Aluminum is a common and popular metal. Aluminum alloy manufacturing parts are widely used in various products: automobile parts, aerospace components, ships and ship equipment, consumer electronics, industrial machinery, and so on.
This blog will explore the characteristics of aluminum, and why is aluminum alloy so popular. The type of aluminum alloy series, and briefly introduces the main alloy types used in actual manufacturing.
The characteristics of aluminum:
Light and strong
The proportion of steel is about 7.9, while the proportion of aluminum is around 2.7, and its weight is only one-third of the steel; on the other hand, The strength of aluminum is about 70% of steel. Therefore, aluminum is a material that is lightweight and high-strength.
Not easy to rust
When aluminum is exposed to the air, its surface will be rapidly oxidized, forming a hard alumina layer (Al2O3), and forming a very stable passivation state, which can protect the surface of aluminum well, thus avoiding the situation of aluminum rust.
Easy to process
The “yield point” of aluminum is low and “extended performance” is good, so it is suitable for plastic processing. It has a low melting point and good liquidity, so it is also suitable for forging. In addition, it is easy to cut and can be welded.
Good thermal conductivity and good conductivity
Aluminum is a “heat conduction rate” material, so it is used for air-conditioning or engine cooling water, etc. In addition, it is lightweight and conductive performance and is often used as transmission wire material.
Why is aluminum alloy so popular?
Aluminum is light in weight but strong and flexible. It is affordable, corrosion-resistant, and suitable for a variety of purposes.
Aluminum alloy is often used in cars because of its multifunctionality. The intensity is important, but the body must be lightweight, have low production cost, rust resistance, and have attractive qualities that consumers seek, such as excellent surface treatment characteristics. Aluminum fully meets these requirements.
The same is true of aerospace parts. Aluminum alloy is usually the first choice for aerospace design, and it is also necessary for engineering. This is also because aluminum has corrosion resistance and high strength. Aluminum alloys are lighter than steel materials and are ideal for a variety of aircraft components and aerospace applications.
Lightweight is the core needs of the automobile and aerospace industry. For the aerospace industry, the use of aluminum alloy greatly reduces the weight of the aircraft because it is much lighter than steel so the aircraft can carry more weight or increase fuel efficiency. Weight loss is closely related to fuel efficiency. In this regard, the common application ratio of the aerospace industry is everywhere-many of them are metal: fuel transportation, heat exchangers, manifests, turbine pumps, liquid and gas flow components, preservation cooling channels, fasteners, etc.
What are the series of aluminum alloys?
As one of the important basic materials of the manufacturing industry, aluminum alloy has attracted much attention due to its excellent performance and extensive application areas. According to different metal elements, aluminum alloy can be divided into about 8 series, each series has its unique characteristics and advantages.
- 1000 series: The highest aluminum content series. The purity can reach more than 99.00%. The texture is very soft, has a good extension rate, and is anti-tensile. It is common in modern industrial manufacturing.
- 2000 series: The content of copper is about 3-5%, its hardness is high, and it is not often used in It belongs to aviation aluminum.2024 is a typical duralumin alloy. It is a hot-available alloy. After heat treatment, its mechanical properties are significantly improved. It is commonly used in aircraft structural parts, fuselages, wings, and landing gear.
- 3000 series: Manganese is the main component.Its content ratio is 1.0-1.5%, and it has good anti-rust characteristics. My country’s 3,000 series of production technology is excellent and often used in humid environments such as air-conditioning, refrigerators, and the bottom of the car.
- 4000 series: The silicon content is about 4.5-6.0%. It has high heat resistance and strong wear resistance. It is often used in building materials, mechanical parts, forging materials, and welded materials.
- 5000 series: Magnesium is the main component, with a magnesium content of about 3-5%, which is often referred to as aluminum-magnesium alloy.It has high strength and excellent corrosion resistance and performs well in corrosive environments such as seawater and chloride, so it is often used in the manufacturing of Marine engineering, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, building materials, and other fields.
- 6000 series: mainly contains two elements: magnesium and silicon, representing the brand numbers6061 and 6063, which is suitable for products with high corrosion and oxidative requirements. , Easy to coat, have good processing, and are widely used in the field of profiles.
- 7000 series: It is an aluminum alloy with Zn as the main alloying element, and it is an aluminum alloy that can be strengthened by heat treatment. Known as superhard aluminum (aircraft alloy), has good thermal deformation performance, can get high strength under appropriate heat treatment conditions, good welding performance,and strong corrosion resistance, it is a high-strength weldable aluminum alloy, often used in aircraft bearing components, landing gear, rockets, propellers, aerospace and so on.
- 8000 series: Aluminum is not the main component in it and belongs to other series.
The 8 major series of aluminum alloys have their own characteristics and application fields, which can meet different needs. When choosing a series that suits your needs, you should consider its environmental, performance requirements, and cost budget.
Common aluminum alloy types
Deformingaluminum alloy
- A1050: It is the most representative material type of pure aluminum. Although this aluminum material is low, it is well-processed and corrosive and is often used for decorations or transmission lines.
- A2017: It is a type of material called “hard aluminum”. Although it is poorly resistant to corrosion, it can get high strength, so it is used for aircraft, automobiles, mechanical parts, etc.
- A6061: A well-corrosive aluminum alloy can further have higher corrosion resistance by a thermal treatment called “T6 treatment”.
- A6063: Corrosion resistance and good surface treatment are aluminum alloys that are used to squeeze molding products and are used for aluminum window frames and electrical materials.
- A7075: This is a type of material called “ultra-super-hard aluminum”, which is the most intense in aluminum alloy. Its excellent performance has made great contributions to the manufacture of aircraft.
Casting alloy
- AC2B: It is the most commonly used casting alloy with excellent casting properties and is often used in engine cylinder heads and valve bodies.
- AC4C: In addition to the casting performance, it is also an alloy that is corrosive and has excellent mechanical properties, which are used in gearboxes and compressor bodies.
- ACD10: This is a material suitable for die-casting. It is widely used for castability, cutability, and outstanding mechanicality. It is often used in engine housing, cylinder block, cover, etc.
DMTC supports various types of aluminum alloy manufacturing. The aluminum alloy parts we manufacture have high precision characteristics. The tolerance can reach ±0.005mm is an ideal choice for the majority of automobiles and aircraft manufacturers.
If you have any questions about any manufacturing service of aluminum alloy or DMTC, please contact us! Email: sherry.guo@szdmtc.com.
