Blog - Aluminum Alloy Articles
Learn more about common aluminum extrusion alloys, including their properties and applications
Custom Aluminum Extrusions: 5 Important Tips for Engineering Design Success
Aluminum extrusions are versatile, finding use in a wide range of industries and applications. But that diversity of applications also means your supplier’s inventory of standard profiles won’t cover every need. Many product designers encounter unique situations. They...
Wood Grain Aluminum: Giving Your Extrusions or Sheet a Natural Look
Humans have used wood as a building material for thousands of years. While many newer building materials exist in modern times, people still value wood for its warmth, elegance, and timeless appeal. In recent decades, we’ve seen the increased use of aluminum and new...
Heat Treating Aluminum: How Does it Work, and What are the Options?
Every aluminum alloy has unique physical properties that make it suitable for specific applications. And heat treatment is a tool you can use to fine-tune those properties even further. Heat treatment involves the controlled heating and cooling of a product, in whole...
Is Aluminum Corrosion Resistant, and Can You Enhance This Property?
Corroded metal parts and products are something that most people have had experience with, most of the time in an unpleasant way. The corrosion of metal exposed to the elements must be treated carefully, as corroded parts will lose structural integrity and look...
Can You Powder Coat Aluminum? Is it the Best Finish for Your Product?
Yes, you can powder coat aluminum! In fact, powder coating is one of the most popular aluminum surface finishes for a wide range of products. It provides additional durability to bare aluminum surfaces and comes in a wide range of eye-catching colors. Here we...
What are the Pros and Cons of Aluminum’s Material Properties?
Aluminum is an excellent material that brings a lot of valuable qualities to the table. Its unique combination of properties makes it the most popular non-ferrous metal in the world today. And it's also often compared to the world's most widely used group of metals,...
What are Aluminum Extrusions Used For? Are They a Good Choice for Your Product?
To those who aren’t familiar with aluminum production and manufacturing, aluminum extrusion may seem like a specialized industrial process. Something that isn’t very relatable to the average person. But we are surrounded by aluminum extrusions every day, at home, at...
What is the Melting Point of Aluminum, and Why is it Significant?
When evaluating aluminum for a product application, designers are typically most interested in properties like it’s high strength-to-weight ratio, its corrosion resistance, or even its value as a heat sink. This means aluminum’s melting point can easily be overlooked....
Customs Broker vs. Freight Forwarder: What’s the Best Choice for Your Shipment?
In international shipping, the terms “customs broker” and “freight forwarder” are often used interchangeably, or even confused for one another. However, there are subtle and important differences between each of these services. In this article we’ll break down what a...
What is Alodine Finish, and How Does it Compare to Anodizing?
Aluminum is naturally corrosion-resistant, but when that’s not enough, designers will need to choose a protective aluminum surface finish. Alodining is a popular finishing option for preventing corrosion while still allowing electrical conductivity through the...