Benefits of Using Aluminum in Metal Fabricating
Aluminum is a versatile metal. Its lightness, strength, malleability and resistance to corrosion are some attributes which make it the material of choice for many applications and metal fabricating needs.
When designing aluminum structures, one must work to maximize aluminum's unique strengths
Fortunately, aluminum comes in all alloys and properties. Here are some factors which make aluminum an ideal metal fabricating material:
1. Physical attributes
Compared to steel, aluminum is about a third the weight. Aluminum is not magnetic. And, particularly, beneficial to metal fabricating, it can be melted, formed and machined.
2. Alloys
By itself aluminum is just a light and quite strong metal. Alloyed with a carefully chosen another, aluminum can display a wide range of properties, which make it suitable for myriad applications. Very simply, aluminum is alloyed with copper (high strength), manganese (general metal fabricating), silicon (low melting point), magnesium (easy to weld) and silicon and magnesium (strong, heat-treatable).
3. Corrosion resistance
Aluminum is far more corrosion resistant than steel. When exposed to air, aluminum oxidizes at a very rapid rate. So much so, it can be used in chemical tanks. The downside? In metal fabricating, when welding aluminum, this oxidized layer can interfere with the weld and make for a weaker bond.
4. Welding
Certain aluminum alloys are very amenable to welding during metal fabricating. The bonds are strong and the surrounding metal shrugs off the thermal treatment of the weld.
Baseline Custom Fabricating has undertaken work for the commercial and residential sectors. We offer complete custom metal fabricating, depending on the unique specifications of the client. We work with high quality industrial grade metal and steel alloys.
We work to our motto of "old school quality through modern technology", always strive to stock our 13,000 sq. ft. facility with the latest equipment, in order to offer top quality services for custom metal fabricating to our diverse clientele.
