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What We Do

Building with three aluminum Aluma towers attached

From Problem-Solving to Pioneering Solutions

It began with a question. “Could you attach a tower to my truck?” The call came from a traveling salesman looking for a mobile way to demonstrate the superior picture quality of his television antennas to his customers. Piquing the owners’ interest, this question opened a pathway to creative application-focused solutions. Matching engineering expertise with the superior benefits of aluminum, the Aluma team developed the solution while proving collaboration with customers is the key to success.

Man attaching an aluminum Aluma tower to a white truck In the design phase, Aluma engineers quickly realized just how strong this unique tower would be, yet it would be light enough for a traveling salesman to stow and deploy multiple times a day. The customer accepted the tower delivery and was ecstatic. He stopped by the shop on a regular basis in the following months to provide positive feedback and to brag about how his sales increased with the Aluma tower.

Our heritage as a pioneer of customer-focused solutions was born.

 

 

Reinvention and Innovation

Word spread about Aluma’s custom engineering assignment for the TV antenna salesman and requests flooded in. One request involved attaching a shelter to a trailer to support specialized wireless communication. Again, combining customer-focus with an engineering-centric approach, Aluma developed a reinforced, environmentally-controlled aluminum shelter solution. This mobile communication unit became the world’s first version of the Cell-on-Wheels, or COW. The use of aluminum in the manufacturing of Aluma’s products proved to be more innovative and more beneficial for the needs of customers than the steel counterpart.

Aluminum mobile communication unit on wheels with an Aluma tower rested on top

Why Aluminum?

Featuring aluminum, Aluma offers a structurally-sound and strong, yet lightweight tower that can telescope to heights of more than 100 feet. Aluma towers are designed in sections that can easily be retracted, or nested, inside one another for rapid deployment and maximum portability. Having superior mobility also allows our units to reach locations that permanent, in-ground steel towers simply cannot access. Helicopters can lift our skids and trailers to summits while light-duty trucks can tow complete Aluma trailer systems off-road. All of this is made possible through the use of lightweight aluminum.

We use aircraft-grade structural aluminum in our all-aluminum tower designs. These towers have an advantageous strength-to-weight ratio over steel towers and can handle up to 80% of the payload capacity of a similar steel tower while weighing nearly 70% less. Aluma aluminum towers have a greater maintenance interval, requiring less direct engagement with lower upkeep costs, and offering corrosion-free service. The towers and masts manufactured by Aluma have an operational lifespan of 20 years, compared to eight years for steel towers. The strength of aluminum increases as temperatures decrease with no loss of corrosion resistance due to extremes of cold. Steel weakens in colder temperature.

All of these aluminum differentiators fall under an environmentally-sustainable model. Aluminum is recyclable without degradation to the material. Recycling aluminum saves more than 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with primary aluminum production, and requires only 8% of the energy. In the event of a catastrophic incident, an aluminum tower will have a smaller impact on its surroundings, with minimal effects to property and life, as compared to the failure of a steel tower.

Aluma is proud to offer products that follow the green initiative.

Benefits of Aluminum versus Steel

  • Lower Physical Weight (multiple advantages)
  • Higher Strength-to-Weight Ratio
  • More Corrosion Resistant
  • More Environmentally Friendly
  • Provides Longer Lifespan
  • Incurs Lower Maintenance Cost
  • Requires No Coating Process (can be used with mill finish)
  • Higher Grade of Material (aircraft grade)
  • Longer Maintenance Intervals
  • More Sustainable Processing
  • Less Prone to Failure (more ductile)
  • Higher Resale Value
Lifespan Cost of Ownership
Item Aluminum Steel
Initial Costs    
Tower System $$$$ $$$
Tow vehicle $$$ $$$$
Shipping $ $$
Special license/registrations $ $$
Training $ $
Cost of Operation
Transporting/logistics/permits $ $$
Special Equipment $ $$
Setup time $ $$
Manpower $ $$
Storage of units $ $
Mobility (airlift, etc.) $ $$
Cost of Maintenance
Heavy/Special Equipment Needs $ $$
Spare Parts $$ $$$
Labor $ $$
Frequency $ $$$
Cost of Downtime
Unplanned labor $ $$
Failure impact $$ $$$
Loss of system usage $ $$
Frequency $ $$
Cost of Production
Coating material N/A $$
Lead Time $ $$
Remaining Value
Useful life expectancy $$ $$$$
Resale Value $$$ $$

Excellence

Aluma forged the aluminum tower industry, leading the market with state-of-the-art ideas that completely reinvented how portable tower and mobile tower-trailer solutions were engineered and fabricated. The entire engineering library, created over our 50 years of existence and containing thousands of tower models, greatly reduces engineering charges passed onto the customer. We use our unique approach to customizing solutions to enhance the customer experience. All products are designed in our in-house engineering department, and with complete transparency in a collaborative relationship with the customer. From inception, Aluma has produced the highest quality products using the best material. Aluma designs and delivers customized, robust, innovative and integrated solutions and services for our customers.

 

Learn more about our custom solutions

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