Upload your drawing
Load your profile drawing and we work out its weight, area, moments of inertia and wall thicknesses, and tell you whether it can be extruded. It works with DWG, DXF, PDF, SVG and 3D models such as STEP, IGES or STL.
Choose the profile drawing for the cut optimiser. When its weight per metre appears, tap Use this profile in the optimiser.
To upload the file you need to accept the File upload and confidentiality terms.
The file is processed in your browser: it is not uploaded to any server.
Centre of gravity Circumscribing circle Thinnest wall Thickest wall
Going ahead with it?
Ask Metrar for a die quote: they reply within 24 business hours. Your drawing and its data go into the request automatically.
Any other question about your profile? Message us on WhatsApp, with no obligation.
Calculated from the geometry of the drawing. Wall thicknesses are approximate: they show where the material is thinnest and thickest. The extrusion assessment uses general aluminium extrusion references and is for guidance only: every press and every die has its own limits, and the die shop confirms feasibility with your drawing. For 3D models, the cross-section of the part is used. If your software saves in its own format (SolidWorks, Inventor, SketchUp, CorelDRAW…), export it as STEP, DXF or PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Which files can I upload?
Drawings in DWG (AutoCAD R14 onwards), DXF, vector PDF, AI or SVG, and 3D models in STEP, IGES, BREP, STL, OBJ or 3MF, from which the profile cross-section is taken. Also a ZIP containing any of these. If your software saves in its own format, such as SolidWorks, Inventor or CorelDRAW, export it as STEP, DXF or PDF.
What is the circumscribing circle of a profile?
It is the smallest circle that contains the whole section. It defines the press container size needed to extrude the profile: the larger it is, the larger the press has to be.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The drawing is processed in your browser and does not leave your computer. Only if you then send us the enquiry by email is it attached to the email, and it is not stored on the site.
What makes a profile hard to extrude?
Walls that are very thin for the size of the profile, very different thicknesses from one area to another (aluminium flows faster through the thick parts and the profile comes out twisted), many hollows, and nearly closed cavities with a narrow opening. None of these makes it impossible, but they make the die more expensive or call for adjusting the design.
What is the difference between a flat die and a porthole die?
A flat die makes profiles with no closed hollows, such as angles, flat bars or U and T profiles, and it is the simplest. Profiles with closed hollows, such as a tube, need a porthole (bridge) die: the aluminium splits around the core that forms the hollow and welds back together inside the die. It is more complex and more expensive.
What do I need to order a die?
The profile drawing with its dimensions, ideally as DWG, DXF or STEP; the alloy and the finish; what it will be used for and a rough idea of the quantity. With that, the die shop tells you whether anything should be adjusted and quotes the die and the extrusion.