An aluminium extrusion is a long, straight, finished product, often anodised or powder coated, and it is usually bundled with several others of the same section. The failure mode is not a broken profile but a scraped or dented one, and the contact points are the ends and the faces where two profiles touch.
Where a profile bundle marks itself
Extrusions are bundled face to face and banded. Under band tension the profiles shift against each other, and an anodised surface marks at the first movement. A channel over the bundled section turns that line contact into a flat one.
The ends take a different damage: they are what hits the floor or the container wall. Short channel pieces pushed onto the ends protect the cut face and the first few centimetres of the finish.
Specification at a glance
The channel is sized to the bundle or to the single profile, depending on whether the pack is loose or banded. Long lengths are normal, and the 6,000 mm limit is what usually decides the cutting plan.
| Pack | Channel | Leg | Note |
|---|
| Banded bundle | Over the section at each band | 40-50 mm | Not the full length |
| Single profile | Full length channel | 25-40 mm | Cut to the extrusion |
| End protection | Short piece per end | 30-40 mm | Protects the cut face |
| Stillage contact | At the frame points only | 40 mm | Do not line the whole rack |
| Anodised finish | Smooth dry facing | 40 mm | No grit against the surface |
Bundled, loose or in a rack
A banded bundle takes a channel over the section at each band position, not along the whole length. That is cheaper and it is where the band does the damage.
Loose profiles in a stillage need protection where they touch the frame, and a channel over the section at the contact points is enough. Lining the whole rack wastes board.
Anodised, mill finish and powder coat
Anodised and powder coated surfaces are the ones that show a mark, and they are also the ones that a rough board can abrade. A clean, dry kraft board with a smooth facing is safe; a board with grit on it is not, whatever its thickness.
Mill finish is more forgiving but still marks under band tension, so the channel is specified for the band rather than for the finish.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Do I protect the whole length or only the bands?
At the bands, for a bundle. A full-length channel is used for a single profile that is handled loose.
Will the board scratch anodised aluminium?
A clean dry board does not. Grit trapped between board and profile does, so keep the board wrapped until fitting.
What is the longest length?
6,000 mm, which covers most extrusion stock lengths in one piece.
Can the channel be printed with the profile code?
Yes, which helps when a bundle holds several similar sections.
Is a thicker board needed for a heavy section?
Wall thickness follows handling and band tension. A 4-5 mm wall is usual on a banded bundle.
Send the panel thickness, leg length and wall you need to mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will quote the U profile that fits.
