Ordering a custom aluminum extrusion can often be the right choice when there is nothing in regular inventory that meets your needs.
Whether you need a specific profile, an unusual alloy, or a particular surface finish, knowing more about how much custom aluminum extrusions cost can help you better predict expenses and manage your project’s budget.
In this article, we cover some of the common factors that impact the cost of custom extrusions so that you can better prepare for how these products will impact your budget.
#1 Die and Tooling CostsFor custom profiles, new dies have to be tailor-made from scratch. For the manufacturers that need to recoup the costs for these special dies, this means raising the overall price of your order.
Compounding this even more, particularly complex geometries for the new die design will take more time and labor to produce, further increasing the cost to produce and the lead time for the final product.
Tool costs for extrusion dies that are used in normal architectural and industrial applications can range from $400 to $1,000. Tool costs for large parts to be made on 2,000-4,000 ton presses could be as high as $2,000.
Sometimes our manufacturers refund tool costs if a stipulated amount is purchased within 2 years. Most manufacturers do not charge for replacement tools after their useful life if orders continue.
Normal tool turnaround time is 3-4 weeks and production follows within a week of sample approval.
For more detail on these and other important design considerations, check out our helpful Aluminum Extrusion Design Guide as well as our article on Aluminum Extrusion Dies.
#2 Current Aluminum CostAs you might expect, the current cost of the base material used for your product will have a direct impact on the final cost of the order. The price of raw aluminum is affected by many factors, such as global demand, industry trends, and electricity costs. The base price of aluminum can be estimated through exchanges like the LME Aluminum valuation.
Since the cost of aluminum has fluctuated substantially in recent years, sometimes it makes sense to pay for a large amount of metal all at once to lock in a rate, particularly when you have ongoing production needs with a manufacturer.
In these cases, the extruder buys a considerable amount of the metal in advance and uses it for your production needs over time. By doing this, the extrusion costs can be made more predictable for you.
It’s also important to keep in mind that different aluminum grades may have different costs and that a manufacturer likely won’t be stocked up on many of the unusual aluminum alloys that are sometimes requested in custom orders. This can increase the price for obtaining special stock.
The cost of aluminum is the biggest wild card in the whole equation of extrusion cost. It has varied anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500 per metric ton in recent years.
Material costs can be affected by political events in different parts of the world. For example, Ukraine and Russia are key aluminum producers, and the war between them affects prices. Also, China is a big smelter of Aluminium, and recent environmental restrictions impact their operations.
#3 Labor and Production CostsOf the different factors listed in this article, the cost of manufacturing labor is often one of the easiest to predict when evaluating the cost for custom aluminum extrusions. Relatively stable and based on regional conditions and regulations, this information is typically easy to find. While manufacturing abroad can incur an increase in shipping costs, these are typically offset by larger production volumes as we’ll discuss later on.
Additional production expenses that can impact overall costs include operating overhead, equipment purchases, maintenance, utilities, and more. While they may be somewhat harder to determine, they are similarly impacted by the conditions in the region where the manufacturing takes place.
At Gabrian International, most of our aluminum extrusion production takes place in India, which has relatively low labor costs compared to the US or Europe.
#4 Surface Finishing and Secondary OperationsSurface finishing, as well as other secondary operations, can be performed on extrusions after concluding the extrusion procedure. These processes can be done to improve appearance, enhance protection, or to achieve special physical or mechanical characteristics needed for the product’s intended application.
When it comes to physical alterations, CNC machining can be used to create holes and shapes that cannot be achieved by extrusion alone. Bending extrusions is another common practice for creating physical alterations when a straight profile is not suitable for the intended application.
Temper treatments are the most common secondary operations used for changing the mechanical properties of extruded aluminum products. Temper treatments can be used to alter the strength, formability, hardness, and other physical attributes of extrusions. Normally, there is no extra charge for different tempers, though, as long as volumes are high enough.
Finally, surface finishes can be applied which affect only the aluminum’s surface. Aluminum extrusions naturally have a very smooth finish after normal processing, so they rarely require sanding, but sandblasting can be used to roughen up the surface if required, especially in preparation for other surface treatments like coatings.
Coatings and other types of surface finishes add a layer of material to the extruded aluminum for protection, improved appearance, or both. For example, powder coatings create a very durable and hard finish in a wide assortment of custom colors. Anodizing, on the other hand, is an electrochemical process that thickens the naturally-occurring oxide layer in aluminum to provide an appealing and corrosion-resistant surface. (Related: Should You Anodize or Powder Coat?)
If you want to learn more about these and other surface-finishing processes for aluminum extrusions, you can read our article on Types of Finishes for Aluminum Extrusions.
While adding any secondary operations to your product order will inevitably increase cost, you can save money by selecting a manufacturer with vertically integrated capabilities. Facilities that combine extrusion, fabrication, and finishing services will minimize the burden of logistical management and reduce the final cost for your order when compared with completing coordinated operations between multiple different vendors.
Costs for anodizing and powder coating vary from $1,200 to $1,400 per metric ton depending on the profiles. Alodine finishing is a little less expensive at about $800 per metric ton. There are special finishes such as wood-look finishing that are significantly more expensive and the cost generally depends on surface profiles.
Prices vary based on the complexity and kinds of machines required. Simple drilling operations can be in the range of $200-$300 per metric ton. For more complex operations, there will be tooling costs involved as well as machining time.
#5 Production VolumesAs with many other manufactured items, buying custom aluminum extrusions in bulk can lead to lower costs per unit produced.
This is true in part because, when custom orders are being produced, the basic die and tooling costs will often be very similar between a small and large order. If the manufacturer needs to recoup this expense for a small number of parts, the cost to produce each part is higher and is passed on to the buyer. However, as the production volume increases, the cost-per-unit will go down.
Bonus Factor: Logistics CostsThe COVID pandemic has put into perspective how much the low cost of commodities can be impacted by transportation logistics. For example, shipping disruptions have caused major fluctuations in the cost of containers shipped from India since the start of the pandemic. Around the world, the rising costs for containers and shipping ultimately impact the final price tag facing consumers, and these costs can change overnight.
Additionally, local duties and tariffs on imported products, such as the United States’ anti-dumping duty, can raise the cost of bringing products from abroad to your market. These extra fees may be harder to foresee or determine, but looking into whether they could impact your business can help you make adjustments that ensure your project remains profitable.
Despite these concerns, the shorter lead times in Asia compared to North America, as well as the lower production costs, are still worth it for many customers around the world.
The cost of international shipping has varied widely in recent years. Shipping a 40-foot container from Asia to North America has ranged anywhere from $8,000 to as high as $20,000. The costs have been driven by political uncertainty as well as the economic and trade climate. Recently the pandemic has had a significant impact on container availability and the Russia-Ukraine war has added more uncertainty impacting cost and availability.
Optimizing the Cost of Custom Aluminum ExtrusionsUltimately, the total price tag for manufacturing custom aluminum extrusions comes down to a combination of many factors. Some of these factors are predictable, like production volumes and labor costs, while others can be harder to foresee, like shipping costs and the market price of aluminum stock.
Gabrian’s Aluminum Extrusion Guide can help you to optimize the design of your extrusions so you can minimize production costs. If you need additional insights, our aluminum extrusion experts can help you decide the best combination of alloy, surface finish, and temper treatment needed to achieve your project’s goals at a cost you can manage.
Take advantage of our custom aluminum extrusion capabilities for your next manufacturing project to get a rapid turnaround for high-quality extrusions that fit within your budget.
When you’re building an engine for a project there are limitless possibilities of parts and combinations you can use. If you’re jumping into the higher end of the horsepower pool you might be looking at using a set of aluminum connecting rods to swing your pistons inside the cylinder bores. Aluminum rods have long been a topic of debate in regards to their use and longevity in varying types of racing engines. Depending upon purpose, budget, power adders, and other variables, aluminum rods can be a great addition to any engine, but are they for everyone? And do today’s latest variants eliminate such concerns as rod stretch?
Anthony Giannone from MGP Connecting Rods joined us to illustrate the top five tips for buying aluminum connecting rods.
#1: Understand The Benefits Of Aluminum Rods Before You Spend The Money
If you’re making the investment to build a killer engine you want to pack it full with the best parts possible. The problem with that mindset is that you may end up buying parts that aren’t the best fit for your goals or the combination. Aluminum rods may seem like something you need because they’re shiny and fast guys use them, but you need to know if they’ll work for your build first.
Anthony has helped countless racers create engines that make enough horsepower to rotate the earth many times over and he provides a great explanation of aluminum rod basics.
“Aluminum rods are essentially shock absorbers. They’re intended to take all of the compressive load and not transfer that energy to the crankshaft; that was the original thinking behind the aluminum rod. So with that said, now anything that has a power-adder runs on detonation, and when you’re detonating that hard, a steel rod can’t live through that without failing.”
The aluminum rod benefit is the ability to take that hit of energy and save the crankshaft. It’s a lot easier to justify a $1,200 set of rods than it is a $5,000 crankshaft if you need to replace something. – Anthony Giannone
The advantage that has been preached about aluminum rods since they were first introduced was the weight savings they provide. While aluminum rods can save you weight, they can also add strength to the right places.
“The topic of weight isn’t nearly as big as it used to be. Steel rod manufacturers have been able to remove a lot of weight in their modern designs, and aluminum rods are about 100 grams lighter in a direct comparison of similar rods. Engine builders are trying to get more weight off the piston these days and keep the extra mass at the bottom of the rod — that’s where an aluminum rod is beneficial. There’s a lot more material at the bottom, so they are still stronger for their weight compared to steel rods,” Antony says.
#2: Aluminum Rod Stretch And Growth Be Gone!
Rod stretch and growth used to be a legitimate concern for those who wanted to add a set of aluminum rods to their rotating assembly. Basically, rod stretch is the physical stretching of a rod’s center distance. An engine builder would have to take the stretch into account because the rods would grow as the engine increased in RPM. If the stretch and growth weren’t compensated for during the design of the engine package, when the rod would eventually stretch it would cause the piston to make contact with things it shouldn’t.
Anthony explains that at MGP, they don’t see rod growth anymore and assist their customers in making sure they have the right size rods based on this.
“People used to compensate anywhere from .010- to .015-inches center distance for growth that would occur when using aluminum rods. We recommend .050-inch piston to head, and that’s whether they want to put it at zero deck and run a .050-inch gasket, or put it in the hole .050 and run a .010 gasket. We just don’t see the rods stretching on the center distance like they used to. That distance is there just in case, because when we get rods back we don’t see them stretching really — they still have the same center distance we sent them out with.”
The rod stretch and growth plague might not be something you have to worry about as much anymore, but it took some work to get rid of. MGP spent a considerable amount of time working on finding a way to eradicate the problem so aluminum rods could become more practical for all applications.
“We eliminated that problem through design partially, and a lot through the materials we implemented into our products. The aluminum we use is an aerospace-quality material that is the most current aluminum to come to market. The material is what was causing the majority of stretch issues, and our new materials don’t have that issue. Getting rid of rod stretch and growth provides a performance advantage because people can run at zero deck and only have to run a .050-inch clearance,” Anthony explains.
#3: Torque Method versus Stretch Method For Rod Bolts
If you plan on building or maintaining an engine that uses aluminum rods you need to know how to properly torque the rod bolts. There are two different ways to do it: one is where you measure the amount of stretch once the bolt is tightened, and the other you torque the bolt down to a specific foot/pound measurement.
The stretch value of the rod’s bolt is important, because that is where the yield point is for the bolt, and it can’t be exceeded. If the bolt is stretched beyond its yield point, it will actually become physically longer and that will lead to it becoming weaker or having an uneven load put on the rod’s cap.
We use a torque value for our rod bolts, so both sides of the rod and both bolts are to the exact same foot/pound of torque. -Anthony Giannone
Using the torque method, you’re only torquing the bolt down to the specific amount the manufacturer recommends. You don’t have to worry about chasing a stretch value number or trying to get a stretch gauge to fit in a confined space under a car if you’re doing maintenance at the track.
“We use a torque value for our rod bolts, so both sides of the rod and both bolts are to the exact same foot/pound of torque. The bolt free length varies so much with different bolts that if you’re going off of stretch value, even if you’re setting static length on it, that bolt will be physically longer. When you finish the housing bore, keeping the same compression side to side is an issue going off of stretch value. Say on one side you’re at 90 ft-lb, and on the other, you’re at 98 ft-lb…. that housing bore isn’t being pulled an even amount on both sides. That can lead to an out-of-round condition for the rod,” Anthony says.
Using the torque method allows you to have a more precise measurement. Having the correct clamping load amount and keeping it even on each side of the rod cap is important, because that’s what helps the aluminum rod function at its best.
“The clamping load being even from side to side is ultimately the key to keeping the housing bore round, and that’s where the aluminum rods shine. When that housing bore is round it’s not collapsing vertically, it’s not opening the parting line up, and it’s not squeezing bearings. If you’re out-of-round right from the beginning it will destroy the bearings — it finds a way to side-load them in a weird way, and it will wear the coatings off of the bearings unevenly in places. All of those factors contribute to an aluminum rod failing when it shouldn’t in any situation,” Anthony says.
#4: Bolt Lubrication During Installation
Lubrication during assembly of aluminum connecting rods is a task that must be taken very seriously. Since you’re using a bolt that is made up of a different material than the rod itself, something needs to be used to fill in the area between each part.
“We’re dealing with two things here: first, we have the steel-on-steel contact between the bolt and the washer. Second, we’re dealing with the steel-on-aluminum contact between the thread of the aluminum rod and the bolt. Something needs to be added that can run interference between the two different metals — that’s why we use oil, and it also helps with the pre-load. The pre-load on the fastener is what really makes the connecting rod work correctly; when you lose pre-load, that’s usually when you end up with a giant hole in the side of a $10,000 billet block,” Anthony explains.
Most people would think that it’s time to reach for the assembly lube to make sure you have the correct bolt lubrication when assembling your rods, but that might not be the ideal course of action. Anthony explains why assembly lube isn’t your best friend when putting aluminum rods together.
“When you use assembly lube on bolts and torque them down, that lube is going to come in contact with engine oil when you fill the engine up, and those two liquids don’t mix well together. The particles in the assembly lube will grab the particles in the engine oil and will cause them to separate. That’s why I’ve always been against assembly lubes — because it ruins engine oil, and it can also plug up oil gallies if there’s too much used. When assembly lube heats up it will start to thin out and you lose the value you gain from it.”
So what does Anthony recommend for lubrication with rods? Surprisingly, the answer is just plain old 50-weight engine oil. This discovery was made after lots of testing to find a solution that would be the most consistent overall to torque down a rod bolt, because the oil remains neutral no matter what the temperature is around it.
“Zero- or 5-weight oil doesn’t stay as consistent because it is temperature-dependent. Fifty-weight engine oil is always going to be 50-weight with the same lubrication level, and has the same amount of molecules between the bolt and the rod no matter what the temperature is. It doesn’t matter if the rod and bolt are at two different temperatures, it stays consistent,” Anthony says.
#5: Billet versus Forged Aluminum Rods
You have two different options for aluminum rod manufacture: billet aluminum and forged aluminum. Forged aluminum rods are the original type of rod that was produced based on the technology that was available at the time. Now, companies can make rods out of billet aluminum, as well, and that added more options for builders.
The debate over which rod to use has always been based around the grain structure each possesses. To make a billet rod, MGP starts with a solid block of aluminum that’s 12-feet long and 3/4-inch thick. This material has grains that all run in the same direction from end to end. Making connecting rods out of this billet material wasn’t possible until the machines and processes were developed to make it happen. Now, a billet rod allows for more grain control and strength.
“The grain structure rolls around the rod end just like a forged rod would with a modern billet rod. Since we’re machining the rods out of solid stock, we’re letting the grain structure flow straight and we’re just machining through the center of it. The grains run the same way in that bar from end to end and we machine with the grain to make sure there is plenty of strength,” Anthony says.
Grain structure is important for a connecting rod because it dictates the strength of the part. The cross-sectional strength of the connecting rod comes from the design, while the overall physical strength is based on the aluminum itself. Having the grain structure of the aluminum all going one way, especially around the ends of the rod, is important to ensure it will have plenty of strength. Forged aluminum rods used to be the only way to provide this, but now with modern materials technology, a billet rod can be made of aluminum that has a good grain structure for a high level of strength. The biggest difference between forged and billet aluminum connecting rods is the service life — a billet rod will have a longer lifespan than its forged counterpart.
Aluminum connecting rods have come a long way since they were first introduced as an option for a rotating assembly. Understanding the limits of the part and how it works will help you make an informed choice if you need to use them in your next build.