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T-Slot extruded aluminium profile joints – Standard connection

Standard Connection

The standard connection is the simplest and most cost effective joint for Alusic aluminium T slot profiles.  It is a perpendicular (or square) joint using a single socket head screw (fixing screw) without the use of any fancy accessories.

In this simple joint the central hole in the first profile piece to be joined has a thread tapped into it.  The thread -diameter & depth- is to suit the fixing screw being used.  In the second profile piece, a hole is drilled perpendicularly through at the desired location of the joint.  The hole is to allow a hex key access to tighten the fixing screw.

Details of how to make one of these joints are at this blog post.

Since this joint type is the simplest and most cost effective, it is by far the most commonly used in light, medium, and many heavy duty applications.  For more heavy duty and not so simple applications, other solutions are available.

The standard connection joint type is not limited to use with square profiles either.  It can be used to join rectangular profiles to square profiles as well as rectangular profiles to rectangular profiles.

Probably the only drawback of this simple joint is that it is not readily re-located along the second profile piece should the need arise.  Another hole needs to be drilled to suit the hex key at the desired new location.  Admittedly, this situation doesn’t often crop up, but it does occasionally.  For details of one of many alternative solutions, see this blog post; what are clamping plates.

Full Body Joint

One variation of the standard connection is known as a full body joint.  A full body joint can be used where slightly heavier duty demands.  The main difference in this joint variation is that the drilled perpendicular hole is to suit the fixing screw rather than the hex key.  This adds a small amount of complexity, and hence time, to preparing the joint, but it remains a very cost effective joint.

                            

Diagrams from the Alusic catalogue showing two forms of a full body joint.

Joining the other size aluminium profiles

This basic type of T slot connection is not only cost effective it is also incredibly versatile. All of our profiles can be connected this way without the use of any accessories and different size profiles can be joined in this way.

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