“The power of imagination makes us infinite.”

– John Muir, Scottish-American author, environmental philosopher

Taber Extrusions, aluminum extrusion manufacturer, proves there are no boundaries when it comes to aluminum extrusion design and engineering. After almost five decades of operation, we continue to take pride in the ability to bring your imagination into reality.

The History of Taber Extrusions, aluminum extrusion manufacturer

Established in 1973, Taber has since become one of the leading aluminum extrusion manufacturers in the U.S. by combining cutting-edge technology, innovation, and unmatched customer service within various industries around the globe. We are pioneers in the extrusion of large, heavy, and wide complex shapes that set us apart in the aluminum extrusion industry.

Expansion started in 1995 when Taber acquired the Gulfport, Mississippi facility, giving easy access to its ports and industrial scraps. In time, Taber also added two additional presses and a cast house which increased our capabilities to cast, extrude, and fabricate products in-house (we oversee everything). Fabrication capabilities were added to the Russellville facility in 2014, which already houses the company’s large 8,600 MT press with three container sizes (a container for the extrusion of rectangular billet, as well as two round containers, a 16-inch, and a 20-inch). The fabrication area has been expanded several times since it was constructed, with the addition of B&O B-800 series, Marvel band saws for precision cutting, horizontal and vertical machining centers, and a Zeiss coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for quality control.

By 2017, Taber continued to expand, adding 7” billet molds to our existing 9”, 11”, 16”, and 20” diameter molds. The state-of-the-art upgrade in Gulfport, MS increased billet capacity by over 30% and allows Taber to manufacture aluminum billets for defense, marine, and other specialized industries.

Precision Micro-Extrusion

In 2018, Taber added precision micro-extrusion to their services which allows designers and engineers the freedom to create aluminum profiles that are un-extrudable through conventional presses. A great addition to their arsenal of capabilities, the micro-extrusion presses are built to allow the production of extrusions with wall thicknesses of 0.020 inches and tolerance capabilities of +/- 0.001 inches (depending on shape design).

Friction Stir Welding

In April 2019, Taber Extrusions continued to answer the call to the rising demand for domestic aluminum products by breaking ground with an expanded Russellville facility to house a new friction stir welding operation. Traditional welding techniques can’t easily fuse metals such as aluminum, copper, and other metal alloys. With FSW (friction stir welding), they are joined by the solid-state joining technique in which a coalescence results from applying pressure alone or with a combination of heat and pressure.

Friction stir welding produces high-quality welds with minimal distortion and can easily be automated allowing it to be used widely in the aerospace, rail, automotive, shipbuilding, transportation, and marine industries.

Taber’s willingness to invest and deliver the widest scope of services across the aluminum extrusion industry will continue going forward according to Jason Weber, Taber V.P. of Sales and Marketing.

Haas VF-12 CNC Machine

The fairly recent addition of the Haas VF-12 CNC machine in 2021 raised the bar in their commitment to providing world-class products and services to clients and sets a strong example of how Taber continues to shape the future of the aluminum extrusion industry.

Long aluminum extrusions can be precisely made within the machine, cutting down on processing times and costs. With the internal automatic tool change capacity (30+1), the VF-12 fits the bill for Taber’s focus with the Russellville facility providing some of the largest profiles in North America.

What does North America’s leading vertically integrated aluminum extruder have in store for the future? For years, Taber’s direction has been aligned with one of their primary customers – the defense industry, where they’ve pioneered the highest level of quality & satisfaction in terms of providing products, offerings, and services. Taber Extrusions plans to go further and cover more ground – literally.

2023 will be a big year for all Taber facilities. In addition to the aforementioned capability expansions, Taber is also planning many capital upgrades to the line-up of existing equipment.

Today, industries and world economies are shifting to green and sustainable ways of doing business and Taber aspires to fill a leading role in providing efficient solutions to these entities. From creating aluminum extrusions which will eventually become lightweight trailers to manufacturing components for transportation infrastructure, Taber’s goal is to apply their expertise and showcase their capabilities to improve the transportation industry.

At Taber, if you can dream it, we can shape it.

Processing services include:

• Billet casting – Gulfport, MS facility
• Solution heat treatment
• Stretcher/De-twister – 750-ton capacity
• Cut-to-length
• Custom packaging
• Fabrication
• Statistical process control
• Quality assurance – defense contractor-approved
• Artificial aging ovens

Engineering services include:

• SolidWorks (CAD Design)
• Extrusion design assistance
• Tolerances in ASTM, AA, ANSI, DIN, or EN standards
• CAD software (Auto CAD)
• Ultrasonic testing: portable immersion (115 ft tank)
• Analysis and testing capabilities: Chemistry, mechanical property testing, electrical conductivity testing, macroanalysis, microanalysis, Rockwell hardness test, Brinell hardness test, Webster hardness test, exfoliation corrosion test

Taber Extrusions has successfully taken business beyond the extrusion process, and allowed themselves to become a reputable full-service aluminum extrusion company capable of manufacturing complex and intricate extrusions that some companies may find impossible.

“Change The World” Kind of Crazy

As creative marketing icon Rob Siltanen once said, “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Taber has never run out of “crazy-enough-to-change-the-world” attitude when it comes to retaining employees and keeping valued clients – as they are much more than a leading aluminum extrusion manufacturer. Empowered by employee’s hearts and ambitions, Taber Extrusions strives to maintain a healthy relationship with each team member, as this is key to a successful career for both them and for the company.

“The future is determined by our collective vision, efforts, and results.  Where we go and how we perform is all about what we do as a team and has very little to do with what is going on around us.” – Charles Stout, President, Taber Extrusions

Taber Extrusions, U.S. aluminum extrusion manufacturer: Summary

Taber Extrusions is a U.S. aluminum extrusion manufacturer located in Russellville, AR and Gulfport, MS. A highly regarded provider of aluminum extrusions to a wide variety of industries including aerospace, infrastructure, transportation, defense, and thermal management, Taber offers endless possibilities. ISO 9001- and AS 9100-certified, Taber’s present and future customers can expect to see increased supply opportunities with the expanded set of extrusion solutions, programs, and services.

Founded in 1973, Taber Extrusions originally pioneered a process for extruding rectangular billet. This aluminum extrusion manufacturer is able to extrude solid profiles up to 31 inches wide or hollows up to 29 inches. Taber expanded with the purchase of an extrusion facility in Gulfport, MS in 1995 which houses a new state-of-the-art cast house and two additional presses, micro-extrusion capabilities, and the fabrication area has been expanded multiple times.

Extruding billet in a wide range of alloys and sizes, Taber has diversified its markets beyond military since its inception to include aerospace, automotive, marine, infrastructure, and sporting goods, among many others. For these markets, this aluminum extrusion manufacturer supplies cast and extruded products in a variety of soft and hard alloys.

Today, Taber Extrusions is proud of its friction stir welding capabilities, and a full offering of extruded aluminum components, value-added machining services, and raw material supply to the North American market.

Thank you for your continued support of Taber Extrusions, LLC. If you have any questions, please visit taberextrusions.com or contact one of our Regional Sales Representatives.

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LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/taberextrusions/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/taberextrusions/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/taberextrusions

Interested in becoming a part of the Taber Team? Submit your resume to careers@taberextrusions.com.