Almag Aluminum Inc.

Aluminum Makes Sense!

2010-06-14T10:09:00.003-04:00

With the Ontario FIT (Feed in Tariff) program, Ontario is a hot-bed of solar activity. :-)

Aluminum components are often used in the mounting system, often extrusions. We’re happy because it’s extrusion, but overall, aluminum is a great choice.

It’s light-weight; it can be machined, cut to length, drilled, etc. It won’t rust like other materials so it doesn’t require special finishing, saving time and money for the completed component.

Kits can be assembled with screws or other components, or packed in units. Extrusions can be cut to length and drilled or machined, or supplied in long lengths depending on the Customers’ end use or capability.

Extrusion provides flexibility in design and to top it off, it’s 100% recyclable! What a great choice for a renewable energy application! Aluminum makes sense!

Congratulations Bob!

2010-04-28T15:04:00.001-04:00

Each year, the Aluminum Extruder’s Council (AEC) presents The Distinguished Service Award recognizing the contribution of volunteers who, over their years of service, have had an impact on the AEC and the aluminum extrusion industry. It is the highest honour awarded by the AEC. We’re proud to say that this year’s recipient was our very own President, Bob Peacock.

The AEC is an international association promoting the benefits and uses of aluminum extrusions. Members are able to discuss challenges and opportunities, working to enhance the growth of the industry.

Bob has been an active member of the AEC for many years, including time spent as Chair of the council.

Congratulations Bob!

2010-03-11T11:24:00.011-05:00

Have you ever had a great extrusion idea, but just weren’t sure that it was exactly what you need?

...Well, you should give 3D printing a try! Our Customers say so too!

"When developing a new extrusion, usually in an unrealistically short time frame, we have found the 3d prototyping service, offered by Almag Aluminum, to be indispensible. The value of being able to interface with a new part in a tactile manner is easily underestimated, and the power it brings to a presentation for a new product is considerable. It has aided us to make accurate and responsible decisions time after time." - Kurt, Operations Manager, Searle Exhibit Technologies

You may be familiar already about what’s available, but if not, there are several prototyping technologies out there. The unit we have produces parts from 100% recyclable ABS plastic which is rigid, but resilient enough to accommodate snap fit and other assemblies without breaking.

3D printed parts are very accurate. We say that the parts that we’ve measured are within 0.005” inch of nominal drawing dimension, but most of them measure less than that. They’re perfect for assembly units where multiple parts must fit together. And, we can also do end caps and other non-extrusion parts as well. You can check form, fit and function before any tooling investment.

Using prototypes can save thousands of dollars in design work! And TIME!

Come up with your design, have a 3D prototype made within 2-3 days, check how your design fits with the end product…if it’s bang on, great, it’s time to order the extrusion die. If a modification is needed…redesign, have a 3D prototype made within 2-3 days, check how your design fits…and so on, until you have what you need.

So…by going through the prototype process you’ve just saved the tooling cost for a profile that’s not quite right and at least two weeks waiting for tooling and extrusion samples. Customers have saved thousands of dollars in tooling and time by ordering 3D prototypes prior to extrusion production!

The software that’s used requires stl format files which we can do here. 3D drawings such as iges or stp files are converted directly to stl files. The 2D dwg, are “extruded” to 3D format in Solid Edge and then to stl files. The point is…that when we receive electronic drawings we don’t redraw them. Your drawings are used to make the prototype, so there’s no transcribing – what you send is what you get!

But…you don't have to send electronic drawings to produce prototypes. We receive many hand sketched designs. Our drawing team here will use AutoCad or Solid Edge to prepare a drawing in the required format – of course it will have to be approved by you before we proceed to be sure we’ve done just what you need.

The actual prototype process is cool to watch. The parts are built up in layers, it’s quiet, maybe just a hum as it works and once it’s finished it’s ready to send to the Customer, no extra steps are required – so it can be sent as soon as it’s finished. We have a maximum length of about 11”, but, because the parts are plastic, they can be glued together to make longer lengths.

Some Customers order prototypes for every new shape that they order so they can see it and hold, use it to review form, fit and function before the aluminum arrives. They’re not all that expensive either. Contact your sales rep, give us a call 888-GO-ALMAG (888-462-5624) or send us a note at info@almag.com and the sales team will be delighted to help out!

Sustainability - What does it mean to you?

2010-02-02T11:18:00.003-05:00

We’re in the process of setting up a long term sustainability program to see what changes we can make to reduce the affect we have on the world around us.

Our process is a relatively clean one. There are no real by-products of the extrusion process. We are significant consumers of energy which is why we’re choosing to focus on reducing the amount we use. Over the past few years we have made changes to several things including our lighting and our fork lifts which have reduced our consumption, but there’s more to do.

Education about what can be recycled and what goes to waste has been promoted in-house. In the last 6 months, our recycling has increased and our waste has dropped in conscience efforts to reduce what goes to landfill.

There is always more that can be done. We’re in the beginning stages right now. We will be looking at each step in the process and considering long term goals, maybe even alternative energy sources.

As with many things, education is a key element to success. Creating awareness about how big in impact humans have made to the earth is important – THINK about what we do to the environment.

Saying “oh, it’s just one pop can in the garbage, what dif does it make?” may not make a difference IF it was only one can. The reality is that it’s probably a million people thinking the same way. Now, a million cans, THAT’S A BIG DEAL!

Everything we do is a drop in the bucket and every drop makes a difference! SO, MAKE A DIFFERENCE! THINK about your actions and if they’re helping or harming, every little step helps!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T14:16:00.004-05:00

This is just a quick little post to show off our Almag ornament for this year, cute, eh? It was designed by our Fabrication Manager.

The end result is worth the problems we ran into during production. It’s one of the coolest ones we’ve done.

If you’d like one, drop us a note (info@almag.com), or give us a call (905-457-9000) and we’ll be happy to send one your way.

All the best!

Just in time for Christmas!

2009-12-14T11:04:00.002-05:00

A bit of time has passed since the last Almag ornament update…the last you heard was that the die had broken and it was being returned to the die maker for repair.

We received the repaired tooling and put it to press, and…it broke again.

Now, the die breaking a second time may seem catastrophic, but there is almost always something that can be done. Fortunately, the die maker was here to see the die run and was able to provide a quick assessment. He felt confident that it could be repaired within about 5 business days and that it would work the next time.

The die makers are experts at what they do. They know our equipment and the tooling they make is designed specifically to suit our machinery. We ask for their input on repeat issues because they may offer some insight into the problem and the solution may lie with the tooling.

With timing getting close, mailing deadlines approaching, we were under the gun, but still confident that our original design would work. We had formulated a plan B, and were waiting for one last try before we put it in motion.
As it turns out, the third times a charm. The repaired die was received; a special notation was made for specific press parameters to be used when running, and success!

Once we had extrusion, we were then able to see about rushing the subsequent steps. I have to make note here that our order didn’t take precedent over any others. The order queue has to be followed, it’s more important for Customer material to be produced than ours. We were lucky that the equipment required to manufacture our part was available when it was.

We rush orders for our Customers regularly. Not everything can be rushed. It depends on the required steps, and how ours or our sub-contractors machine loads are when we request a rush. We didn’t do anything with our own order that we wouldn’t or haven’t done for our Customers.

In the end, we were able to have completed parts in time for mailing; in fact, they’re on their way now. For those of you on our mailing list, you should receive them shortly. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive an ornament (they’re very cool!) please send us a note to let us know and we’ll pop one in the mail for you.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy holiday!

Merry Christmas!

So now what?

2009-11-18T12:31:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, order lead time info was posted, see “Is my part ready yet?” Our need for a new Almag ornament die was mentioned and I said that I’d keep you updated on how my order is going. So, here’s the update…

The die was due November 5th. Due to exceptional difficulty it was actually delayed by a week, so it didn’t arrive until November 12th. There are additional steps that are required after extrusion so we’re getting into a bit of a time crunch to ensure we’re able to get our ornaments out before Christmas.

As is our policy for new tooling, the die was put to press within 48 hours – the die arrived Thursday evening and it was extruded Friday afternoon.

Monday morning the results were in…with great anticipation… and…the die broke.

Especially for difficult shapes, die breakage is a possibility. Just because the die broke, doesn’t mean that all is lost but, there will be a delay. In this case, the die maker will weld the broken piece, which will take about 5 business days, so the die is due back here on Friday (the 20th). New tooling orders are flagged with NEW TOOLING stickers so they stand out. Now that this is also a late order it will still have the New Tooling sticker and be printed on bright yellow paper so everyone is aware of the urgency. (This is our procedure for all New Tooling and/or Late orders to be sure they get priority - not just our Almag order).

Now, all we can do is wait with fingers crossed that once the die arrives all will go well - I’ll let you know. We’re running out of time, so if it doesn’t work, Plan B will play out… If you have any ideas for Plan B, please let me know, I’m open to suggestions. :-)

Aluminum Rocks!!

2009-11-16T12:17:00.003-05:00

My first thought was to write a blog post about why we named our Blog “Tales of Atomic Number Thirteen”, but then realized that it would be a really short post. Google “atomic number thirteen” and you’ll discover that aluminum is the 13th element on the periodic table, there, end of post. :-)

That was just a little too short, so then, I figured I go into a description about how aluminum metal is made and finish up with some fun facts about aluminum.

Well, there is already tons of info out there on how aluminum metal is made - tons of it - and much more comprehensive than what I could provide, so I’m not going to go into detail here. Instead is a really short description of the process and some of the benefits that you may or may not know about already.

Here is a just a quick process breakdown…
•Aluminum is one of the most abundant elements found in the Earth’s crust – approx. 8%
•Aluminum metal is not found naturally so you can’t dig up a hunk of it from your garden
•Bauxite is an aluminum ore, mined in open pits, from which alumina is extracted – a majority mined in Australia, Guinea, Jamaica, Brazil and Russia
•Alumina is electrolytically reduced using the Bayer Process to make aluminum metal
•Aluminum metal is roughly 99.7% pure aluminum. The balance is other elements that are added to allow for specific properties in the end product

Knowing where things come from is very interesting though, so if you’re interested, here are a few terms to search that will generate some interesting sites to check out for more detailed info; some provide simple explanations, some very, very detailed and scientific.

•History of aluminum
•How is aluminum made
•Bayer Process
•Crazy facts about aluminum
•What is made from aluminum…

…there is information about everything from aluminum production to aluminum recycling to kids craft projects to how to make an aluminum foil deflector beanie to protect against harmful radiation… it’s seemingly endless (well not endless, only 106,000,000 results ).
Aluminum is used in countless applications, by many, many different industries.

What are the Benefits of Aluminum?

•100% recyclable – recycled aluminum requires 95% less electricity to produce than prime aluminum – better for the environment, also consider LEED applications
•Wide range of finishing options – can be painted, can be anodized - as well as a variety of other finishing options including specific application finishes
•Resilient and highly reflective – perfect for lighting components
•Resists corrosion – protective aluminum oxide coating forms naturally
•High electrical and thermal conductivity – great for heatsinks
•Complex, intricate shapes are possible – you should see some of the stuff we’ve done!
•Increased strength in cold environments – think of cryogenic applications
•Uniform quality
•Comparatively low tooling costs – tooling costs are relatively low compared to other processes
•Non-sparking, non-magnetic
•Non-combustible
•Good strength to weight ratio - higher than any other metal
•Attractive appearance – nice, shiny, smooth surface finish
•Easy to fabricate – punching, drilling, notching, etc…
•Can be joined in many ways – a variety of assembly options available including snap-fit and slide-fit extrusion design
•Precise, close tolerances – we’ve extruded parts to as low as 0.003” (not all but some can be measured this low - not everything requires this close a tolerance anyway)
•Near-net shape production – reduce downstream costs by designing extrusions as close to the final shape as possible
•Cost-effective production
•Design freedom – think outside the box – it may be possible!

Now, here’s a quick, short list of some of the stuff we’ve made…

Picture frames, pump housings, heatsinks, company logos, snowflakes, puzzles, sign/display frames, office furniture components, automotive parts, manhole rung, threshold, sliding hanger, end cap, cross bar, dolphin rail, quarter round, cable leg, table leg, handle, glazing, drawer pull, draper retainer, floating square, special clamp, screen frame, t-slot, faceplate, channels, angles, door handle, post cladding, fascia, ceiling track, wall bracket, slotwall, tube, poster frame, pipe sleeve, seat bracket, sand paper gripper, counter edge, stile support, housing, weight bar, oil wick cover, spindle, support clip, louver, latch, side clip, card guide, channel cap, valve housing, trim, guide rail, blade clip, shelf strip, fan tray, safety brush, mirror holder, coupler, cooling bar, hinge back, label holder, hembar, panel edge, box frame, t-strip, reflector, exhibit frame, brush mount, Christmas trees… and the list goes on…and on…and on…

Extrusions have been used to replace plastic and steel components, as well as combining multiple parts into one, complete unit and countless other uses. They’re incredibly versatile and it’s really cool to see them made!

If you’d like to come for a tour, let us know (info@almag.com) we’d be delighted to see you!

Is my part ready yet??

2009-10-28T12:30:00.009-04:00

What’s your lead time? How quick can I get it? Is my part ready yet??? …questions our Sales team receive every day…

I actually have those questions now, I’m waiting on our new Almag ornament order. This will be the 4th year that we’ve made an Almag ornament to send out to Customers before the Christmas break. So, now it’s my turn to ask how quick can I get it? and is it ready yet?

Below is a run-down on the steps for an extrusion order. Just because I work here doesn’t mean I get special treatment, I have to go through the same lead time stages that everyone else does.

I’m starting this from the point that an extrusion design has been approved for production and the tooling has been ordered so the quoting process has already been completed.

First Step – Tooling 5-10 business days
Most of what we do is custom so we need to order customized tooling in order to produce the part we want.

5-10 business days is standard lead time depending on the type of profile. Hollow dies require longer than solid dies. More complex dies may require longer still.
Our Almag ornament die is pretty complex so it has a confirmed delivery of 11 working days.

What about rush tooling?
Rush tooling is possible in some cases. A premium is charged if the die maker is able to produce the die in a shorter time. In some cases dies can not be rushed simply because the die design requires the full time for production.

Next – Once the tooling arrives…
Almag has a policy that all new tooling is put to press within 48 hours of receipt of the die.

You want your material, especially when it’s something new, and we work hard to get it to you as quickly as we can, but we cannot confirm the 48 hour delivery as not all dies work correctly the first time to press. When you think about it, every die is unique, so it’s like extruding a prototype each time a new die goes to press.

The tooling for our new ornament is due to arrive November 4th. I’ve ensured that the production order is in the system so it will be ready for scheduling once the die arrives, but until then, there’s not much to do but wait.

Production
The die has arrived and we’ve put it to press within the 48 hour window. A sample is taken at the press and checked for dimensional accuracy. Another sample is then taken after stretching and checked again. A sample is taken yet again at the press saw to ensure consistency in the material from step to step. This process is repeated if necessary every 24-48 hours until the die is approved for full production.

Material has been extruded, but it’s not ready to ship yet, it still has to be cooked.

Heat treating/Temper –1 day
Artificial Ageing Heating and cooling a solid metal or alloy in such a way as to obtain desired conditions or properties. Commonly used as a shop term to denote a thermal treatment to increase strength. Heating for the sole purpose of hot working is excluded from the meaning of this definition -- see Solution Heat Treating. Aging. (definition from AEC.org)

Artificial ageing is basically cooking the extrusions for about 8 hours in a big oven. Once the material is heat treated, it’s very hot and can not be handled. It must cool completely before moving on to be packed.

Packing/Shipping – 2-3 days
Packing times can vary. An order requiring paper interleave between parts and then boxed require considerably more time to pack than parts that can be packed on a skid. Similarly, small parts take longer to pack than long lengths. Once packed, it can be shipped.

What if it’s not a new shape? 7 days (today)
Repeat orders that are mill finish, with no secondary operations like cutting or finishing, are delivered locally in about 7 days.

Our production schedule is reviewed daily, so our lead times can change daily as well. 10 days or less has been our lead time for the past decade. Today it’s 7 days, tomorrow could be 8, or it could remain at 7.

But I need my material now, what about rush orders?
Almag is known for considering rush orders, if our scheduling will allow. If you need it sooner, ask your Sales rep.

For our Almag ornament order, I will be trying to rush it along as much as possible. Production may be able to do something, they may not, depending upon what’s on the schedule. But, the die’s not here yet so I can’t start asking until it is.

Additional processing – 5-20 days
Fabrication and finishing add additional time to your overall order delivery and can vary depending on the process and/or where it must go for processing.

Our in house fabrication requires an additional 5 days, as does most outside finishing.

Our Almag ornaments will be cut down to 0.250” by our fabrication department, so there will be an additional 5 working days required for the cut back. Once cut, they require deburring, an additional 3 business days and after deburring will be sent out for anodizing. The total lead time in our system looks like this:

Extrude – 12 business days (new tool 2-12 days includes testing and production)
Temper – 1 day
Cutback – 5 days
Sent for deburring – 1 day for shipping
Out for processing – 3 days
Return from deburing and pack for anodizing – 1 day
Out for processing – 5 days
Visual & dimensional Inspection – 1 day

Because this order is not being shipped to another location we won’t have additional time required for packing and shipping but generally we plan a day for each stage.

So this is how a “system” lead time works. Depending on the week 5 days can become 1-2-3 days at any stage of the process and more often then not we are in a position to ship earlier than promised.

So, if you have a deadline, it’s better to start sooner rather than later. There are numerous different processes and variables that may affect lead time, if you have questions about your own project, please ask your sales and he/she will be able to provide specific details based on your requirements.

Given that the holiday season is fast approaching and the total lead time for our cool ornament will take us into December, I’ll be pushing to get the order sooner. I only bug the plant once a year and this is it! I’ll let you know how it works out.

If you haven’t received an Almag ornament in past years and would like to receive one this year, please send us a note (info@almag.com) and we’ll be sure you get one.

Have a great day!
Allison

Staying Connected, the Old Fashioned Way

2009-10-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

Almag has been actively involved in the Aluminum Extruders Council (www.aec.org) for about 45 years. The AEC is a Chicago based international association of aluminum extruders and suppliers to the extrusion industry. Members of the Almag Team participate on committees and have helped organize workshops on a number of occasions over the past 25 years. In addition, our President, Bob Peacock, recently retired from the Board of Directors, having served for over 10 years, including 2 years as Chairman.

Just over two weeks ago, the AEC held its Fall Management Conference. This event provides an opportunity for members to hear from a variety of speakers, and to dialogue with each other, about topics relevant to our industry. This year, three of our Leadership Team participated.

Highlights included messages from two Economists, one from within the aluminum industry and one from outside our industry, that the worst is probably behind us and that North America should see modest growth in 2010 and 2011. The benefits of aluminum make it very likely that our industry will participate fully in this recovery (but not necessarily, “will recover fully in this recovery”). Global demand for aluminum is expected to grow significantly (4% - 6% annualized) over the next 10 years as developing countries continue to urbanize and industrialize. The general message was optimistic but not euphoric.

Also discussed was the increasing focus on Green initiatives, including the considerable attention being paid to LEEDs certification in building, the increasing attention paid to recycling waste energy, and the adoption of renewable energy. All of these are important to Almag.

These are a few of the things that we found particularly relevant to our business and maybe to those reading this.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

2009-10-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

The folks at Almag are a pretty tight group. And, as a group, we like to share our events and activities with each other, including the photos below.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from the pics as well.

1) You don’t know until you try
2) We all fall down, we just have to get up and keep on going
3) You’re never too old to learn something new

Of course, those are age-old sayings and yet they still hold true. In this case, it’s our VP of Sales & Marketing, Chris Love, who put those sayings to work a couple of weekends ago. He had a couple of good failures before he was eventually able to keep his form.

Almag Aluminum Wins Business Achievement Award

2009-09-14T10:51:00.000-04:00

Okay, so now that you know who we are and what we do, we’re just going to cheer lead one more time and that will be it…for a while…
Almag was the winner of the 2009 Brampton Board of Trade Business Achievement Award in the Advanced Manufacturing category. Below is a link from the City of Brampton website (www.city.brampton.on.ca) giving an explanation of the award and judging criteria.

• http://www.city.brampton.on.ca/economic-development/achievement_awards/about.tml

Almag was among three finalists in the Advanced Manufacturing Category. Companies are judged based on a number of criteria, such as Customer service and technological advances, among others.

Below is the note that Bob Peacock (President and owner of Almag) sent to all the employees in the company. It pretty much sums up the reasons that contributed to Almag’s win.

“Last night was the Awards Ceremony for the Brampton Outstanding Business Achievement Awards. Almag was one of 3 Finalists in the Advanced Manufacturing Category. When the envelope was opened and the winner announced, it was our name that was read out!!

Congratulations to all of you. This recognition is the result of 56 years of building a solid, successful business; something that has occurred because of the strength of our whole Team. Working together, we do things for our Customers every day that we take for granted as “normal” but that really are very abnormal in most other businesses. The Service levels that the Sales Team provides are second to none. The Technical knowledge and interest of our Sales Team is almost unique in our industry. The “Whatever It Takes” response by the Plant to requests that most others would just shake their heads at and the practical approach to QA that Erin and her Team have are rarely seen elsewhere. Our use and knowledge of EPICS, and other computer based tools, is amongst the deepest in our industry, possible only because of the attention to detail that Herb and his Team has. Our reputation as a company that treats Customers and Suppliers well, paying on time, collecting with diligence but also with respect, and managing our money wisely is also amongst the best in our Community.

While my initial reaction to being nominated, and to winning, was one of surprise because I don’t think of Almag as being the most advanced or the most outstanding, it is clear when I consider the many things that we do exceptionally well, that we really are different from almost everyone else, which makes Almag a very deserving company for this award.

Thanks and Congratulations to all of you!!
Bob”

All Almag employees take pride in the company and ownership in the good things (and accountability for the bad things) that we do which make it a unique place to work and a sound company to rely upon.

GO ALMAG GO!

Almag – Generations of Aluminum Extruding

2009-09-03T11:54:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Almag! We’re just starting out with our blog – this is our first post!

Our intention with this medium is to give you info about our company, but also info that may help you learn more about the extrusion process and answer questions that you may have about your own extrusion design.

Since this is the beginning, we’ll start at the beginning and give a brief history of who we are, what we do and what makes us special (we have to be able to talk a little about ourselves).

So, here it is…

Mr. Edward Peacock started Almag in 1953 (so we’ve been around for 56 years!). Back then, Almag made door grilles for aluminum screen doors – the kind that some of you may remember as a kid, I know we had one. Door grilles are made from simple, aluminum flat bar and then curled into fancy shapes to add a punch to your screen door.

By 1959 Almag was making so many door grilles that instead of purchasing the flat bar, Mr. Peacock saw an opportunity to make his own and installed an aluminum extrusion press. Once the press was in production, it made sense to expand to servicing others, and so goes our current business of providing custom aluminum extrusions to Customers worldwide.

It’s been some time since we’ve made door grilles – their fashion has long since passed, but, we do make some incredibly intricate shapes that are more detailed than any door grille - some could even be considered decorative (although they usually have a more industrial end use).

Our first plant was 1300 sq.ft. in Etobicoke, Ontario. We moved to our current location in Brampton, Ontario in the early 70’s, where were now have three adjacent buildings totaling about 175,000 sq.ft. Almag is still family owned with Mr. Peacock’s son, Bob, at the helm. We have about 150 non-unionized employees and are fortunate to be part of an annual profit-sharing program. With low turn-over (the average length of service for existing employees is about 9 ½ years!), Almag is a great place to work!

We have produced some of the most difficult shapes you’ll find anywhere and have the absolute best Customer Service! Simple quotes we can turn around in about a day, a few more days for more complex quotes. And…our Sales team will get back to you when they say they will!

We are able to provide the entire extrusion package with complete fabrication and finishing services – some done in house, others through our excellent sub-contractor base. We can manage your entire order from extrusion through to completed fabricated and finished component.

So… that’s a quick bio of Almag - who we are and what we do. We have tons of experience with extrusions and looking for solutions to extrusion or design dilemmas. And, although this forum is for sharing information, we also want you to buy from us, so give us a call (888-GO-ALMAG) or send an e-mail (info@almag.com) and let us know if we can help. And, by all means, if you have a question about aluminum extrusions, let us know and we’ll do our best to get you the information you need!

Thanks for reading! Have a super day!