Custom aluminium machining: mechanical carpentry

In our daily life we are constantly surrounded by objects made of aluminum (cans, key rings, frames, caps, furnishing accessories and much more) and in the industry this material is particularly appreciated for its efficiency characteristics. It is in fact an extremely light component, resistant to external aggressions, high temperatures and wear, which has a high conductivity, is non-toxic and easy to work.

This is why one of elmec’s core activities is precisely the processing of custom-made aluminum, for the production of mechanical devices to serve your electronic projects. We delve deeper into the topic, trying to understand where exactly aluminum comes from, what it is made of and what are the production processes that the elmec team can provide, to maximize the efficiency of your installations.

The production of aluminium.

In nature there are large quantities of this raw material, but not in its pure state: it is in fact contained in the form of oxide (alumina) within numerous minerals, including bauxite. The open-air quarries that are often located on the territory are precisely points of extraction of bauxite, which will enter into the production processes of aluminum called “primary”.

The extraction of this metal involves the use of electrolysis to separate the aluminum atom from oxygen; a process that involves the use of large amounts of energy and a significant environmental impact. It is estimated that to obtain a tonne of aluminum is necessary about 14,000 kWh of electricity only for the management of the electrolytic part, without considering the energy costs of logistics, waste disposal, the abatement of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere and the management of processing plants.

Today there are green ways to obtain aluminum, which follow the recycling strategy. Aluminium, called “secondary”, is the result of the recycling processes of objects made of aluminium, a procedure that requires approximately 5% of the energy used to obtain primary aluminium.

Thanks to the excellent peculiarities of the starting raw material, recycled aluminum maintains high quality standards and can be used in any type of processing, helping to drastically reduce the environmental impact of industrial production on the ecosystem.

Aluminium processing: mechanics, for electronics

Together with steel, copper, brass and numerous other metal alloys, aluminium is one of the materials that we can work effectively within our departments. The elmec production ecosystem allows us to carry out ad hoc processing and to offer you customized carpentry on your design needs.

We are able to support your projects, whatever the degree of their development (sketches, prototypes, products to be industrialized) and it is our transversal experience to guarantee a high level of quality and customization. The know-how of our team includes, in fact, both mechanical skills, both electronic knowledge, an indispensable multi-sector baggage to optimize the performance of your projects.

Only an electronic mind can, in fact, conceive and realize a perfect mechanical carpentry for the purpose, that respects the indispensable requirements of this kind of applications (degree of IP tightness, vibrational regime, protection against static currents, accessibility, conductivity, interactive interface, etc).

Our workmanship in aluminium

By combining our two areas of expertise, we are able to produce an aluminum carpentry really capable of making your electronic systems efficient, whatever their end application.

Our technologies for the processing of laminates, allow us to carry out:

• cutting, through punching machines, C02 laser and fiber;
• bending, thanks to manual or robotic press brakes;
• surface finishes with satin and deburring machines that ensure cleanliness from processing residues and aesthetic uniformity;
• the application of electronic fixing points to laminate parts, using manual or automatic loading presses and the effectiveness of PEM fasteners.

elmec’s aluminium is green

One of the advantages of our production system is its ecological soul. In fact, 80% of the aluminium worked by elmec is recycled, with guaranteed performance equal to the new raw material. This is an additional element to the efforts we are making to improve the efficiency of our plants and our activities, which is combined with the other sustainability initiatives that we pursue with conviction.

LED lighting, electric charging stations, reusable water bottles for employees, smart waste recovery processes and a 20 kW photovoltaic system are just some of our promises to the environment.