Aluminum alloy parts are present in a wide variety of products, including automotive parts, aerospace components, boats, and marine equipment. It is also available in consumer electronics, including smartphones, industrial machinery, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In this way, the list goes on! Aluminum and its alloys are utilized by engineers and product designers to create both prototypes and finished components. This blog article explores the popular use of Aluminum, the wide variety of Aluminum alloys, and a quick look at the key alloys!
Why Is Aluminum So Widely Used?
Aluminum is strong, lightweight, and flexible because of its high strength-to-weight ratio. Additionally, it is inexpensive, resistant to corrosion, and effective in a wide range of uses.
- As Aluminum alloys are such a versatile material, they are commonly utilized in the automotive industry. However, Aluminum is simple to work with and shape because of its formability and resistance to corrosion.
- Its structural soundness fulfills the most crucial demand for automobile bodies. While strength is vital, automobile bodies also need to be lightweight. They must be inexpensive to construct, resistant to rust, and appealing in the ways that customers want. Such having an amazing surface quality, the metal Aluminum is a good choice.
- The same is the case with aircraft bodies. Because of Aluminum’s great strength and corrosion resistance, aircraft companies prefer alloys of this material.
- It works effectively for aerospace designs and is necessary in engineering. It is a lighter alternative to steel and works well for a variety of aerospace applications and aircraft components.
- The automobile and aircraft sectors place a high priority on weight reduction. It assists in lowering emissions and achieving higher fuel efficiency standards.
For example, fuel supply, heat exchangers, manifolds, turbo pumps, liquid and gas flow components. The conformal cooling channels, fasteners, and many more frequent applications in aerospace are all made of metal, but not all of them.
Aerospace Use Of Lightweight Aluminum Alloys
Since the Wright Brothers’ invention, lightweight Aluminum alloys have been essential to the development of aviation. It offers good strength and good corrosion resistance, and these are both requirements for the aircraft sector.
Aluminum has a high strength in the aerospace industry’s standard grades, but alloying it makes it less corrosion resistant. The aircraft industry circumvents this by combining lightweight Aluminum alloys with highly corrosion-resistant clad liners made of pure Aluminum.
Series 7000 Aluminum
One of the strongest lightweight Aluminum alloys, alloy 7075, is most frequently used in the aerospace sector. Similar to alloy 2024, it has an outstanding strength-to-weight ratio and is perfect in components that will relate to high levels of stress. If necessary, you can heat the alloy 7075.
Aluminum 2000 Series
The alloys 2011, 2014, and 2024 are most common in the aerospace sector due to their high strength and superior machining, alloy 2011. Moreover, it is popular as FMA or free machining alloy, which is frequently common in complex parts.
Due to its high strength and superior machining capabilities that come about by the addition of copper. The alloy 2014 is effective for use in structural aerospace applications. Finally, alloy 2024 works well in aircraft applications that demand a good strength-to-weight ratio. This is due to its high strength and great fatigue resistance.
Automotive Use of Lightweight Aluminum Alloys
The automotive industry also realized that lighter cars were necessary for increased fuel efficiency. Aiming for an average vehicle’s fuel economy of 50 miles per gallon. Moreover, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards encouraged more automakers to “light weight” their models.
33% of auto designers and engineers responding to a 2015 DuPont survey stated they will use Aluminum to fulfill the new CAFÉ Standards.
Aluminum 6000 Series
Magnesium and silicon work with Aluminum alloy in the 6000 series. You can form into rigid shapes via heat treatment. In the next five to ten years, the 6000 series Aluminum market will experience significant expansion. Automobile hoods, doors, trunks, and roofs all consist of 6000 class Aluminum.
Series 5000 Aluminum
Aluminum from the 5000 series has a combination of alloys with magnesium. They are non-heat treatable and give out good weldability. Moreover, it offers strong corrosion resistance and moderate to good strength. The 5000 series of Aluminum is effective to use in non-critical automotive components and truck trailers.
Why There Are So Many Different Metal Alloys?
Pure Aluminum exhibits a number of appealing qualities. Aluminum, however, might not be robust enough on its own for a function or purpose requiring high durability. Alloys having Aluminum and other elements are stronger and more suitable for use in industrial settings.
How To Determine A Lightweight Aluminum Alloy’s Weight?
You can easily determine the Aluminum sheet weight by multiplying the gauge thickness, width, length, and alloy density, i.e., pounds/cubic inch.
For instance:
- The density factors of 5052 and 3003 are 097 pounds per cubic inch and 099 pounds per cubic inch, respectively.
Therefore:
- A sheet of 3003, that is.063″ x 60″ x 120″ would weigh 44.91 pounds if it were that size.
- The weight of a sheet of 5052 measuring 125″ x 48″ x 96″ is 55.87 pounds.
Conclusion:
Aluminum alloys are substantially lighter than steel, and they are effective to use in aerospace because they drastically reduce the weight of an airplane. It allows it to either carry more cargo or burn fuel more efficiently. Fuel economy and weight reduction are strongly related.
Being a widely common application of Aluminum in the automotive and aerospace industry, it has more industrial sectors to benefit. Moreover, Aluminum is suitable for a number of uses in different sectors. If you are in search of wholesale aluminum products and Custom Metal Stamping Process Services, we are here to assist you at Uga Aluminum! You may request a FREE quote for purchasing all the quality aluminum parts.
