EXTRUSION EXPERTISE. INDUSTRIAL EXECUTION.
Turn extrusion knowledge into
measurable performance
XtruAdvance helps aluminum extrusion companies improve productivity, quality, and profitability through practical engineering expertise, automation integration, and data-driven optimization.
25+
years of leadership
30+
plants worldwide
End-to-end
strategy to the shop floor
From the first constraint to sustained improvement.
INTEGRATED CAPABILITY
XtruAdvance combines technical consulting, automation, intelligent optimization, and workforce development because lasting performance takes more than a recommendation.
XtruConsulting
Practical technical and strategic support for extrusion plants, OEMs and investors.
SR&ED tax credit support for Canadian projects
R&E tax credit support for U.S. projects
Technical eligibility assessments for extrusion innovation
Documentation of qualifying R&D activities and evidence
Support through reviews, audits, and specialized tax partnerships
“The best process improvement is one the team understands, trusts, and can sustain.”
About Tony
Engineering depth. Executive perspective. Shop-floor practicality.
Tony Da Silva holds an MBA and is a Six Sigma Black Belt with more than 25 years of leadership experience in aluminum extrusion.
Across North America, he has led plant startups, operational turnarounds, research and development, process improvement, and technology implementation for aerospace, automotive, transportation, industrial, and architectural markets.
Today, as founder of XtruAdvance, Tony helps extrusion companies improve service, quality, productivity, and enterprise value through consulting, training, automation, and intelligent optimization systems.
XtruAutomation
Automation built around the extrusion process.
XtruAutomation combines advanced PLC and control-system expertise with deep aluminum extrusion process knowledge. Our solutions go beyond equipment automation to improve productivity, product quality, energy efficiency, and operational stability.
By understanding the metallurgical and mechanical behavior of the extrusion process, we develop automation that connects machine control with real production performance.
Two decades of automation expertise on the extrusion floor.
About Vinícius
Vinícius Dessotti is an Electrical Engineer with more than 20 years of experience designing, implementing, and optimizing industrial automation systems for the aluminum extrusion industry.
Across six countries—Canada, the United States, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and Brazil—and three continents, he has implemented, modernized, and optimized automation systems for more than 20 aluminum extrusion lines, while providing technical support and troubleshooting to over 40 manufacturing facilities.
His expertise spans PLC and HMI development, press speed and motion control, drive and servo systems, production tracking, process optimization, equipment modernization, and integration between extrusion-line control systems and ERP platforms.
At XtruAdvance, Vinícius leads XtruAutomation and the automation development supporting Xtru-IQ, integrating process data, control systems, and extrusion engineering to improve productivity, process stability, and operational performance.
Control Systems
PLC, HMI, drives and industrial networking
Performance Optimization
Servo control, cycle-time reduction and process optimization
Digital Integration
Production tracking, data acquisition and ERP integration
Modernization & Support
Retrofits, commissioning and troubleshooting
Experience across Extral, SMS Sutton, Schloemann, Farrel, Chinese press manufacturers, and other OEM platforms.
Intelligence at the press
Operate closer to the true process limit.
Xtru-IQ combines extrusion science, production data and automation logic to identify the best operating window for each extrusion challenge.
- Reduce dependence on operator intuition
- Improve consistency across shifts
- Understand die and process limitations
- Increase output while protecting quality
XtruUniversity
Structured learning that turns extrusion science into confident shop-floor decisions.
6xxx alloy metallurgy
Operator and supervisor systems
Process optimization and troubleshooting
Die Running Light™ methodology
Extrusion fundamentals
Process understanding, 6xxx alloy metallurgy and the variables that govern stable production.
Optimize performance
Productivity, billet temperature, ram speed, recovery, die running and metal flow.
Solve problems
Structured troubleshooting, root-cause analysis and quality-focused decision making.
Transfer knowledge
Customized workshops, competency systems and durable internal training capability.
R&D Tax Incentives
The challenge is often not a lack of R&D—it is failing to identify and document the work already being performed.
XtruAdvance brings aluminum extrusion engineering expertise to the R&D incentive process. We help identify potentially qualifying experimental development, improve technical documentation, and work alongside specialized tax professionals to support strong, technically grounded claims.
Die trials, metal-flow investigations, process optimization, defect reduction, tooling development, and improvements to extrusion speed, temperature, recovery, and mechanical properties may qualify when they involve technological uncertainty and systematic experimentation.
You are already doing qualifying R&D.
Recognize experimental development already happening inside the plant.
Turn technical work into clear evidence of uncertainty, testing and advancement.
Work alongside specialized tax professionals to support stronger claims.
Credibility measured in outcomes.
Selected career results
Representative achievements from Tony’s operational and executive leadership work. Results vary by operation and engagement.
Expertise across the extrusion system.
Sharing practical extrusion knowledge.
- Blisters and Their Many Causes
- The Extrusion of Two-Piece Billets
- A Practical Approach for Comparing Extrudability: 6061 vs. 6005A
- Evaluating Factors Affecting Profile Extrudability
- Measurement of Process Capability for Anodizing Color
“Working with Tony is a pleasure. He brings deep technical expertise, a practical approach to problem-solving, and a clear focus on measurable results.”
Testimonial
Bill DeKoning
Start a conversation
What is limiting your extrusion operation?
- Confidential initial conversation
- Technical and executive perspective
- Practical next-step recommendation
Bring the press constraint, quality issue, training gap or growth objective. We’ll begin with the problem and define the most useful next step.