Aluminum is a metal that is abundant and highly versatile, hence its constant use in numerous applications. Aluminum also comes in many forms, from ingots to bars to sheets to plates to foils, making it usable in many different ways. The most used forms of aluminum are plates and sheets, with applications for aluminum plates and sheets ranging from aerospace to transportation to decorative.
Sheet aluminum is, however, where this particular metal finds most of its usefulness being channeled. You can easily see aluminum sheets being used on automobiles for its bodies and for paneling. You can also see aluminum sheets utilized for packaging by the food and beverage industry, and as parts of cookware and appliances. Sheets of this metal can also be seen being used by the construction and housing industry in the form of roofing, gutters, sidings and the like.
Aluminum sheets are also ideal for use with the creation of metal nameplates and other similar items. License plates for vehicles are often made with the use of aluminum mainly because these are pretty affordable due to its abundance. These are also used as such due to their corrosion resistance and for being rather low-maintenance.
The usability of aluminum sheets is dependent on its thickness, with thinner sheets being used for smaller items like schematics and scales. You can also find aluminum in really thin sheets that is already considered foil, which is often used for a lot of other things as well. Aluminum foil can be used for packaging, labeling and a whole lot of other applications.
When you need to choose the thickness of your aluminum sheets for your specific needs, you might want to ask the advice of manufacturers of nameplates what kinds of aluminum sheets are best for your specific application. Thinner sheets and foils can be used for labels and tags that can be easily written on or marked by hand. Thicker sheets are great for uses where structural stability is necessary.
Thicker sheets are great for control panel plates, decorative plates and special plates while the thickest sheets, those that are around a quarter of an inch thick, are usually used for commemorative plates and plaques that are usually displayed outdoors. Aluminum plates and sheets are very versatile indeed with its many uses. In order to ensure that your aluminum plates and sheets last, you should pair the usage with the right application all the time.
Top 4 Benefits Of Using Aluminum Sheet Metal
Regardless how exciting it is to work on a DIY or home improvement projects, decisions have to be made. One of which is to choose the material. It plays a great role in the project as it is the most crucial aspect as every factor affecting the success of your project is dependent upon the selected metal. If the selection is inappropriate, every effort made for it goes in vain.
Aluminum is such a natural earth based element that is being used in a vast variety of our daily lives.Would you like to know why aluminum sheet metal stands out over other metals? Then keep on reading.
Here are some properties and benefits of aluminum sheet metal.
Light in Weight
Aluminum is a very light metal, about a third of steel or stainless steel. Aluminum is being used in many areas of our daily lives. For example it is being used in vehicles, which reduces the weight of a car substantially, while maintaining stability and load capacity.
Resistant To Corrosion
Corrosion is the common issue of any metal. No matter how strong the metal is, there are chances to get corrosion when it comes in contact with oxygen in the air. With aluminum, this is slightly different. Aluminum naturally generates a protective oxide coating and is therefore highly corrosion resistant.
This feature makes it perfect for using it in almost any construction project. There are different finishes available one of the most used are the mill finish and the aluminum diamond plate. Aluminum diamond plate is often used for pickups and trucks but also as floor plates or ramps or as steps as it can prevent from slipping when wet.
Ductile
Aluminum has an amazing feature of ductility. It has a low melting point and density that makes it easy as a fabricator to work with. Once it has been melted, you can bend or create a shape in any form. Be it thinning or stretching, everything is possible while working with aluminum. This feature of the sheet metal makes it accurate to create different product’s design without any hassle.
Reflectivity
Aluminum is a good reflector of visible light as well as heat, and that together with its low weight, makes it an ideal material for reflectors in, for example, light fittings or rescue blankets.
Recyclability
Aluminum is 100 percent recyclable with no downgrading of its qualities. The re-melting of aluminum requires little energy: only about 5 percent of the energy required to produce the primary metal initially is needed in the recycling process.
Apart from the above mentioned characteristics, aluminum is impermeable and odorless that makes it appropriate for using it for food and beverages.
In many cases weight and corrosion resistance are the main arguments for our customers accomplishing their DIY project. At MetalsCut4U, you’ll have the option to customize 14 different shapes online which we will than fabricate for you based on your specifications. Whether you want a custom made aluminum tray or stainless steel corner guard, these and more can be configured online. You need more? Send us a sketch of what you require, we will be happy to have a look at it.
Sheet Metal - we cut it - we bend it - we weld it - 4U