Extrusion turns a custom cross-section into a long, straight, repeatable profile for a fraction of the cost of machining it. For EU buyers, how you document the part can mean the difference between a steep anti-dumping duty and none at all.
If your part is a rail, frame, heat-sink fin, enclosure section or any long constant cross-section, extrusion is almost always the cheapest way to make it. A single die pushes heated aluminum through a shaped orifice, producing meters of identical profile. This guide covers the die, the alloys, the secondary work, and — critically for European buyers — the duty rules that decide your landed cost.
Unlike machining, where the CNC program is the IP, in extrusion the die is the product. A well-designed die holds tolerance along the length, minimizes twist, and runs for a long life. Design considerations:
Die cost is modest (hundreds to low thousands of dollars) and you should own it. A DFM pass on the cross-section before the die is cut prevents a profile that won't straighten or won't hold dimension.
6063 is the extrusion favorite — excellent surface for anodizing and easy to shape. 6061 is stronger but less "extrudable" and harder to get a cosmetic finish on. Choose by function: decorative or light-structure rails lean 6063; load-bearing members lean 6061. Both must come with a mill cert for EU/US compliance.
A raw extrusion is rarely the finished part. It needs cutting to length, CNC machining of ends or holes, possibly bending, then surface finish — anodize or powder. Coordinating these in one chain (die → cut → machine → finish) is what delivers a usable part instead of a pile of raw bar.
This is where multi-process coordination pays off: the extruder, the machining shop and the finisher working to one plan, not three vendors guessing at each other's tolerances.
The EU imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminum extrusions, and they're steep. But most buyers over-pay because they don't know the carve-outs. The duty is aimed at bare profiles; many finished products and sub-assemblies fall outside the scope — if documented correctly. The levers:
This is detailed and case-specific; the full breakdown is in the EU anti-dumping guide. The practical point: part design and paperwork, decided early, change whether duty applies at all — often by double digits on landed cost.
For the US, aluminum extrusions carry Section 232 tariffs on top of base cost. Model the duty into the quote before you commit, and confirm Incoterms so the number you approve is the number you pay.
I design the cross-section for extrudability, own the die on your behalf, and coordinate cutting, machining and finish into one delivery. For the EU, I plan the classification and documentation so the duty carve-out works in your favor. Send the profile; I'll return the die plan, the process chain and the landed cost.
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Send the profile and target market — I'll plan the die, the process chain and the landed cost including any duty carve-out.