Choosing the correct 80/20 aluminum extrusion profile for your application can be difficult. The two main factors that it will affect your decision making process the majority of the time are, structural integrity, and overall cost of material.
80/20 Profile Selection
80/20 offers a wide variety of fractional and metric profiles. The fraction includes the 10 series (1" by 1") and the 15 Series (1.5" by 1.5"). Here is a comparison of the 10 series and 15 series profile standards:
10 Series:
- 1" by 1", 1010 increases in size to 2" by 4", 2040
- The center of the t-slot always measures .5" from the edge of the profile.
- 1010's estimated area: .4379 Sq. In.
15 Series:
- 1.5" by 1.5", 1515 increases in size to 3" by 6", 3060
- The center of the t-slot always measures .75" from the edge of the profile.
- 1515's estimated area: 1.154 Sq. In.
A breakdown of the all the extrusion profiles are located on pages 156-158 for the fractional and pages 646-649 for the metric in the 80/20 catalog. (To request an 80/20 catalog go here)
Choosing The Correct Profile
For this example, we will focus on the fractional series extrusion since the fractional and metric series are comparable. Here is an example for choosing the correct extrusion.
Machine Guard Application - Need to enclose a robotic cell for safety. Also will need access for maintenance. The robotic cell is 3' by 3' by 3' and the current structure does not have a frame to attach doors and panels.
- Extrusion for machine guard frame: 1515-L
- The frame will need to support doors. 1515-L is best suited since the frame does not have to support anything other than itself. This choice will decrease the overall cost of material without sacrificing the structural integrity.
- Extrusion for machine guard doors: 1515-UL
- We stay with the 15 series for consistency in hardware.
- The door is only supporting the weight of the extrusion and 1/4" panel in the t-slot. Choosing the "Ultra Light" cuts back on the overall cost of material.
This is a very simple application, but even when you increase the complexity, you still focus on the structural integrity and cost of material. It is a fine balance but there is a correct combination for any application.
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