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Why Sheet Aluminum Is So Popular

Sunday, March 9, 2014

By Jaclyn Hurley


Manufacturers appreciate the abilities to find materials that serve specific purposes. They also like the idea of saving money while still getting quality stock for all of the things they make. Sheet aluminum fits this bill quite nicely as it also withstands corrosion and rust as well as extremely cold conditions.

The need for this metal was felt, very strongly, in the 1970s when beverage can makers needed something besides tin that had a tendency to rust. They fell upon aluminum and loved it. You can not find a soda can that is not made from this material today. It holds up well to packaging machines, transportation and storage requirements.

Cars and soda pop benefit from this light weight material. Soda can be stored easier without fear of rusting or corroding. This rust and corrosion will also not impact the auto body panels either. Lower weight means more gas mileage and engines fabricated from this material will be lighter, stronger and stay cooler.

Great amounts of aluminum are used in the aeronautics industry. Planes, missiles, rocket ships and space craft are all made with this light weight metallic element. It has great sheer resistance when formulated in the appropriate way. Part of the allure of using this metal is that the many formulations that can be compounded into it makes it perfect for just about anything that needs to be made.

When compounding the sheets, the raw ore is removed from the mine and melted into ingots to go to the foundry. At the foundry, there are a couple of things that can be done with it to make it into the material used for manufacturing or construction. It can be alloyed with many different materials, such as steel or even titanium. Different alloys lend various characteristics to the aluminum. This makes it better form some things as opposed to others uses.

Looking at the thicknesses of this material will determine whether you have plates, foil or sheets. When the raw, alloyed material is run through the great pressures of the machines that press it into rolls, the amount of that pressure will influence the thickness. The thinnest is foil at less than six thousandths of an inch and plates are at and greater than one quarter of an inch. Sheets fall in between these dimensions.

This type of metal is used on many things, inside and outside of the home. Appliances, computer cases and parts used in each one. Cars, planes, fences, roofing systems, as well as gutters and down spouts. Duct work for heating and air conditioning systems, flashing around many parts of construction as well as conduits that contain electrical, chemical transport and plumbing services. All of these and many more are made easier and more durable because of aluminum.

Manufacturers use this material because it is cost effective and resistant to many elements. It is used because it can be anodized and colored in many different hues and tones. It is used because it can also be textured to resemble other surfaces and it just looks beautiful when it is prepared in the right way.




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