Buying materials is a big cost in any type of manufacturing, construction, retrofit or new design. Finding the best prices on your aluminum square bar, standard or custom extrusions, or for rod or plate is a big part of keeping the cost of the project at or under budget.
However, it is not just finding a low price that is important for your aluminum material needs. The actual price of the aluminum is only one factor in cost, and there are some obvious and some more subtle ways that you can save money and still ensure you are getting the best quality aluminum square bar for the lowest price and total cost.
The good news is that there are top companies offering aluminum square bar and other aluminum extrusions that allow for one order for all your aluminum needs. This can be an important cost-saving factor as with just one supplier you save your time, and your time is also money.
Custom Extrusions or Standard Extrusions
If you require custom extrusions with your aluminum square bar, there will be an additional cost. The aluminum company will have to work with your engineers or design teams to finalize the CAD model and have the die made. After that, there will be the need to run tests, verify that the extrusion is correct and matches your required tolerances and then actually start production.
Companies that have experience in producing custom extrusions are going to cost less to go through this process. They may even have a current die that will meet your requirements, which will significantly reduce costs and get the order out without the time involved in the testing and refining stages.
It is also possible that a specialty aluminum company already produces standard extrusion that can be used in place of a custom extrusion. In these cases, you will not only save on the time but also on the cost.
Buying in Large Orders
As with any type of material, volume purchase or buying in large orders, as opposed to multiple small orders, is going to be more cost effective. Once you understanding how much you need over any given time period, you can work with the aluminum company to order your aluminum square bar, rod and plate to meet your needs.
When buying aluminum square bar talk to the customer service rep and discussion issues for getting the best value. Remember, there is more to value than just cost, and the more factors you can take advantage of the lower the overall cost of the aluminum will be.
