Aluminum Sheet

1100 aluminum is soft, ductile, and has good weldability. This sheet has excellent corrosion resistance and is therefore mostly used in food processing and chemical industries. Its good weldability makes it ideal for projects that require challenging forming operations. 1100 aluminum is known to have the highest thermal conductivity of any aluminum and high electrical conductivity.

3003 aluminum is the most widely used aluminum alloy. The alloy includes manganese, which increases the tensile strength. This sheet has good corrosion resistance and is non-heat-treatable. Some typical applications are spinning, drawing, fuel tanks, and sheet metal work.

3004 aluminum sheet has a higher strength than the 3003 aluminum. This sheet is non-heat treatable and has good corrosion resistance. Typical applications are similar to those of 3003 aluminum, but requiring much higher strength. Typical applications include storage tanks, pressure vessels, truck and trailer parts, and sheet-metal work.

3105 aluminum alloy is primarily recycled aluminum and has excellent corrosion resistance, formability, and weldability. 3105 aluminum is non-heat treatable except for annealing during cold working. Typical applications are the manufacturing of residential siding, mobile homes, and carrying goods.

This aluminum alloy is considered the weakest of all the non-heat treatable grades. It is excellent for decorative anodizing, can be easily hardened by cold working and has good weldability. It is popular in the automotive industry because of its supreme surface finishing characteristics and relatively high welded strength which makes it suitable for auto bodies.

This alloy is available in a wide range of tempers which strengthen the aluminum at the expense of ductility. It can be hardened by cold working and shows good strength and hardness. It is commonly used in ship structures and hulls, packaging tanks, and automotive parts.

5052 aluminum plate is typically used in marine, automotive, machine applications, fuel, mailboxes, ladders, railings, and more. This aluminum plate has good corrosion resistance, workability, and formability. 5052 aluminum plate is considered one of the strongest non-heat-treatable alloys and can be strengthened through the work-hardening process.

This alloy has excellent corrosion resistance and withstands extreme environments like immersion in seawater and industrial chemicals. It is weldable and among the non-heat treatable alloys it demonstrates some of the highest strength. While its high strength results in poorer machinability. Shipbuilding is a common application for this grade.

5086 aluminum has high strength that can be increased with cold working. It is an excellent material for welding and demonstrates good corrosion resistance. These qualities make this grade suitable for the marine, automotive, armor and defense industries.

This non-heat treatable performance alloy has good strength, corrosion resistance, high quality surface finishing, excellent weldability, and is easily formed. It is excellent for the automotive industry where its high strength-to-weight ratio leads to a lighter vehicle.

5251 aluminum has high fatigue strength, good weldability, and good corrosion resistance, even in marine environments. It is available in a range of tempers and is seen in the aircraft, marine, automotive, and food processing industries.

This alloy is suitable for seawater applications due to its excellent corrosion resistance. It is easily formed by rolling, forging, and can be extruded and machined depending on temper. It can be used for tread plates, vehicle bodies, ship parts and exteriors, and fishing equipment.

6016 is a high strength heat treatable alloy with good resistance to corrosion. It is easily formed and can be extruded. It is common in the auto industry for parts like outer plates, roofs, fenders, and doors.

This high strength, general purpose aluminum is one of the most commonly extruded alloys. After heat treatment its strength meets that of low grade steel. It is an ideal aluminum where a combination of good surface finishing, corrosion resistance, and good strength-to-weight ratio are required. There are many common applications for this alloy, ranging from structural frame molding to bridge components, sail boats, and other marine applications.

6082 is a wrought aluminum alloy that is typically formed by rolling and extrusion. It is one of the higher strength 6000 series aluminum alloys and can be used for high load bearing and high stress applications. Though it is weldable, the weld site will suffer weakening, making it susceptible for cracking and bending.

This aluminum sheet is a high strength heat treatable alloy. It demonstrates excellent surface finishing, corrosion resistance, and good weldability. It is common in the automotive industry, for auto body paneling and outer plate work, due to its high strength to weight ratio.

ANSWER:

An aluminum is a cold-rolled material that is between 0.25 and 6 mm thick. Thinner than 0.25 mm, it is considered foil; and thicker than 6mm, it is considered plate. Aluminum sheet comes in many forms, including diamond plate, expanded, perforated, and painted.

ANSWER:

Aluminum sheet comes in different sizes, depending on the grade of the sheet.

ANSWER:

The weight of aluminum sheet is easiest calculated with our aluminum calculator that factors in several dimensions, including density, thickness, width, length, and quantity.

ANSWER:

While the price of different aluminum grades vary, another important factor to consider is their density. When calculating cost, sometimes a lower price can be offset by a higher density. We discuss this at length in a comparison between 5052 and 3003 aluminum.

ANSWER:

Generally speaking, the difference between an aluminum sheet and an aluminum plate is the thickness. Aluminum sheet is thinner and cut from a continuously rolled coil. It ranges from .25 mm to 6 mm in thickness. Aluminum plate is thicker than 6mm and produced as a single item.