ALUMINUM EXTRUSIONS TODAY have many and varied applications-in products we use in the home every day, in the cars we drive, in buses, trucks and railway cars, in electrical and electronic equipment, in bridges and office buildings. One of the leaders in the Canadian extrusion industry is Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical of Canada Limited.

The company got its start in 1963 when Kaiser Aluminum of Oakland, California, acquired the assets of Alsco Products of Canada, a producer of architectural aluminum extrusions. Since then, the company's history has been one of steady growth. Says Terry Porter, Sales and Marketing Manager: "Aluminum offers the user a unique combination of light weight and strength which more and more companies want for their products. That's why it is increasingly used to replace other, heavier materials such as steel."
 

1. Typical extruded aluminum shapes used in the architectural/construction industries. Kaiser is a leading supplier of a wide range of standard and custom shapes. 2. Kaiser Aluminum extruded shapes can be found in many architectural applications, such as this airy atrium design.

To keep abreast of market demands, Kaiser has from the beginning maintained a continuing program of upgrading and addition to the company's equipment and facilities. In 1964, one year after the company took over the Scarborough operation, numerous improvements were made to the facility, followed two years later by a new 2,400 ton press.

A wholly owned subsidiary of the Oakland company, Kaiser Canada's autonomy has allowed the company to tailor its operation to the ever-changing needs of the marketplace in order to assure continuing success.

Throughout, new shapes were added to the company's inventory of extrusion dies, to the point where today Kaiser Aluminum boasts a total of some 5,000 standard and custom dies available off the shelf. Secondary operations have also grown with the addition of new equipment and services available to Kaiser's customers. The company now offers a full line of fabricating and finishing services, which were again enhanced as recently as 1987 with the installation of new forming and bending equipment and the addition of a horizontal extrusion paint line.
 

1. Kaiser technical experts use computer aided design to ensure accuracy of extrusion dies and provide repeatability. 2. Aluminum beams for roof of rapid transit car provide strength and help reduce car weight. Kaiser extrudes and rollforms the beams, furnishes them ready to install.

As part of the continuing process of upgrading, statistical process control has been implemented, and production planning, quality control and customer services were computerized. In 1984, a CAD system was installed to speed design activities and ensure greater accuracy and repeatability.

Now, as the firm prepares for the 2 1 st century, it is embarking on a new, 280,000-square foot facility in London, Ontario, which will be double the size of the current plant. A 4,000-ton extrusion press will be added to the existing 2,400ton unit, and the current 1,250-ton press will be replaced by an 1,800-ton one.

Completely new to the firm's London operation will be an aluminum recycling and remelt facility using state-of-the-art technology for maximum energy efficiency and for meeting all environmental requirements.
 

1. Terry Porter, Sales and Marketing Manager, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical of Canada Ltd. 2. Architect's rendering of new 280,000 square foot London, Ontario, extrusion plant scheduled to be in full operation in 1992.

The new plant is scheduled to begin operations in 1992 and is designed to support the company's expanded marketing efforts in Canada as well as in the northeastern United States. According to Jim Owen ' Vice President and General Manager of Kaiser Aluminum's Extruded Products Division, the new capabilities will "enable Kaiser Canada to give customers a wider range and higher quality products to meet their increased demands."

With the new facilities and expanded marketing area, Kaiser Canada will be well positioned to continue its successful operations into the 2 1 st century, providing aluminum extrusions for automotive, electrical/electronics and transportation, metal set, vice centre and construction-related markets.