What is Minitec
Minitec is the name of Minitec GmbH & Co. KG (Minitec), a German engineering company, has given to its family of extruded aluminum products manufactured from 2014 onward. The Minitec brand was created as an umbrella term for aluminum extrusions that conformed to certain standards and specifications set by the company. Minitec is used in the automotive industry, manufacturing, architecture, aerospace, bicycle, medical industries and many more.
Minitec aluminum extrusions are known for their corrosion resistance; high strength; light weight; availability of anodizing (Powder Coating or Liquid Coating); ability to bond to other materials like glass reinforced plastics (GRP); and availability in colors other than the standard silver and black. Minitec's designation as a 'brand' is unique among aluminum extrusions because it was created by a manufacturer for use by manufacturers, whereas most extruded aluminum products are designed and then marketed to companies that buy them for their own uses.
Minitec began development and testing of its aluminum extrusions in 2006 and the company started offering them for sale in 2014. Minitec is a subsidiary/daughter company of 3BM GmbH – an automotive supplier to Tier 1 companies like Mercedes-Benz, Daimler-Benz (part of Daimler AG), Porsche, Audi and BMW – which manufactures parts for the automotive industry, including aluminum castings. Once 3BM had created Minitec as a daughter company to manage its extruded aluminum products, Minitec began development of testing of Minitec-branded extrusions in 2006 at the same time that BMW was developing its iDrive system that required parts to be lighter weight and made in aluminum rather than in steel, which was used in all BMW components up to 2006. Minitec extruded aluminum products are being used in various ways by the automotive industry, including structural parts for cars and trucks, instrument panels for dashboard assemblies, body side molding, exterior door panels and trim pieces for front grilles.
Minitec aluminum products are made from a special extrusion process that allows the company to produce shapes and profiles that have been unavailable from other aluminum suppliers. Manufacturing of Minitec aluminum extrusions takes place at one of 3BM's plants in Germany.
Minitec has created two new families of profiles, as well as some specific versions for specific applications. The Minitec 700 family of extruded aluminum profiles, consists primarily of hollow versions that are lighter weight than solid versions made from other alloys or extrusions. Minitec 700 also offers the option of being anodized in different colors besides silver and black.
The Minitec 400 family consists mainly of solid extrusions that are made from aluminum. Minitec 400 is known as a high-strength family because it offers much higher yield strength than other common extruded aluminum profiles.
In addition to those two families of aluminum extrusions, Minitec has created its own version of profiles for specific uses, such as instrument panel bars and side molding.
Minitec products in the 700 and 400 families can be used with other products in those families or with Minitec's instrument panel bars and side moldings to create structural parts for various automotive applications. Minitec aluminum extrusions can also be bonded directly to glass-reinforced plastics (GRP), which has been used in automotive applications to create structural parts for trucks and SUVs.
If you're looking for aluminum extrusions, shop from Minitec Solutions.
