Nothing ‘plane’ about industrial aluminium extrusions

What are industrial aluminium extrusions you might ask?

Well, an easy way to explain takes us back to our childhood. Remember how much fun it was creating anything your heart desired from Play-Doh? You could squash it into a Play-Doh press and voila! Your Play-Doh was transformed into a perfect copy of the shape. Aluminium extrusion is a similar process. The process, of course, is more complicated because aluminium extrusions are built to last and not (as Play-Doh often is) eaten by a younger sibling!

First up is the design. Our in house Design and Technical Team will prepare CAD drawings. They design the die around the profile for the extrusion, taking into account wall thickness, tolerances, etc.

Once clients have approved the drawings, 3D print samples are provided to test functionality.

After the sample is approved, the production takes place. A heated aluminium billet gets pushed through a die under extreme pressure and the aluminium takes the shape of the die holes.

After production, the aluminium extrusion can be powder-coated, anodised, drilled, cut, deburred, punched or machined and then the extrusion is ready for distribution. We work hard for that voila moment!

Aluminium extrusions reduce the amount of parts and weight in an assembly and the options of shape design are infinite. Ullrich Aluminium manufactures an extensive range of standard extrusions including aluminium angles – equal and unequal, aluminium tubes, aluminium flat bars as well as solid round rods, square and rectangular hollows, channels, zed and tee sections, top hats and more.

We can also help you create your very own custom aluminium extrusions with the design and build of exclusive, high-quality shapes and systems.

In our sixty year history we’ve brought thousands of projects to life, producing unique extrusions for balustrades, louvres, fences and gates, stairs and stair noses, wallboards, ute trays, ultra battens, marine products and the list just keeps growing.

There's Nothing Plane About Industrial Aluminium Extrusions

You’ll see what we mean by that as we, ahem, strut our stuff below! The Ullrich Newcastle team has recently produced two exclusive extrusion dies for Australian Aircraft Kits, an award-winning company that designs and manufactures metal aircraft.

Based in Taree, they manufacture all kinds of aircraft including Sailplanes-Gliders and unmanned aerial vehicles. The custom strut extrusions have literally helped give their projects wings. Check out the wing strut and 120 x 35 strut in full flight.

Safety First

Ullrich Newcastle has also worked with leaders in fall protection, SafetyLink to produce the innovative X-Rail system using custom extrusions. X-Rail is a rigid anchor line designed for use as part of a personal fall protection system for fall arrest and abseiling purposes.

It offers a horizontal rigid anchor line with one or multiple mobile anchor points for attaching to and can be installed in three orientations; overhead, wall, and floor mounted.

Stepping Up to the Challenge

Specialist welding company K & M Solutions in Singleton required a mobile, strong yet lightweight platform ladder to use around their workshop and our Newcastle branch once again stepped up to the challenge of supplying the aluminium products they needed.

This stunning machinery access platform ladder was made from a combination of industrial aluminium extrusions: 100 and 150 x 50 x 3mm Aluminium Rectangular, 40 x 3mm Aluminium Tube and 100 x 6mm 6060 Grade Aluminium Flat Bar, 250 x 40mm Aluminium Stair Tread Grating and Stanchions.

This provides a strong yet lightweight solution for mobility around the mining workshop. K&M Solutions has been servicing the mining, construction, and vehicle bodybuilding industry for over 18 years.

Body Builders Flex

Thor has nothing on these truck bodies manufactured in Tamworth by one of the largest and most qualified truck body builders in NSW, Obieco Industries. They’re built tough and built to last.

Exclusive extrusions from Ullrich Aluminium are used as the main structural component of the roofs and structural under body. Standard extrusions and sheet are also used throughout the truck body. 

Friendly with Benefits

Aluminium is environmentally friendly with a range of benefits. Not only is it 100% recyclable, aluminium is also naturally corrosion resistant. Aluminium generates it’s own protective coating, aluminium oxide, once it comes into contact with an oxidising environment. We can make it even less corrosive with surface treatments, reducing future maintenance costs even further.

Aluminium is impermeable, meaning that it’s an excellent barrier to prevent penetration from liquid, air, light and even microorganisms so is safe to use as food and beverage packaging. As a bonus, it’s taste-free too so won’t mess with the flavour.

Another benefit of aluminium is that it has a high strength-to-weight ratio, which decreases fuel usage when used as parts in vehicles. There are so many reasons to love aluminium!

Why use Ullrich Aluminium?

William Ullrich founded Ullrich Aluminium in 1961 with a profound statement to his sons, Gilbert and Ernest, “The aluminium age is coming.” Launching with corrugated aluminium sheeting imports from Europe, he then had the foresight to branch into aluminium manufacturing.

We are now proudly celebrating sixty successful years in business. We’ve stood the test of time with our trusted aluminium products – all built to rigorous Australian standards. We own our distribution networks and manufacturing plants and are an aluminium leader in the South Pacific region, exporting products to twenty-three South Pacific Island nations.

We’d love to help you with your next project, big or small. Tell us about it by filling out the contact form or you can email your closest Ullrich Branch. With fifty branches throughout Australia and New Zealand, simply find your state and choose the branch closest to you. Our eager extrusion experts and design engineers can’t wait to help bring your project to life!

Posted at 06 July 21