At Howard Precision Metals, we offer an extensive inventory of 6061 extruded aluminum bar in an array of sizes that meet the needs of various applications. This includes a significant number of our rectangular and square extrusions in manifold quality extruded bar.
Manifold Quality Bar Sizes
The entire range of manifold quality aluminum extruded products we carry are extruded to the plus side at ½ the Aluminum Association published thickness and width tolerances, as opposed to a plus/minus AA standards. This provides the user with extra stock for machining purposes. The range of sizes offered for the bars are 1” x 1.25” through 6.0 x 8.0 in rectangles and 0.875” x 0.875 through 6” x 6” in squares. Outside of these size ranges, custom extruded aluminum in squares and rectangles are usually made to AA standards with +/- tolerances.
Manifold Quality Bar Tolerances
When the custom extruded aluminum size changes, the tolerance also changes. The tolerance of a 2” x 2” manifold quality extruded bar, for example, will have a +.012”/-0” tolerance vs. a +/-.012” tolerance from the Aluminum Association. By making plus-side only tolerances available with these bars, in many cases there is less need to order the next available bar size. The benefits include reduced weight of bar purchases, less machine time, and lower cost of materials.
Improved Tolerances, Strength, and Machinability
Beyond the plus-side only and stockier custom extruded aluminum bar dimensions, manifold quality 6061 aluminum extrusions also provide enhanced flatness tolerances, dimensional control, straightness, twist, in addition to better machinability, and greater mechanical strength. As a result of the compact chips produced from drilling and boring operations, the machining throughput of a manifold quality extruded bar is improved. This allows for a consistent mechanical process.
These bars are ideal for customers who produce various types of machinery and equipment, telecommunications electronics, pneumatic and hydraulic manifolds, and fixtures.
Highly Machinable
The mills we work with on a consistent basis have committed their resources to upgrading their aluminum extrusions by enhancing performance on piece-to-piece and lot-to-lot basis, manufacturing products that result in the formation of smaller-sized chips under machining operations and promising bars that produce less burring. The improvements made by these mills allow manifold quality extruded bar to endure more complex machining processes with the removal of large voids.
Manifold Bar Alloy and Temper
Aluminum is not that strong as a stand-alone element. However, when it is alloyed with certain elements its strength can increase significantly, with certain alloys comparing with the strength of steel. The alloy and temper designation of manifold bar is 6061-T6511. When magnesium, silicone, and other elements are added to aluminum, 6061 alloy results.
The -T6511 temper adds artificial aging and heat treatment for increased strength and stretching to relieve stress. Some of the major benefits of 6061 alloy are its machinability, strength-to-weight ratio, and great surface finish, making it ideal for many applications, including in the form of extruded aluminum bar.
Due to the inherent characteristics and tolerances of 6061-T6511, it is the ideal option for the production of manifold quality extruded bar. However, 6061-T6511 does not have the standard chemistry for manifold quality bar. Therefore, in order to achieve greater strength and better machinability, the recipe has been refined. This results in a yield and tensile strength of 38,000 KSI and 42,000 KSI respectively for manifold quality bar as opposed to 35,000 KSI and 38,000 KSI respectively for standard 6061-T6511.
Optimize Profits With Custom Manifold Quality
It is possible to get a custom manifold quality extruded bar made to the exact size you need for your applications. Offering ½ Aluminum Association tolerances all on the plus side, we are able to help you increase your profits by reducing the pounds you purchase and minimizing your cycle time per part. The costs for aluminum tooling are small compared to other tooling expenses.
Typically it costs between $700 to $1000 to manufacture a new, custom solid square, rectangle, or round custom aluminum extrusion bar. Through amortization of the cost compared to the savings achieved, it will only take a few runs to pay for the die. Custom aluminum extrusion dies are ideal for repetitive requirements since 1000 pounds is the starting press minimum. As a result of these facts, you can achieve greater profitability with custom extruded aluminum and keep your operations in house. It is wise to evaluate the various advantages afforded by custom aluminum extrusions before a competitor does.
Also, don’t automatically assume the aluminum bar you purchase elsewhere meets manifold machinability and tolerances. The extrusion process and required oversight at the mill to meet the standards of manifold quality extruded bar are special. It needs to include the properly controlled chemistry that provides the required enhanced consistency and machinability.
For the custom extruded aluminum and manifold quality extruded bar you need, call us today at 800.444.0311 or request for quote using our online form.
