Foshan is famous “aluminum city” at China, there are hundreds of aluminum extrusion factories.  

They try every method to reduce the aluminum extrusion production cost and increase output for enhance the profit and competitiveness.

At Our Chinese client’s factories, At the beginning of establishment, they only have 1~2 aluminium profile extrusion production lines, now they expend to 5~10 aluminum extrusion lines these recently years.  The author found that they have following features:

1.  Chinese workers is hard working, two shifts, 12 hours per shift, the machine is running 24 hours day and night. Because aluminum metal is very hard, the equipment need to be keep warm, so shorten the stop time, it can save the heat energy.

2.  Aluminum profile making professionalization, like some aluminum extrusion press only makes thin and small aluminum profile, some aluminum extruder only makes industry profiles, according to the aluminum profiles property and alloy series, the aluminum extrusion machine will be equipped with different model of pump, valve, motor and other, so it can increase the extrusion speed, and save the power and other energy.

3. Good temperature control, like aluminum extrusion billet, aluminum extrusion container, aluminum extrusion die, if you can control these temperature in the good range, the machine also in the good condition, it can reduce the aluminum extrusion machine failure rate, like the extrusion stem damage, oil temperature higher, aluminum extrusion container lining/sleeve damage, main pump or valve problem and so on. The machine running in a good condition, like the pressure in 21MPA, also can prolong the aluminum extrusion machine using time.

4. Little extrusion billet butt left, it will optimize to using the billet. Calculate two ends of aluminum profiles, so not too much of aluminum scrap. (Some specical profile extrusion will be exception, for example: aluminum buckle plate extrusion)

5. Reduce the die changing time.

6. Aluminum billet diameter. Normally, 1000MT aluminum extrusion press will use 127mm diameter billet, 600MT aluminum extrusion press will use 90mm billet. But sometime, according to your different aluminum profile extrusion, we will use different diameter billet to extrude. This is not a certain, should be flexible to change the billet diameter.

7. Good quality billet. The billet quallity is one of factors will be influence the profile quality. For example, if the scrap of aluminum is too much, the aluminum profile surface will become dark.

8. Experienced workers, the extrusion worker who good at running big machine, may not good at running small ton machine, if the workers have rich experienced, he know when and where need to lubricate, how to control the quantity and so on. 

9. Good quality and stable machine for few failure rate; here I don’ exaggerate our machine quality, but it is true that our machine is stable but low automation. At our Chinese client of aluminum extrusion factories, usually most of them they only have one~ two maintenance personnel, so they can save more cost from workers salary, meanwhile, Chinese company always let the machine keep on running, if the machine stop, mean no output and still need to pay plant rent, workers salary and others, that is what they don’t want to see.

8. Using the multi log heating furnace instead of single billet heating furnace. Most of Chinese extrusion factories mainly make the building profiles, so the surface no need very high requirement. When the un- homogenization put in the multi log furnace for heating and holding, this process also similar the homogenization process. This can basically meet the building aluminum profile surface requirement. And good quality billet will be better.

9. Aluminum recycle, like aluminum hot dross from aluminum melting furnace recycling, extrusion die remains  recycling and aluminum scrap billet butt recycling and son on. This also can save the production cost.

10.Good quality die, the die material quality is better and the experience die corrector worker can fix the die well, it can last the die working life, we have an interesting client who didn’t use H13, but use other more expensive special steel to make the die for extend the die using life.

11.Management, extrusion worker salary is based monthly salary + bonus of output of product. So it will inspire workers to increase the output.

12.Advertisement, so many advertisement company at China, like exhibition, B2B of ALIBABA, Made in China, magazine, company website, outdoor advertisement, beautiful company catalog, different kinds of certificate. Usually they lock down their client market, then use some of advertisement. More advertisement means more payment, they need to control the expenditure.

13.Others like use the wood granule for fuel, spare part preparation, batch per purchase and so on.

Note: Some info came from Chinese website and some info is adapted by me according to my own aluminum knowledge, if there is any mistake created by my translation or my knowledge, welcome to correct it: +86-15813431757.