5) Gasket Retaining Grooves or Guides: In curtain wall, fenestration, and

other applications, elastomeric gaskets are often required between parts. By

extruding a groove in the metal that matches a protrusion on a gasket, you
can eliminate the need for field assembly or adhesives. Usually the gasket is
press-fit into the extrusion in the shop. Dimensions for such a detail are shown
in Figure 3.10. Care must be taken to avoid stretching the gasket during
installation to prevent contraction of the gasket in the field to a length shorter
than required.
6) Extrusions as a Substitute for Plate: Plate costs about 1 times the cost 1�2
of extrusions, so it�s desirable to utilize extrusions rather than plate wherever
possible. Extruding to final width dimensions also eliminates the need to cut
plate to the desired width, thereby saving fabrication costs. Extruded bars are
available from a number of extruders through about 18 in. [457 mm] widths
or more, depending on thickness.
7) Non-prismatic Extrusions: Extrusions may have different cross sections
along their length when stepped extrusion methods are used. The smallest
section is extruded first, the die is changed, and a larger section that contains
the full area of the smaller section is extruded next. This method is used on
aircraft wings to minimize the amount of machining needed to produce tapered
members. Other tapered members, such as light poles, may be produced
by spinning. Set-up costs for these methods are high, so they tend to be used
only on parts that will be produced in quantity.
8) Grooves for Fasteners: Grooves can be extruded to permit screw heads
to be flush with the surface of an extrusion to avoid the need for countersinking
the fastener hole. Groove widths sized to a bolt head flat width can
also be used to prevent rotation of the bolt during tightening of the nut.
Another use for grooves is to reduce the loss of cross-sectional area that
occurs at holes (Figure 3.11).
9) Integral Backing for Welds: As shown in Figure 3.12, built-in backing
for longitudinal welds along an extrusion edge can be provided, eliminating
the need for separate backing and the need to hold it in place during welding.
Hollow Extruded Shapes If you�re like most people, you may need a moment
of head scratching to imagine how hollow extruded shapes are possible.
Extruders use three methods: