Profiles are long materials made of wood, plastic or metal with a constant cross-sectional geometry. Edge profiles are the variation with angled outer edges.

Profile types

In engineering mechanics, three types of profiles are distinguished from each other:

Round profiles
Edge profiles
Mixed profiles

In addition, a distinction is made between "hollow profiles" and "solid profiles". Hollow profiles are hollow on the inside or open on one side. Solid profiles are solid and have no hollow space. Round profiles have an elliptical or circular cross-section. The edge profile is square, rectangular or angular. Mixed profiles can have very different shapes. They are designed for a specific purpose, for example window profiles.

Production of edging profiles

The manufacturing method of the edge profiles depends on its material and wall thickness. A closed edge profile is extruded. Thin-walled, open profiles are edged from flat sheet..

Uses for the profile

The edging profile is a standard semi-finished product. It is suitable for the manufacture of statically loaded structural elements such as frames, brackets, scaffolding, housings and much more. The Q and R profiles (square/rectangle) are particularly popular for this purpose. The following forms of processing can be carried out with edge profiles:

Shortening
Mitre cutting
Drilling
Cutting
Welding

A metal saw or angle grinder is sufficient for shortening an edge profile. The flat sides are easy to scribe or mark. The flat sides also make it easier to drill holes. Slipping, as with a round profile, is rather unlikely with an edge profile. Nevertheless, we generally recommend that every hole is pre-punched.

The straight cut edges make setting weld seams much easier than with round profiles.

Advantages of edge profiles

The flat sides make it much easier to attach sheets and panels. They are well suited for riveted, screwed and glued joints. With metal profiles, welding and soldering of attachments are also possible. Another advantage is that they are particularly safe and space-saving to transport. They do not roll, but remain in place.

Disadvantages of edge profiles

An edge profile has three disadvantages. Compared to a round profile, it cannot be statically bent in the same way. It cannot be bent and its edges pose a certain risk of injury when bumped. Its use should therefore be well planned.

For universal use

Along with the round profile, the hollow edge profile is one of the most widely used semi-finished products. They are used both in series production and in the manufacture of individual constructions. The edge profile is inexpensive, stable and easy to process. The large selection of materials, cross-sections and wall thicknesses provides the right edging profile for practically every application.