Prototype Aluminum extrusions- best in-house production method
Hello.
We make a lot of products with aluminum extrusions and we're looking at a way to make prototypes in-house without having an extrusion die cut. I'm reaching out to see if anyone has experience or best recommendations. We would like the material to be 6061-T6 aluminum, but the structural properties are more critical. Currently, we are printing with an FDM 3D Printer and they're not strong enough. Thin walls around 0.040'', length of 6'' minimum, but expandable to 8ft would be ideal. Most of our profiles fit within 6'' diameter. Having smooth walls is fairly critical for fit and function. Obviously i'd like to avoid a lot of post processing. I know i'm asking for a golden goose, but your best recommendation would be appreciated.
Options I've considered:
[LIST][*]lost wax casting using 3D printed master[*]resin cast using 3D printed master[*]use waterjet to cut profile sections then glue together using a jig and alignment pin[*]CNC milling[/LIST]
Thank you.