Linear Lighting Profiles

Aluminum Extrusions for Lighting

Extruded aluminum profiles can combine structural support, LED board mounting, heat-sink fins, diffuser channels, cable spaces, and equipment mounting into one continuous lighting housing.

Extrusion creates a continuous profile with a repeated cross section. That makes it well suited to linear machine lights, workstation fixtures, enclosed LED bars, and other products that share the same geometry along much of their length.

Cross-Section Design

Integrating Multiple Functions Into One Profile

The cross section can include rails for LED boards, slots for lenses or diffusers, external fins, mounting channels, screw bosses, internal cavities, cable passages, and attachment features.

Aluminum extrusions are used throughout industrial manufacturing where a consistent profile is required over long lengths.

Extruded aluminum industrial lighting housings

Heat-Sink Geometry

Building Thermal Surface Area Into the Profile

Fins can be incorporated directly into an extrusion so the housing also serves as a heat sink for LED boards and electronics.

Fin spacing, orientation, wall thickness, housing mass, board contact, and installation environment all influence thermal performance.

Tubular Profiles

Enclosed Extruded Sections

Aluminum extruded tubing represents one category of closed or partially enclosed extruded geometry used across industrial products.

Lighting-specific profiles can be more specialized, incorporating dedicated LED, optical, and mounting features.

Structural Shapes

Angles and Mounting Features

Extruded profiles can also form brackets, frames, rails, and mounting structures. Industrial aluminum angles are a simple example of structural extruded geometry.

Secondary Machining

Cutting the Continuous Profile Into Finished Housings

Extruded stock normally requires additional operations such as cutting to length, drilling, milling, threading, slotting, deburring, and connector machining before it becomes a finished lighting housing.

CNC-Machined Lighting Components

Surface Finish

Anodizing Extruded Lighting Profiles

Aluminum profiles can receive anodized finishes after machining where anodizing suits the product requirements.

Aluminum anodizing is one established surface-treatment category for aluminum industrial components.

Selection

Extrusion Design Factors

Cross SectionIntegrate only features that benefit from running continuously along the profile.
Board MountingProvide stable LED-board contact and alignment.
Optical RetentionCreate channels or seats for lenses, windows, and diffusers.
Thermal SurfaceUse profile mass and fins as part of the cooling system.
MachiningPlan secondary holes, cuts, threads, and connector features.
FinishCoordinate anodizing or other surface treatment with final dimensions.