Introduction to Aluminium
Aluminium (Al) is a lightweight, silvery-white metal renowned for its exceptional properties, including high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and recyclability. As the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, it is widely used across industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, and packaging. Its alloys—formed by combining aluminium with elements like copper, magnesium, or silicon—enhance mechanical properties, making it adaptable to diverse applications.
Key Characteristics of Aluminium
- Lightweight: Density (~2.7 g/cm³) is one-third that of steel, ideal for weight-sensitive applications.
- Corrosion Resistance: Forms a protective oxide layer, resisting rust and environmental degradation.
- Malleability: Easily formed into sheets, foils, or complex shapes through processes like rolling, extrusion, and casting.
- Thermal and Electrical Conductivity: Widely used in heat sinks, electrical wiring, and electronics.
- Sustainability: Fully recyclable without quality loss, supporting circular economy goals.
Related capabilities
We produce parts of this type with sheet metal fabrication. We also manufacture for Electronics and electrical and Automotive and EV programmes.
What aluminium fabrication suits
Aluminium is the material buyers ask for when weight matters as much as strength. It suits enclosures and housings, brackets and mounting plates, panels and fascia, chassis and frames, and heat sinks and busbars, across electronics, automotive, energy and construction programmes. The alloy decides how the part behaves: aluminium 5052 is the workhorse for parts that are bent or formed because it forms without cracking even at a tight radius, aluminium 6061 is used where the part needs machined features or higher strength, and 1100 and 1050 are chosen where electrical conductivity or cost dominates.
Aluminium also suits parts that will be handled or exposed. The surface can be anodised rather than painted, and anodising applies to aluminium only, with Type II for appearance and general protection and Type III hard anodising where wear resistance matters. Where the part carries current, copper and brass C110 and C260 enter the same work order for busbars, terminals and contacts.
What to send for an aluminium quote
Send a DXF, STEP, STP, SLDPRT, PDF or DWG file. If the alloy is fixed, state the grade; if it is not, describe what the part has to do and we will propose a grade and explain the choice. Tell us the annual volume as well as the first order quantity, because the volume decides whether laser cutting and bending or a stamping die is the cheaper route. Say which surfaces are visible, which dimensions are functional, and what finish the drawing calls for. Engineering responds within 3 hours on working days.
What affects cost and lead time
Three things move the price of an aluminium part: the alloy and gauge, the number of operations, and the finishing. Sheet is often the dominant cost line on an aluminium job, so nesting and scrap control matter, especially on the grades where the sheet is the single largest input. Anodising, powder coating or plating adds a process step and a day or two to the schedule. On lead time, a sample is typically 7 days, and the quotation, DFM review and lead time come back within 24 hours. Because cutting, forming, welding, finishing and machining all run in the same plant on a single work order, the part is not queued at a third party between operations. There is no minimum order quantity, so a single bracket can be made for prototype validation.
Tolerances aluminium can hold
Formed features on aluminium are held to approximately plus or minus 0.1 mm, tighter where the drawing specifies it. Machined features are held to plus or minus 0.005 mm on five-axis equipment. As a general rule the inside bend radius should be at or above the material thickness, and a hole-to-bend clearance of roughly 2.5 times the thickness plus the radius keeps a hole from distorting as the bend is formed. Aluminium 6061 is more prone to cracking at the bend than 5052, so the radius is checked against the grade before the drawing is released rather than discovered on the press.
How aluminium parts are checked
Incoming sheet is verified against the mill certificate before it is cut. In-process checks follow the critical dimensions across the run, and the formed part is inspected rather than only the flat blank, because bend angle and flange length are the dimensions that actually move. Records available with the order include CMM dimensional reports, first article inspection, EN 10204 material certificates, coating thickness readings and hardness results where heat treatment is involved. Third-party inspection by SGS, TUV or BV can be arranged at any point in the run, and if your quality department needs a specific report format, tell us in the enquiry and we will match it.
Common mistakes buyers make with aluminium
The most frequent mistakes are specifying 6061 for a part that has to bend to a tight radius, leaving the alloy open when the finish depends on it, and placing a hole or a thread too close to a bend line. Other mistakes are specifying an anodised finish on a grade that responds poorly to it, and sending only a flat drawing when a 3D model would let the DFM review unfold the part and catch a forming problem before any metal is cut. Sending the model early costs nothing and normally removes one revision cycle from the project.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grades held | Aluminium 5052 for formed parts, 6061 where machined features or strength are needed, 1100 and 1050 for conductivity or cost |
| Thickness | From 0.5 mm upward; heavier plate quoted on request |
| Formed tolerance | Approximately ±0.1 mm, tighter where the drawing specifies it |
| Machined tolerance | ±0.005 mm on five-axis equipment |
| Cutting and forming | 12,000 W fibre laser, 3,200 mm CNC press brake |
| Documentation | CMM dimensional reports, first article inspection, EN 10204 material certificates |
| Company experience | 28 years in sheet metal fabrication |
For independent technical reference material on aluminium alloys and how they are specified, see The Aluminum Association guide to aluminium by design.
Frequently asked questions
What aluminium grades are held for fabricated parts?
Aluminium 5052 is the workhorse for parts that are bent or formed, because it forms without cracking at a tight radius. Aluminium 6061 is used where the part needs machined features or higher strength. Grades 1100 and 1050 are used where electrical conductivity or cost dominates the choice.
What tolerance can be held on an aluminium part?
Formed features are held to approximately plus or minus 0.1 mm, and tighter where the drawing specifies it. Machined features are held to plus or minus 0.005 mm on five-axis equipment. Whether a specific dimension is achievable depends on the feature, the alloy and how the part is held, so mark the critical dimensions and we will confirm before quoting.
What file should be sent for an aluminium quote?
Send a DXF, STEP, STP, SLDPRT, PDF or DWG file. If the alloy is fixed, state the grade. It also helps to give the annual volume, the surfaces that are visible and the dimensions that are functional, because those answers decide whether laser cutting and bending or a stamping die is the cheaper route in production.
