Our aluminum extrusion facilities provides extrusion, machining, fabrication, and finishing services. Hydro is a diverse extrusion supplier equipped with cutting-edge manufacturing machinery, a highly skilled staff, and the experience necessary to manage any product.

South Carolina’s location in the heart of the rapidly growing Southeast has benefitted from the continued expansion of BMW’s automobile manufacturing operations in the upstate and Boeing’s aircraft production in Charleston, two industries that use aluminum extensively for structural parts.

Other industries expanding in the state include industrial machinery, tires, building products and consumer products, primarily in the larger metropolitan areas, such as Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Rock Hill.

Aluminum in Vehicles

Vehicle makers, in particular, have taken different approaches when using aluminum for structural parts. Steel frames are being shifted to lighter aluminum extrusion frames to provide the support without the weight. Aluminum is now second only to steel as the most used material in vehicles for framing structures, bumpers, suspension, powertrain components, brake/HVAC components, impact protection, cylinder blocks, brake modules, trim and other components.

A unique manufacturing method for aluminum frames involves hydroforming, which replaces the older process of stamping two part halves and welding them together. Extruded aluminum is loaded into hydroforming dies. Water is forced into the press at high pressure until the metal bends and conforms to the shape of the die.

One of the largest applications of hydroforming is the automotive industry, which makes use of the complex shapes and contours created in this method to produce stronger, lighter, and more rigid structures for vehicles. The manufacturing benefits of hydroformed parts include seamless bonding, increased part strength, and the ability to maintain high-quality surfaces for finishing purposes. It also reduced the need for as many fasteners and individual parts.

The fewer parts used in an aluminum frame, the stronger the frame will be.

The benefits of aluminum extend beyond its strength-to-weight ratio. Multi-functional chassis parts can be extruded to incorporate features such as channels for wiring or sections to attach to body panels.

A wide range of products can be made from extrusions, from structural assemblies to trim finished components, from simple shapes to highly complex intricate sections. Aluminum is also highly recyclable.

Special Capabilities at Hydro

Our Hydro facilities provides engineering assistance for product design, hold-tight, cut-to-length tolerances for wide cross section shapes, T6 mechanical properties that allow customers to bend after aging, fill & debridge, full water quenching for heavy 6061 T1 shapes, and knurling for non-skid floor systems.

Our facilities are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001, and offer alloy expertise including 6005, 6060, 6061, 6063, 6101, 6105, in standard and special tempers, to satisfy the most complex size and shape requirements. Secondary fabrication capabilities include light assembly, cut-to-length, miter cuts, punching, stamping, notching, drilling, and CNC machining.

Hydro Extrusion is the North American leader in mill standard and custom extrusions and the leading producer of seamless and structural aluminum pipe and tube. When your complex designs require the services of an aluminum extrusions manufacturer in South Carolina or elsewhere in the Southeast, choose Hydro for our extensive global resources, wide-ranging technical competencies and extensive product range.