The production of aluminum first starts with the mining of bauxite, a clay-like soil found all around the Equator. Alumina, or aluminum oxide, is extracted from the bauxite during the refining process, after which it is smelted to form liquid aluminum. It is then cast into extrusion ingots, sheet ingots or foundry alloys, depending on the intended end use.
Aluminum Plate
The production of aluminum plate starts with large sheet ingots, weighing up to 20 tons each. These ingots are first heated to soften them enough for rolling, before being fed into a breakdown mill. Here they are rolled back and forth until they become just a few inches thick.
These slabs are then either cold rolled, or heat-treated to strengthen the metal. The highest strength alloys are cooled, then stretched and straightened to help relieve any internal stresses that may have built up during the process thus far. They are either left to age naturally at room temperature, or placed in a furnace to develop strength and corrosion resistance, before finally being cut into plates. All these different processes are defined by the temper designation of the material.
Types of Aluminum Plate
6061 aluminum plate is part of the family of heat treat alloys which is harder and more machinable than the common alloys like 5052 & 3003. 6061 is comprised of magnesium and silicon as its alloying elements. Of all the heat-treated aluminums, 6061 aluminum plate has the highest resistance to corrosion, but it is not as strong as some of the other heat treated alloys.
It has good forming properties, welds easily and has excellent joining characteristics. It can easily be cut, stamped, tapped, deep drawled or drilled using standard methods.
6061 is used in a wide variety of applications, including in the production of canoes, sailboats, trucks, buses, transmission towers, furniture, marine and chemical equipment, mine skips and hardware.
6061 T651 is an excellent, versatile alloy, suitable for all purposes. It has good weldability and strength, as well as good resistance to corrosion and good machinability. It has an ultimate tensile strength of at least 42,000 psi, an ultimate shear strength of 27,000 psi, and a yield strength of at least 35,000 psi.
