoid hollow shapes the cost will be lower and it may be easier to control the tolerances, for example. I know you'd like to eliminate the threading into open shapes, for example, because swarf can fall out into the circuitry. It might make more sense to drill and tap solid ends on a CNC machine, or even to press threaded fasteners into the aluminum.

Extrusions are relatively simple compared to things like plastic injection molded parts, but there are still complexities.

BTW, the extruder is fed with billets that represent so many pounds of aluminum alloy (maybe 500), so there's a related minimum quantity per run.

--sp

ld of Jim Moderelli and tell him Jeff sent you. He is not necessarily in sa les, he is like an all around guy for them. Probably does expediting and wh atever because he does go on the road and he does have skills. So that is a reasonable assumption.

who knows your screen resolution, they give the info.

might be able to get them out of there under the table. they do let him do that from time to time. Then all we have to pay is him.

bly bust out code faster than almost anyone on those. You probably don't ne ed him though, you probably have the drawings, but if they want any signifi cant extra charges find out why and I can tell him the problem.

ke ? he can do jet engine impellers or coffee pots, where does this stand i n that spectrum ?

Sometime in the past I recall browsing the various extrusions that were available... there were hundreds/ thousands at each extrusion place!

thread bend; I've got a dream of milling bath-tubs out of aluminum bar stock. Five sided boxes with a top panel. Nice thick sides that you can add connectors or heat sink tabs onto the box. Say a 3" width, 2" depth to the tub. and you could make various lengths. Like blue pomona boxes, but better. (and hopefully cheaper.) With small companies you sometimes have to buy a life time supply of something, to keep the price down for your customers. (or because the something is going away, and finding a replacement may not be possible.)

George H.

Swarf? I've been bitten by metal shards from threading some hole getting through my thermal pad, and shorting my hot pass element to ground... George H.

om

hold of Jim Moderelli and tell him Jeff sent you. He is not necessarily in sales, he is like an all around guy for them. Probably does expediting and whatever because he does go on the road and he does have skills. So that is a reasonable assumption.

se who knows your screen resolution, they give the info.

I might be able to get them out of there under the table. they do let him d o that from time to time. Then all we have to pay is him.

bably bust out code faster than almost anyone on those. You probably don't need him though, you probably have the drawings, but if they want any signi ficant extra charges find out why and I can tell him the problem.

like ? he can do jet engine impellers or coffee pots, where does this stand in that spectrum ?

I've always wondered how people know how long they will live to buy a lifet ime supply. Or in this case, how they know how long the product will live?

Apple has been milling its laptop cases from billet for almost ten years.

I haven't used them for extruded cases but Par/Pi-Metal Products in NJ I've used for custom rackmount enclosures, IMO very good prices, fast turnaround. They also do custom extrusions it seems.

This semi-custom shallow-depth, black anodized front and powder coated steel 2U rackmount enclosure with handles and IEC knockout is $45(!) in quantities of tens.

So you are thinking of a C channel as wide as your box, with short legs to form the sides? I'm assuming you want some ribs on the sides and maybe the bottom for stiffness and to mount a PCB along with the end and top plates? That width is going to make it expensive and once you commit to a custom extrusion you are locked into that size. How about just doing the sides as an extrusion and making the bottom out of flat sheet just like the top. That way the width can vary if needed, both sides are the same so you only need one extrusion, and that extrusion is much smaller and thus much cheaper. If you need more stiffness you could have the top and bottom plates stamped or run through a bead roller to either put beads on or to put a joggle on the sides or ends. That wouldn't be very expensive and could be ordered in reasonably small quantities. I'm sure a real mechanical designer would have even better ideas for stiffness, but the key is to drastically cut down the size of the extrusion at the cost of having to screw on the bottom of each box.

Here's the old one. It's pretty horrible.

The screw locations are inconsistent and the self-tapping screws make shavings. It's hard to tap the partial holes for real screws... it breaks taps. You have to remove six nasty end plate screws to slide the top cover off, and the EMI situation is messy.

This is what we're thinking about, close to what you describe:

All the tapped holes would be machined in solid areas, so the hole locations would be perfect. Box height would be fixed, but length and width could vary. Top and bottom covers would be fabbed from flat sheet.

Smooth blue alodine finish, no doodads.

Don't use self-tapping screws. Not only do they make shavings, but they work loose, and can make new shavings each time the box must be opened and re-closed.

Self-tappers are bloody awful things that no professional should use. Use thread-rolling screws instead, e.g. (Note that these are trilobular; slightly triangular cross-section; the roll the metal aside):

Nice, but you don't need to tap the holes (leaving swarf that might or might not get cleaned off properly) if you use thread-rolling screws. The first insertion will make the thread without producing swarf.

Clifford Heath.

One way around that, is to ditch the 'self-tapping screws', and instead press knurled studs into the apertures. That doesn't make any metal shavings, the knurled insert can either be an innie (takes a machine screw) or an outie (has a projecting stud). If you decide on a full-custom profile, that can be a dimension to design in.

Another is the RivNut (or other captive nut designs) after punching or drilling a sheet element, but that doesn't easily attach end plates/endcaps. Mostly, I find threads in aluminum to be problematic.

Aluminium is so difficult because of the big difference between the softness of the metal and the hardness of the oxide.

stom

ahold of Jim Moderelli and tell him Jeff sent you. He is not necessarily i n sales, he is like an all around guy for them. Probably does expediting an d whatever because he does go on the road and he does have skills. So that is a reasonable assumption.

ause who knows your screen resolution, they give the info.

d I might be able to get them out of there under the table. they do let him do that from time to time. Then all we have to pay is him.

robably bust out code faster than almost anyone on those. You probably don' t need him though, you probably have the drawings, but if they want any sig nificant extra charges find out why and I can tell him the problem.

k like ? he can do jet engine impellers or coffee pots, where does this sta nd in that spectrum ?

etime supply. Or in this case, how they know how long the product will liv e?

Our products tend to have a long life... say 10-20 years, x average sales per year x some fudge factor.. depending on price. If it's cheap might as well by a bunch. If it's spendy you sharpen your pencil.

George H.