Aluminum alloy 6061 is a very common grade of aluminum alloy produced in various forms to be used for numerous applications. This includes 6061 aluminum plate, 6061 aluminum tooling plate, and 6061 aluminum bar or extrusions. It is often the alloy of choice for applications that include furniture, boats, or general engineering applications. At Howard Precision Metals, we are your source for an extensive range of aluminum alloys that help our customers fulfill their commercial and industrial applications, including 6061 aluminum. We retain a wide array of industrial connections with premier extruders in the aluminum and metals industries to ensure you receive the products you need.
What makes 6061 aluminum versatile for a variety of applications? The elements that make up the metal are what gives it its versatility. The prime alloying elements of 6061 are magnesium and silicone at 1.0% and 0.6% respectively. These elements give 6061 exceptional resistance to stress, cracking, and corrosion, in addition to good weldability and formability.
Broad Array of Industrial Applications
Aluminum alloy 6061 is a heat-treatable alloy of medium to high-strength that possesses a level of strength greater than that of alloy 6005A. Its fatigue strength is medium. It has very good weldability and corrosion resistance, even though its strength is lessened in the weld zone. It possesses good cold formability.
Aluminum 6061 is often used in certain heavy duty structural applications that involve:
- Truck frames
- Rail coaches
- Military and commercial bridges
- Ship building operations
- Towers and pylons
- Aerospace applications (i.e. helicopter rotor skins)
- Rivets
- Transport operations
- Motorboats
- Tube exercise equipment
- Boilermaking
Aluminum 6061, including 6061 aluminum plate is commonly used in automobile manufacturing operations where fixtures are needed for production lines. Some of the parts and products constructed with 6061 alloy include marine fittings, camera lenses, yachts, motorcycles, bicycle frames, brake parts, valves and couplings, fishing reels, electrical fittings, archery equipment, and scuba tanks. This form of aluminum-magnesium silicon alloy is often used for the manufacture of a wide span roof structures such as those for bridge decks and arenas.
For purposes of extrusion, aluminum 6061 is one of the most commonly used and versatile alloys. Because it possesses such significant strength for numerous structural applications, it is often called structural aluminum. When designing a custom extruded shape for a structural application, it is best to include generous corner radii both to increase the strength of the design and ease of extrudability. The chemical properties of this 6061 alloy enable its effective use in wide-ranging applications including specially designed custom extrusion shapes.
Aluminum 6061, including 6061 aluminum plate and extruded bar is often put through a process of hot forging. Using an induction furnace, billets are heated and forged within a closed die process. The process of forging is utilized to make various industrial components, including ATV and automobile parts.
6061 Aluminum Sheet
One of the most commonly used materials in the world is aluminum alloy 6061 T6 sheet. The T6 in this designation identifies the temper (or degree of hardness) of the alloy, which is produced through a process of precipitation hardening. This alloy is heat-treatable and has a solid strength-to-weight ratio. With excellent weldability and formability, this aluminum alloy is used for applications involving furniture, boats, and more.
6061 Aluminum Bar
Aluminum bar 6061 is among the most versatile and commonly utilized aluminum alloy. Various industrial applications use this form of 6061 aluminum. However, the 2000 serious aluminum alloys possess better machinability.
Extruded rectangles, squares, and rounds match up with ASTM B221 and AMS QQ-A-200/8 and cold finished hexes and rounds match up with ASTM B211 and AMS QQ-225/8. Extruded 6061 square bar is easily cut, machined, and welded for a number of different demanding uses that require a significant corrosion resistance and strength-to-weight ratio. Many extruded rounds under 2.0” dia. of 6061 aluminum are produced to precise diameter tolerances for screw machine applications.
6061 Aluminum Plate
Out of the heat-treated or sometimes referred to as wrought alloys, 6061 aluminum plate is one of the most versatile. This alloy is used for stairs, ramps, and flooring due to its exceptional resistance to corrosion, weldability, machinability and strength.
6061 Aluminum Angle
When it comes to structural applications, 6061 aluminum alloy angle is one of the most commonly used shapes. This form of 6061 aluminum is ideal for welding and possesses an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.
Our team at Howard Precision Metals is here to help you find the ideal aluminum alloy for your application, whether that involves 6061 aluminum tooling plate or other grade of aluminum. We are committed to helping you meet your project requirements with the right aluminum alloy materials for the job.
If you need one or more grades of aluminum alloy, including 6061 or others, for a current or upcoming project or application, our professionals at Howard Precision Metals have you covered. To learn about how we can serve your aluminum alloy requirements, call us today at 800.444.0311 or visit our website and request a quote.
