Aluminum manipulated via the extrusion process has facilitated the ease of our lives today. Major components of our transportation vehicles - cars, subway trains, bikes, airplanes and boats - are manufactured using the aluminum extrusion process. This includes not only the smooth exteriors but also the internal framework and hinges and clasps that hold together the extruded parts.

Extruded aluminum is the internal framework for the computer via which you're reading these words, from the keyboard and mouse your hands are resting on, to integral parts of your desk.

From the intricately grooved aluminum bleachers on stadiums and sports fields to display units used in retail, home entertainment storage systems and convention display stands - all are made with structural integrity and clean, attractive lines because of the aluminum extrusion process.

The strength of extruded aluminum and its high strength-to-weight ratio makes it the perfect transportation metal used in cars, trucks, subways, trains and aircraft. These vehicles can carry more, faster and at a lower cost - because aluminum is so light and strong. Consumer goods such as power tools and kitchen appliances are easier to use because they're lightweight. Plus, significant savings are incurred shipping these products because of lower overall weight.

Aluminum plays an especially important role in the auto industry. The metal provides resistance to the long-term environmental effects of temperature, moisture and corrosive salts. Everything from body and frame components to radiator enclosures, drive shafts and cylinder liners may be made from extruded products.

Finished, elegant products made of extruded aluminum have enhanced interior design to create clean, airy office environments. Extrusion products are customized to design specifications for tools that help us do our work - with rolling keyboard trays, work bins, interlocking office cubicles and specialized desk areas and shelving. We see out windows framed with extruded aluminum; aluminum doorways frame our passageways.

Because aluminum extrusion technology produces fewer pieces that can be used as self-contained units, less hardware such as screws and bolts are needed. Promotional advertising displays and residential kitchen and bath hardware have futuristic design styles with hollow cylinders or molding to hide electrical cords, ventilation systems and plumbing. Hardware such as door pulls, handles and hinges manufactured via extrusion are clean, corrosion-resistant and withstand time and weathering.

Thermal conduction and conversely, heat dissipation are necessary in other applications, such as thawing units for medications in the pharmaceutical industry and in electronic computer, audio and video systems.

The nonmagnetic properties of aluminum make it ideal for use in braided coaxial cables, which are lightweight, conductive and strong.

The manipulation of alumina into aluminum created a new world of tools for us to use. The aluminum extrusion process has revolutionized the way we live.