Extruded Dominoes
Extruded aluminum is not just for windows, lighting and automotive components. Aluminum extrusions can be fun too! Case in point: these cool new dominoes crafted from aluminum extrusion rather than wood or plastic.
Dominoes originated in 13th century China. Now, 800 years later, aluminum extrusion takes this ancient game in a new direction. Edge Dominoes are made differently from any other domino set.
Every tile is created from a single profile extruded through a die from a solid billet of aluminum. The extruded domino profile is hollow, with a series of projections which, when highlighted, create the "numbers". Aluminum extrusion, a zero-waste process, allows metal to flow into the final shape, which is then cut to length and finished with a durable matte black anodized coating. Each domino, made from 6063-T6 alloy, is 1.5 inches high, .75 inches wide and .25 inches thick. Aluminum extrusion is the perfect manufacturing process for the dominoes; extrusion allows for the production of a net shape with no machining needed to fabricate the attractive design.
Unique Extrusions
Each unique number pattern in the 28-piece set is laser engraved onto the tiles, creating bright, white and everlasting dots. The result is a quality domino that looks great, plays well and is 100% made in the USA. Plus, because they are made of aluminum, they are 100% recyclable.
“The idea for the dominoes was to take the classic design for the domino and distill it down to just the numbers and the walls,” said Andrew Perkins, designer and founder of Fire Road in San Francisco, CA. “I also wanted to make the dominoes in the USA and use anodized aluminum. Once I had the concept, I looked at a variety of different manufacturing methods (waterjet cutting, casting) but found that extruding was the best technique by far.” Perkins’ Edge Dominoes won the A’Design Award for 2017.
The Edge Domino set uses the aluminum extrusion process to excellent effect, taking advantage of aluminum’s benefits. The travel-size, lightweight, sustainable and unique domino design breathes new life into an age-old classic game.
With a background in modern furniture and lighting design, Perkins brings a minimalist design aesthetic, a tactile sense for materials and extensive production experience to each endeavor.
Fire Road, founded in 2015, is “a design brand focused on creating timeless home goods with unique material combinations, minimalist design and excellent function.” The company’s designs are focused on permanence, quality and sustainability.