Russellville, Ark. (October 4, 2011) – As the U.S. manufacturing industry seeks innovative techniques to stay relevant in a technology-driven marketplace, keep costs down for customers, and remain competitive in a somewhat fragmented market, “American-made” Taber Extrusions has announced several extrusion capabilities for U.S.-based machine shops based on current market demand among OEMs and various end users.
For over thirty-five years, Taber Extrusions has worked with this specific vertical in designing custom aluminum extruded shapes that significantly reduce machine time and material costs. The company’s large press facility located in Russellville, Arkansas, has two specific capabilities that appeal to machine shops: first, the facility can manufacture solid extrusions up to 31inches wide and over 100 pounds per foot; secondly, the facility can manufacture complex multi-void profiles up to 26 inches wide.
“Designing an extrusion that is closer to the finished parts’ net shape is a extraordinary time and cost saver for these shops,” remarked Taber Extrusions President, Bill Wetmore. “Many shops are ‘hogging out’ finished parts from cut plate or extruded bar that results in a much higher scrap rate and requires significantly more machine time than starting from an extruded profile that is closer to the finished net shape.”
Taber Extrusions works with these shops, in many cases starting from a finished machined part drawing, to assist in designing a custom profile that includes just enough machine stock to allow for the required extrusion tolerances. Anticipating the needs of their customer base, the company recently added a precision cut saw that allows for cutting tolerances up to +/- .030, which allows the machine shops to take the blanks directly to the machining center. Taber’s ultra-wide and heavy capabilities allow machine shops to make large, finished parts as opposed to being made by an assembly of smaller components. For production volume parts this alternative method results in a huge cost savings for the machine shop.
Added Steve Althardt, Sales Manager for Taber Extrusions: “Machine shops that leverage our capabilities in wide and heavy custom extrusions with the added flexibility in multiple alloy choices are more competitive, allowing them to win more jobs and make higher margins per hour on their machining centers.”
In addition to their wide and heavy capabilities, Taber also offers machine shops the full range of aluminum alloys and tempers including 7000, 6000, 5000, and 2000 series alloys. The company carries all of the required industry standard qualifications including ISO 9001 and AS 9100 for heat-treatment and in-house Ultra Sonic Inspection (NDT).
About Taber Extrusions LLC
In 1973, Taber Extrusions LLC pioneered the extrusion of large, heavy and wide complex shapes to differentiate itself in the aluminum extrusion industry. Today, Taber Extrusions continues its tradition of breaking boundaries as an extrusion leader in the production of a range of quality aluminum extrusions sizes and shapes. The company offers extrusions in 2000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 alloy series. Since its inception, the brand name Taber Extrusions has been synonymous with innovation, service and quality. All extrusions are engineered, manufactured and tested in the United States. Taber Extrusions maintains its headquarters at the Russellville, Arkansas facility, with a regional sales office also at its Gulfport, Mississippi facility.