Beyond Omniseal® Blog

Aluminum extrusion—or the process of manufacturing aluminum alloy parts with definitive cross-sectional profiles—is on the rise. The global aluminum extrusion market size, valued at about $80 billion in 2018, is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% from 2019 to 2025. The U.S., China, and India combined are expected to comprise close to 60% of the global construction industry growth overall by 2030, with extrusion increasing in these countries.

With extrusion producing aluminum alloys that have the potential to be strong yet lightweight (and also be potentially less expensive than steel and be recyclable), this heavy industrial machinery is quite critical to key industries such as automotive that seek to produce lighter weight cars, trucks, and public transportation vehicles to address consumer and government demand for greater fuel-efficiency. Ford has its F-150, with aluminum frames, and luxury car makers like Audi, Mercedes Benz, and Land Rover are also looking to the process and these lightweight materials. Not only are these heavy machinery systems important but also the critical parts that keep these systems running, which is where advanced composites can really count!

With summer temperatures reaching record highs in many places, people around the world are finding ways to cool off. What better way to do so than drinking a refreshing beverage? Most of our favorite drinks come from cans. Every year, we use about 200 billion aluminum cans from beer and soda consumption. This comes to 6,700 cans every second - enough to go around the planet every 17 hours!

Have you ever thought about how these steel and aluminum containers are manufactured?  The process is quite interesting with many steps … forming, trimming, cleaning, decorating, necking, inspection … but with any precise manufacturing, there are challenges.  Using the right parts such as composites in canning applications CAN help!

Manufacturing has grown tremendously over the last few decades, with worker output per hour increasing 2.5 times since 1987 and productivity estimated at about 1.7 times higher, says the National Association of Manufacturers. The global economy is said to be experiencing reinvestment in manufacturing and trade, with a resurgence in the U.S., China, and other countries. China remains at the top; however, the U.S. can take this spot if they focus on transformative manufacturing technologies within their products and processes.