3 04, 2022

Our Top Aluminum Microextrusion Blogs of All Time

2022-07-08T17:14:48+00:00April 3rd, 2022|

Blue shaded gradient over a photograph of a bridge tower and its suspension cables on the left and the U.S. flag on the right. Taber’s logo is at the very top and beneath it are the words, “The Shape of Endless Possibilities.” The logos designating minority-owned business enterprise (ISO 9001, AS 9100, NADCAP, and ABS-certified) are across the bottom in white print.

A lot has been said about the future of nano and microtechnology. This area of aluminum extrusion, which focuses on creating ever smaller products, promises solutions to age-old problems. On the silver screen, sci-fi productions have shown nano bots crawling into humans as a futuristic form of medicine. The Terminator film franchise explored the military potential of nano technology in a self-healing liquid metal of robots. Yet, examples like these are not actually all that farfetched. From self-healing metal to invasive medicine, a whole new realm of possibilities has been opened by tiny manufacturing.

At Taber, we are part of this revolution with our microextrusions. Like conventional aluminum extrusions, microextrusions are pushed through a die. Unlike conventional extrusions, the entire extrusion process is performed at a submillimeter level. In other words, the resulting product’s cross section can fit through a 1-millimeter square. Our microextrusions have found application in a wide range of industries, which we have previously explored in a series of articles on these miniscule creations.

1) Taber: Microextrusions for Defense and Aerospace

6 military jets flying across a blue sky above two military vehicles (tank and a ship) facing away from each other. The words “Taber: Microextrusions for Defense and Aerospace” are in black above the ship.

Taber Extrusions has experienced many evolutions since its founding in the early 1970s. Taber pioneered a process for extruding rectangular billet of solid profiles up to 31 inches wide or hollows up to 29 inches. Since then, it increased Taber’s billet capacity, alloy range, and ability to reuse materials. Within the last decade, fabrication capabilities were upgraded, friction stir welding was added, and of course, microextrusions became an offering. Lightweight, strong, and widely functional, microextrusions are perfect for military and aerospace components. Interior aircraft systems, AC condensers, communication systems, and firearm components all use microextrusions. Read more about it here.

2) Process, Benefits, and Examples of Medical Microextrusions

A darkened photograph of a medical room with a bunch of white medical appliances. The words, “Process, Benefits, and Examples of Medical Microextrusions” are positioned on top of the photo in white.

You don’t have to go in for a colonoscopy to understand the benefit of smaller medical tools. The microextrusions used in medicine include components that overwhelmingly support cardio- and neurovascular procedures, drug delivery, IV procedures, and other procedures that require work on a micro level. An added challenge for medical manufacturing is that conventional extrusion machinery is not quite precise enough, so it calls for special machinery. Medical microextrusions are created at a very slow rate to maintain the physical properties of the delicate material and create ultra-precise extrusions.

3) Microextrusions in the Consumer Electronics Sector

A lengthwise photograph of an open computer motherboard with all the different ports and circuits exposed, many of which are made of aluminum microextrusions. In the center of the photo are the words, “Microextrusions in the Consumer Electronics Sector” in white text.

The most widespread and easy-to-spot place where miniature extrusions are making a difference in consumer products is in electronic products. Portable, durable, and complex, computational devises like laptops and smartphones have increasingly smaller parts. From enclosures to motherboards and LED profile bays, microextrusions have become a fundamental part of electronic devices. This article outlines more aspects of consumer electronics that use precision aluminum extrusions in their design.

Often used in medical and surgical procedures, microtubing is a highly-valued type of microextrusion. Aluminum can provide three times as much volume per pound as other metal products – so when too much weight is detrimental, aluminum is an obvious choice. Aluminum is also anti-corrosive, making it an ideal material for many types of environments.

A metal ruler lying flat on the surface of a table showing a length of 8 inches, while several aluminum microtubes are suspended above the ruler and the words “Aluminum Microtubing Rapidly Developing in Sync: Microextrusions” are in black above the ruler and on top of the tubes.
Blue shaded gradient over a photograph of a bridge tower and its suspension cables on the left and the U.S. flag on the right. Taber’s logo is at the very top and beneath it are the words, “The Shape of Endless Possibilities.” The logos designating minority-owned business enterprise (ISO 9001, AS 9100, NADCAP, and ABS-certified) are across the bottom in white print.

This last blog outlines Taber’s capabilities, ranging from friction stir welding to microextrusions. Through Taber’s unwavering commitment, present and future customers can expect expanded extrusion solutions, programs, and services in the coming years… and find endless possibilities. Read more about it here.

Despite its broad application in today’s products, the potential of microextrusions is still just being explored. As miniature aluminum extrusions become smaller and more precise, industries will continue to find new ways to create futuristic solutions to modern problems. Taber offers the highest levels of quality and the broadest range of capabilities in the industry, designed to be ready for whatever design tomorrow brings.

 

Taber Extrusions: Summary

Founded in 1973, Taber Extrusions originally pioneered a process for extruding rectangular billet, enabling the company to extrude extra-large aluminum extrusion 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 state-of-the-art cast house and two additional presses, micro-extrusion capabilities, and the fabrication area has been expanded multiple times.

Taber continues to extrude billet in a wide range of alloys and sizes and has diversified its markets beyond the military since its inception to include aerospace, automotive, marine, infrastructure, and sporting goods, among many others. With in-house casting solutions, ultra-precision extrusion manufacturing, friction stir welding capacities, and a full range of hard and soft aluminum alloys, Taber continues to align itself as an industry leader in having the broadest available capabilities.

Today, Taber Extrusions is proud of its recently added VF-12 CNC machining line and a complete offering of extruded aluminum components, value-added machining services, and raw material supply to the North American market. Adding these capabilities to a growing portfolio propels Taber into the future in a quest to continuously improve the quality and service we provide to our customers.

Thank you for your continued support of Taber Extrusions, LLC. If you have any questions, please visit taberextrusions.com or contact one of Taber’s regional sales managers.

Follow Taber Extrusions

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

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/taberextrusions

1 03, 2021

Taber: Microextrusions For Defense and Aerospace

2021-03-01T20:55:09+00:00March 1st, 2021|

Two images side-by-side, on left: long-range radar antenna used to track space objects and ballistic missiles. On right: A military radar antenna which rotates steadily, used for aircraft detection.

Like conventional aluminum extrusions, microextrusions are pushed through a die. Unlike conventional extrusions, the entire extrusion process is performed at a submillimeter level. In other words, the resulting product’s cross section can fit through a 1-millimeter square. Since microforming was first explored in 1990, several microextrusion processes have been developed and found to be especially valuable in the defense and aerospace industries.

“Taber was originally recognized for our large shapes and now we are establishing ourselves as microextruders. Since we’ve added microextrusions, friction stir welding, and billet casting, we’re pretty much spanning the gamut of aluminum extrusion competence,” says Jason Weber, VP of Sales and Marketing at Taber Extrusions. “We were already well-versed within the defense and aerospace markets but adding miniature aluminum extrusions to our capabilities has allowed us to become a one-stop shop for our customers in those industries. Our diversification has opened the door wide for our customers.”

Three side-by-side images illustrating how strikingly small microextrusions are. Various aluminum profiles are lined up creatively next to measuring rulers.

Taber Extrusions has experienced many evolutions since its founding in the early 1970s. Established in Russellville, AR, Taber pioneered a process for extruding rectangular billet, able to extrude solid profiles up to 31 inches wide or hollows up to 29 inches. Since then, the Gulfport, MS facility was added, which increased Taber’s billet capacity, alloy range, and ability to reuse materials. Within the last decade, fabrication capabilities were upgraded, friction stir welding was added, and of course, microextrusions became an offering.

MICROEXTRUSIONS FOR DEFENSE AND AEROSPACE

For which type of end-use applications are Taber’s microextrusions being utilized?

 

Defense

 

Precision is a must for military, defense, and firearms manufacturing – requiring strength, complexity, and tight tolerances. Aluminum’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it the ideal material for many defense product applications such as:

 

  • Communications systems
  • Electronics thermal management/enclosures
  • Guidance systems
  • Radar systems
  • Weapons systems
  • Firearms components and accessories
A U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon, British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon, French Air Force Dessault Rafale, and U.S. Air Force F-22 fly in formation above the clouds on a sunny day.

Aerospace

 

From the Wright brothers to NASA, aluminum has helped make it possible for humans to fly above the Earth onward to explore other galaxies. Aluminum’s minimal maintenance, lightweight with high strength, flexibility at low temperatures, and ability to engineer a wide range of functionality into components, makes it an obvious choice for solutions in aircraft and aerospace.  For the most part, microextrusions function out of site and you’ll never know they are all around you. However, they serve a crucial role in aerospace:

 

  • Interior aircraft systems
  • Supplemental oxygen systems
  • Electrical/Communication Systems
  • Passenger Comfort Systems
  • Coolant radiators
  • Oil coolers
  • Transmission coolers
  • Intercoolers
  • AC condensers
  • Passenger service systems
  • Other fluid/gas systems

As aluminum has played an important role in the defense and aerospace applications for many years, a new generation of aluminum-lithium alloys are offering aircraft manufacturers even more savings when it comes to weight and fuel. Beyond aluminum’s high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent formability, its anticorrosive properties make it a top choice. When aluminum is exposed to air, it forms a hard microscopic oxide coating, sealing it from the environment. This tight oxide bond is a compound not found in nature, but an aluminum alloy created to provide a long-lasting protective solution. These unique properties allow microextrusion manufacturers like Taber Extrusions to furnish extremely strong, precise, and long-lasting miniature extrusions to end users in a wide range of markets.

Taber’s Miniature Extrusion Capabilities

  • Up to 0.8 In2 cross sectional area
  • Special cases down to 0.075 In2
  • Profile circle size up to 3″
  • Minimum wall thickness possible to 0.010” (select cases)
  • Key characteristic tolerances possible ±0.001” (select cases)
: The word “microextrusions” reflects on a metal ruler up to the 4-inch mark, with 3 sizes of square hollow-shaped miniature extrusions lined up against the 1-2-inch marks.

More About Taber Extrusions: 

Founded in 1973, Taber Extrusions originally pioneered a process for extruding rectangular billet which enables the company 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, microextrusion capabilities, and the fabrication area has been expanded multiple times.

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

Today, Taber Extrusions has completed the addition of in-house friction stir welding capabilities, and carries on their offering of extruded aluminum components, value-added machining services, and raw material supply to the North American market – making them a vertically integrated supplier of FSW panels and assemblies never before seen in North America.

Follow Taber Extrusions

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/8843183/

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.

Become a customer today! Visit us or request a quote: https://taberextrusions.com or call us at (888) 985-5319.

Go to Top