Who Owns the Extrusion Die After Tooling Is Paid?
Sourcing · die ownership, transfer, breakage risk Who Owns the Extrusion Die After Tooling Is Paid The buyer who pays the tooling fee still carries the risk if ownership, exclusive use and return terms are not written — payment alone does not always transfer title. Three handling models are common: customer-owned exclusive, mill-owned amortised, and […]
Sampling and First Article Approval for Aluminium Extrusion
Quality · sampling, first article, colour approval Sampling and First Article Approval for Aluminium Extrusion Plan 30–40 days to a finished first article with a new die and anodising, or 12–20 days on an existing die and mill finish — then hold production until dimensions, finish and colour are signed. Sampling is a gated sequence, […]
Custom Aluminium Extrusion: From Drawing to Production
Sourcing · custom section, drawing to production Custom Aluminium Extrusion: From Drawing to Production Plan 30–40 days to first load with a new die and anodising, or 12–20 days on an existing die and mill finish — then add fabrication, packing and transit. The calendar is stage-bound: drawing review, die work, trial, finish and cut, […]
Payment Terms for Aluminium Profile Orders (T/T, L/C and the Risk)
Sourcing · T/T, L/C, commercial risk Payment Terms for Aluminium Profile Orders (T/T, L/C and the Risk) On a first export order the buyer carries deposit risk until goods are produced and released; the supplier carries production and inventory risk until the balance clears. Three practical paths close that gap: T/T 30% deposit and 70% […]
Aluminium Extrusion Price per kg in 2026 (China FOB)
Sourcing · FOB China, USD/kg, 2026 Aluminium Extrusion Price per kg in 2026 Extrusion is quoted per kg because the input is billed per tonne of billet, but buyers budget per metre. The conversion is the weight per metre: in 2026, silver-anodised 6063-T5 T-slot commonly lands near USD 2.80–3.60/kg FOB China, so a 4040 at […]
Aluminium Extrusion Capacity: What a Factory Can Actually Deliver
Sourcing and Procurement · capacity, stock, door-to-door Aluminium Extrusion Capacity: What a Factory Can Actually Deliver Door-to-door time is production stages first, then about 18 days sea freight from Shanghai or Ningbo — not a single “fast delivery” number. Capacity only matters when you can convert tonnes per month into open press slots, finish time […]
How to Choose (and Audit) an Aluminium Extrusion Supplier
Sourcing and Procurement · audit, alloy, factory vs trader How to Choose (and Audit) an Aluminium Extrusion Supplier Choose the supplier by the decision rule first: lock the series from load, unsupported span or slot/hardware — then audit whether the seller can extrude, finish and certify that series at your volume. A 2020 quote without […]
Cut-to-Length, Drilling and Tapping: What Fabrication Adds
Sourcing · cut-to-length, drilling, tapping Cut-to-Length, Drilling and Tapping: What Fabrication Adds Expect 12–20 days on an existing die and mill finish, or 30–40 days with a new die and anodising, before fabricated members leave the plant — then add CNC queue for holes and taps. Fabrication turns stock bars into kit parts with cut […]
Aluminium Extrusion Certificates and Standards Explained (EN 755, EN 12020, ISPM 15)
Quality · certificates, EN standards, packing marks Aluminium Extrusion Certificates and Standards Explained (EN 755, EN 12020, ISPM 15) On every RFQ, ask for three documents by name: an EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate, a PO that cites EN 755-9 or EN 12020-2 for dimensions, and packing with an ISPM 15 IPPC mark on the […]
Distributor Terms: Territory, Margin and Price Protection
Sourcing · territory, margin, price protection Distributor Terms: Territory, Margin and Price Protection The distributor bears territory and margin risk when exclusivity, undercut rules and price-change notice are left vague. Close it with three written levers: a mapped territory with a volume gate, a published 2026 distributor net list with notice before increases, and tiered […]
Aluminium Extrusion Claims: What the Contract Must Say
Quality · claims, rework, contract risk Dimensional Claims, Rework and Penalty Clauses The buyer bears the risk of an unenforceable dimensional claim when the drawing never names a tolerance standard. EN 755-9 is the reference; without it, “out of tolerance” has no definition. Close the gap with three contract paths: rework at seller cost, concession […]
Aluminium Profile Price Breaks: How Volume Changes the Unit Price
Sourcing · volume steps, series, unit price Aluminium Profile Price Breaks: How Volume Changes the Unit Price In 2026 China-factory FOB metres for silver-anodised T-slot typically sit around USD 1.40–2.20/m on 20 × 20 and USD 4.20–6.50/m on 40 × 40 at mid volume, and the unit price steps again at 500 m, 2 000 […]
How to Request a Quote for Custom Aluminium Extrusion (RFQ Checklist)
Sourcing · RFQ pack, quote compare, validity How to Request a Quote for Custom Aluminium Extrusion (RFQ Checklist) A complete custom extrusion programme typically runs 30–40 days to first load with a new die and anodising, or 12–20 days on an existing die and mill finish — drawing review, tooling, press, finish and packing in […]
T-Slot Cross-Brand Compatibility: Bosch, Item and Generic
Engineering Design · slot, brand, interchange Cross-Brand T-Slot Compatibility Slot width is standardised; slot depth, pitch and fastener geometry are not. A 40-series profile from one brand will not always take another brand’s nut. Decide by load and span first, then lock one slot family so hardware stays interchangeable. Decision order Load → span → […]
Aluminium Profile Shipping: Packing, Container Loading and ISPM 15
Sourcing and Procurement · packing, containers, ISPM 15 Aluminium Profile Shipping: Packing, Container Loading and ISPM 15 Door-to-door time is production weeks plus about 18 days sea freight from Shanghai or Ningbo, then inland. Packing is an ISPM 15 timber cradle with IPPC mark, or a plywood case for cut lengths under 3 m — […]
Which Profile Size for Your Application: A Selection Guide
Engineering Design · section, slot, load band Which Profile Size for Your Application: A Selection Guide Pick the series by the governing constraint first: load, unsupported span, or slot/hardware — then lock one series across the frame. For a typical workbench at 1 m spans under ~50 kg, 3030 or 4040 is the practical band; […]
Aluminium Extrusion Die Cost (2026): Price by Section Size
Sourcing · tooling cost, ownership, amortisation How Much Does an Aluminium Extrusion Die Cost? In 2026 a custom aluminium extrusion die in China typically costs about US$400–3,500 for common industrial T-slot and solid sections, and more for large hollows. The number is set by three things: the circumscribed circle, whether the section is hollow, and […]
Aluminium Profile MOQ: 150 m Existing Die, 500 m New
Sourcing · MOQ, tooling, trial orders MOQ for Custom Aluminium Profiles In 2026 a mill-finish 4040 off an existing die typically quotes about US$4.20–5.80 per metre FOB China once you clear the minimum. The minimum order is 150 m off an existing die and 500 m with a new die — the difference is whether […]
FOB vs CIF vs DAP vs DDP: Aluminium Profile Landed Cost
Sourcing · Incoterms, landed cost, risk FOB vs CIF vs DAP vs DDP for Aluminium Profiles In 2026 a mill-finish 2020 T-slot runs about US$1.80–2.60 per metre FOB Shanghai or Ningbo at a few hundred metres. FOB is cheapest on the invoice and most expensive in surprises; DDP is the opposite. The difference is who […]
Aluminium Extrusion Price per Meter: How the Number Is Built
Sourcing · metre price, mass, die share Aluminium Extrusion Price per Meter: How the Number Is Built In 2026 China-factory FOB metres for silver-anodised T-slot typically sit around USD 1.40–2.20/m for 20×20 and USD 4.20–6.50/m for 40×40 at mid volume, because price per metre is kilograms times dollars per kilogram plus a share of die […]
Aluminium Extrusion Lead Time: New Die vs Existing Die
Logistics · die status, finish, sea transit Aluminium Extrusion Lead Time Door-to-door for a China T-slot order is typically 30-40 days (30–40) with a new die and anodising, or 12–20 days on an existing die in mill finish, plus about 18 days at sea from Shanghai or Ningbo. The calendar is production stages first, ocean […]
Aluminium Profile Quote: What Changes the Number by Quantity
Sourcing · quantity, destination, quote structure How We Quote Aluminium Profiles by Quantity and Destination In 2026 a factory FOB Shanghai metre for common T-slot runs about USD 1.50–6.50/m on 20×20 to 40×40, and higher on heavy sections, because extrusion setup, die amortisation and freight are fixed costs spread over the order. The same profile […]
Cross-Brand T-Slot Compatibility: Interchangeability Is a Hardware Question
Sourcing · slot geometry, hardware, interchange Cross-Brand T-Slot Compatibility: Interchangeability Is a Hardware Question Two 40 by 40 profiles from two suppliers can have the same outline, the same weight and the same price per metre, and accept none of the same hardware. The number that decides it is not on the drawing, and it […]
Recycled Aluminium Profiles: A Number You Have to Be Able to Evidence
Sustainability · CBAM, scrap, evidence Recycled Aluminium Profiles: A Number You Have to Be Able to Evidence Aluminium is the most recycled metal in common industrial use, and almost every catalogue now claims a green profile. The useful question is not whether the claim is true but whether it can be evidenced, to whom, and […]
30 Series T-Slot Profiles: The Middle That Has to Justify Itself
30 series · the middle of the range 30 Series T-Slot Profiles: The Middle That Has to Justify Itself Between the light 20 series and the standard 40 series sits the 30 series. It is a good system, and it is also the one most often chosen for the wrong reason, because the reason to […]
Industrial Aluminium Extrusion: Five Advantages and the Conditions Attached to Each
Material choice · an honest ledger Industrial Aluminium Extrusion: Five Advantages and the Conditions Attached to Each The standard list of extrusion benefits is accurate the way a headline is accurate. Every advantage is real, and every one carries a condition. The conditions are what decide whether the material is right for a particular job. […]
Good vs Bad Aluminium Profiles: What Your Receiving Dock Can and Cannot Check
Incoming quality · receiving dock Good vs Bad Aluminium Profiles: What Your Receiving Dock Can and Cannot Check Most “how to spot a bad profile” guides put visual inspection first, because it is the only check a buyer can do without equipment. That is exactly the problem: the two defects that cost the most money, […]
Aluminium Profile Machine Guards: Size the Frame from the Energy, Not from the Mesh
Machine safety · guard framing Aluminium Profile Machine Guards: Size the Frame from the Energy, Not from the Mesh Most guard frames are specified backwards: the mesh is chosen first because it is visible, and the posts are then spaced to suit it. The order should run from the hazard to the energy, from the […]
Aluminium Extrusion Section Design: What Each Feature on the Drawing Costs You
Extrusion design · cost drivers Aluminium Extrusion Section Design: What Each Feature on the Drawing Costs You Extrusion is sold as near-unlimited shape freedom. It is closer to a menu: every hollow, every thin wall, every tightened tolerance and every visible face has a price, and most of it is paid per metre for the […]
Modular Aluminium Components: Where the System Saves Money and Where It Costs You
Modular systems · cost structure Modular Aluminium Components: Where the System Saves Money and Where It Costs You Modular T-slot framing is sold as a way to cut build time. That is true, but it is only half the ledger. The other half sits in the interface parts — the connectors, nuts and brackets that […]
How to Choose an Aluminium Extrusion Profile: The Three Decisions That Bind
Profile selection · decision order How to Choose an Aluminium Extrusion Profile: The Three Decisions That Bind Most selection guides are nine steps in the wrong order. Nine questions look like nine decisions, and they are not: span, load position and deflection budget are the only inputs, and the section, the slot, the alloy, the […]
Standard vs Custom Aluminium Extrusion: The Break-Even Calculation
Sourcing economics · tooling Standard vs Custom Aluminium Extrusion: The Break-Even Calculation Every guide says a custom die costs $1,500 to $5,000 and a standard profile ships in 48 hours. None of them tell you the volume at which the die pays for itself — and that number is the only one that decides the […]
Global Sourcing Excellence: Multi-Category OEM and ODM Manufacturing and Supply Chain Integration
Sourcing Global Sourcing Excellence: Multi-Category OEM and ODM Manufacturing and Supply Chain Integration A sourcing programme is not a purchase order. It is five gates, a document pack and a repeat order that matches the first. Here is what each gate needs, and the questions that separate a factory from a forwarder with a website. […]
How to Choose the Right T-Slot Aluminium Profile for Your Project
Project planning How to Choose the Right T-Slot Aluminium Profile for Your Project The right section for a one-off frame is rarely the right section for a hundred. Here is how the decision changes with project type and quantity — and the four points at which a project quietly loses money. 11 min readPrototype vs […]
T-Slot Aluminium Profiles for Industrial Frames and Automation: A Specification Playbook
Sourcing specification T-Slot Aluminium Profiles for Industrial Frames and Automation: A Specification Playbook Most profile problems are specification problems, not manufacturing problems. Nine lines turn a purchase order into a repeatable part — and six of them are the lines buyers leave out. 12 min readEN 755-9Incoming inspectionRFQ template Quick answer The nine lines that […]
Auditing an Aluminium Profile Supplier: Factory, Trader, or Something in Between
The factory-versus-trader question is the wrong question. What matters is who controls the press, the die and the quality record. A total cost of ownership model with worked numbers, and a two-day audit itinerary.
Importing Aluminum Profiles from China: Nine Failures That Quietly Raise Your Landed Cost
Most import losses are not caused by a bad factory. They are caused by a purchase order that never said what good means. Nine failure points, the clause that closes each one, and an AQL inspection plan.
