Alloy choice shapes how an extruded aluminium profile performs in service and how it looks after finishing. We produce all standard and custom aluminium extrusion alloys and tempers, shapes and sizes, by both direct and indirect extrusion. Our team of experts can develop solutions for virtually any aluminium profile application.
Pure aluminium is relatively soft. To overcome this, it can be alloyed with other metals. We have developed aluminium alloys that are tailored to cover most of the applications in the industry. These alloys are available globally.
Getting the alloy right is a trade-off, and that trade-off starts with your requirements. Start by asking yourself some key questions:
From there, secondary factors like machinability and weldability come into play if the profile gets machined or welded further down the line of assembly. These will not always be decisive, but overlooking them early could create issues later in the process.
Another variable that can be easily underestimated is temper, which describes the condition of the alloy after processing, including how quickly it was cooled after extrusion and whether it went through heat treatment. Our experience is that the same alloy in the wrong temper can behave quite differently in use, so we always recommend confirming this alongside the alloy choice rather than after.
Let's put this into practice. For instance, if you are working on a structural application, the 6082 alloy would be recommended for its high-strength qualities. For architectural and consumer-facing applications where anodizing quality matters more, 6060 and 6063 are recommended. If your product will be exposed to marine environments, 5083 is recommended due to its excellent corrosion resistance.
