SMART ALUMINIUM PROFILES FOR TRANSPORT BUILDERS WHO WANT TO MOVE FORWARD

Custom aluminium profiles for transport applications

Anyone working in bodywork construction, trailer manufacturing or commercial vehicle outfitting will recognise the trend immediately: projects are becoming more complex, batch sizes smaller and lead times shorter. At the same time, the final product needs to be lighter, more sustainable and easier to build without compromising on quality or reliability.

In this reality, transport companies are not just looking for a supplier, but for a partner who truly understands how a structure works. BOAL Extrusion has been supplying custom aluminium profiles for transport applications for many years, where specialist design, high technical requirements and sustainability come together.

Smarter design starts with the profile

A significant part of the improvement begins at the very start: the profile design. A well‑engineered aluminium profile can reduce assembly steps, combine multiple functions and increase stiffness with less weight - resulting in a cleaner, more consistent final build.

“What we often see is that companies already have a solid design, but there is still room for improvement in how the profile itself is structured,” says Ton Koldewijn, Technical Support Manager at BOAL Extrusion. “Through co‑engineering, we can optimise a profile so that it’s not only strong and dimensionally stable, but also easier to process in production. That saves time, reduces errors and ultimately lowers costs.”

Experience, length flexibility and reproducibility

BOAL has been extruding aluminium profiles in De Lier since the early 1970s, primarily in 6000‑series alloys. Profiles are available up to 10 metres, and - in collaboration with our sister company in the United Kingdom - even up to 14 metres.

This length flexibility gives designers the freedom to create continuous solutions that increase stiffness and consistency, ideal for carriers, rails, interior components and functional build‑up elements. Especially in small batches, reproducibility of these long lengths is essential: profiles must be accurate, every run again.

Fewer steps by integrating machining

A profile only becomes truly efficient when it is ready for assembly. That’s why BOAL works with trusted partners to integrate machining directly into the process. This includes cutting, drilling, milling or laser processing, as well as surface treatments such as anodising or powder coating. Customers receive profiles that match their technical and visual requirements with fewer separate steps in the chain.

Transparency and CO₂e reduction as part of the design

Transport companies increasingly need to justify their material choices. BOAL therefore provides full transparency on the origin and specifications of the aluminium: every billet is fully traceable.

For companies actively working on CO₂e reduction, there is BLUE by BOAL, offering aluminium with just 4 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium. Options include billets with at least 65% recycled content or billets produced using 100% renewable energy sources, without compromising technical performance or quality.