At Profall, every aluminum extrusion is CNC-machined for tight tolerances and parts that are ready to assemble. Here's how CNC machining works, and what it can do for your project.
If you've ever designed an aluminum component, you know the extruded shape is just the starting point. Holes, cuts to length, and more complex geometry come next, and CNC machining is what makes that step precise and repeatable, piece after piece.
In this article we'll cover:
Aluminum CNC machining is a material-removal process controlled by a computer program. The machine follows that program to drill, cut, and shape each part with the same precision, with no manual adjustments needed from one piece to the next.
Aluminum is an ideal material for this kind of work. The alloys Profall uses, known as soft alloys in the 1000, 3000, and 6000 series, machine easily: chips clear fast, cutting speeds can run high, and tools last longer than they would on harder metals. Add in aluminum's strength-to-weight ratio, and you get parts that stay lightweight without losing mechanical strength.
The result is a process that delivers both speed and dimensional accuracy, two things that matter a lot when you're machining batches of profiles headed straight for assembly.
Profall runs several CNC operations on its aluminum profiles:
Every job gets checked against the customer's technical drawing first. Wall thickness, cross-section geometry, and other factors determine which operations are possible and what tolerances are achievable, something Profall's technical department already checks during the feasibility review.
Machining a profile that's already been extruded is a different job than starting from a raw billet. The shape is already close to final, and the extrusion process has already dialed in the tolerances, so the CNC machine only has to handle the details instead of building the geometry from scratch.
That means real advantages: less material to remove, so machining time and scrap both go down, and production costs stay lower because most of the shaping work is already done by the time the part reaches CNC.
It's even more of an advantage on complex or special sections, the custom profiles Profall builds to a customer's drawing. Starting from a profile with the right geometry already in place means CNC work only needs to happen where it actually matters.
Profall extrudes with 6000 series alloys, where silicon and magnesium are the main alloying elements. These are known as soft alloys for their machinability and weldability, which makes them a good fit for both CNC work and welded structures.
The alloys Profall uses in this family are 6060, 6063, and 6005.
All three machine well and hold up nicely to drilling and milling, keeping a clean, consistent surface finish even after material is removed.
Which one you pick depends on the project: the mechanical properties the finished part needs, the surface finish it will get afterward (anodizing or powder coating), and the type of machining involved.
CNC-machined aluminum profiles show up across a range of industries.
In automotive, CNC-machined profiles turn into body and structural components, where dimensional accuracy and low weight both matter. In electromechanical applications, CNC machining adds the holes and seats needed to mount electrical components, while also taking advantage of aluminum's high conductivity.
The energy and marine sectors rely on machined aluminum profiles too, where lightweight and corrosion resistance need to go hand in hand with precise, assembly-ready parts.
Across all of these industries, CNC machining is what turns an extruded profile into a finished part, ready to install on the final product.
What sets Profall's service apart is how design, extrusion, and CNC machining come together as one connected process. The in-house technical team reviews feasibility from day one, catching potential issues before a profile ever reaches production.
That integrated approach is what keeps tolerances tight even on complex or custom-drawn sections, because every stage (design, extrusion, and machining) is planned around the others.
For more advanced machining, Profall partners with RCRAMERA, a company that specializes in high-quality aluminum machining. It's a partnership that opens up more technical possibilities on every project, without compromising the quality standard Profall is known for.
Request a quote or a technical consultation: our team will review feasibility, tolerances, and timelines for your project.
In most cases, yes, but the profile's geometry, wall thickness, and the type of machining needed all affect what's technically possible. That's why Profall's technical department reviews every request against the component's drawing before confirming.
It depends on the profile's geometry, the type of machining, and what the project calls for. Profall's technical department sets the tolerances case by case, starting at the feasibility review.
It varies based on how complex the machining is, how many parts you need, and whether the technical drawing is ready to go. Having a complete drawing from the start speeds up both the feasibility review and production planning.
Milling removes material to create shapes, cavities, or geometries that extrusion can't achieve on its own. Shearing is mainly for cutting the profile to length. Depending on the drawing, a single component often needs both.
No. CNC machining removes material, but it doesn't change the alloy's metallurgical structure. The profile's mechanical properties stay whatever the alloy defines; what changes is the part's geometry, not its underlying strength.