What kind of aluminum plate can be bent?
When processing or designing sheet metal parts, bending cracks are often encountered when bending aluminum plates.
When processing sheet metal parts, the choice of aluminum material can affect bending performance. The state of the material, such as fully hard, semi-hard, and soft (also known as O state), affects the bending results.
Fully hard aluminum plates (with states like h18, H19, h38, etc.) are not ideal for bending. Aluminum plates in the semi-hard state (such as H24) can be bent effectively. The O state, which is very soft, is not commonly used for bending purposes.
Pure aluminum is rarely used in sheet metal processing. Instead, aluminum alloy is commonly used, with semi-hard alloys such as 3003, 3005 and 5052 being suitable for sheet metal bending. However, alloys such as 6061, 2024 and 7075, with high hardness, especially in the T6 state, should not be bent without heating and additional bending processes.
The difference between good and bad aluminum plates lies in factors such as oxidation performance, tolerance, surface quality, crystal precision and stability, but it has little effect on bending performance.
Aluminum Plate Grade Explanation
1000 series representative
1050, 1060, 1070 and 1000 series aluminum plates are also called pure aluminum plates. The 1000 series belongs to the series with the highest aluminum content, with a purity level greater than 99.00%. Due to the lack of other technical elements, the production process is relatively simple and the price is relatively low. This makes it the most used series in conventional industries today, with the majority of products in circulation on the market being the 1050 and 1060 series.
The minimum aluminum content of the 1000 series aluminum plate is determined by the last two digits, for example, 50 in the 1050 series. According to international brand standards, the aluminum content must reach 99.5% to be considered a qualified product. This is also stipulated in China's aluminum alloy technical standard (GB/t3880-2006), which requires the aluminum content of 1050 to be 99.5%. Similarly, the aluminum content of 1060 series aluminum plates must be greater than 99.6%.
1060 pure aluminum plate is mainly used in applications that require high corrosion resistance and formability, but for parts with low strength, such as chemical equipment, marine equipment, railway oil tank cars, conductive materials, instrument materials, rods welding, etc.
2000 Series Aluminum Plate Representative
2A16 (LY16), 2A06 (LY6) and 2000 series aluminum plates are known for their high hardness, with the highest original copper content being around 3-5%. 2A12 aluminum alloy is a high-strength hard aluminum that can be strengthened through heat treatment. It has good spot weldability, but tends to form intergranular cracks when gas or argon arc welding is used. 2A12 aluminum alloy has good machinability after cold work hardening, but its corrosion resistance is not high. Anodizing methods and painting or coating aluminum on the surface are often used to improve its corrosion resistance.
2000 series aluminum plate belongs to aviation aluminum material and is currently not widely used in conventional industries. At present, there are few manufacturers in China who produce 2000 series aluminum plates, and the quality is not comparable to that of foreign countries. Imported aluminum plates are mainly supplied by Korean and German manufacturers. However, with the development of China's aerospace industry, the production technology of 2000 series aluminum plates will continue to improve.
3000 Series Aluminum Plate Representative
3000 series aluminum plates are mainly represented by 3003, 3003 and 3A21, and can also be called anti-rust aluminum plates. The production process of 3000 series aluminum plates in China is excellent and they are mainly composed of manganese with a content ranging between 1.0-1.5%. This makes it a series with good anti-rust properties, commonly used in humid environments such as air conditioners, refrigerators and chassis. The price of 3000 series aluminum plates is higher than that of 1000 series, but it is a more commonly used alloy series.
Typical class 3000 series and its application:
Aluminum 3003 is primarily used to process parts that require good molding performance, high corrosion resistance, or good weldability, or for parts that require greater strength than the 1000 series alloy. Examples include tanks and containers for transporting liquids, tanks pressure sensors, storage devices, heat exchangers, chemical equipment, aircraft fuel tanks, oil ducts, reflective plates, kitchen equipment, washing machine cylinder blocks, rivets and welding wire.
Aluminum 3004 is used for parts that require greater strength than alloy 3003 and is commonly used in chemical production and storage, sheet metal processing parts, construction baffles, cable ducts, sewers, and various lamp parts.
4000 Series Aluminum Plate Representative
4000 series aluminum plate represents 4A01 series, which has high silicon content, generally between 4.5-6.0%. This series is commonly used for building materials, mechanical parts, forging materials and welding materials. 4000 series aluminum plate has low melting point and good corrosion resistance, and is known for its heat resistance and wear resistance.
5000 series representative
5000 series aluminum plate is composed of 5052, 5005, 5083 and 5A05 series. It is a series of commonly used aluminum alloy plates, the main element being magnesium, with a magnesium content between 3-5%.
This series is known as aluminum-magnesium alloy and has low density, high tensile strength and high elongation. It is lighter than other series of the same area, making it a popular choice for aviation applications such as aircraft fuel tanks.
5000 series aluminum plate is widely used in conventional industries and is processed through continuous casting and rolling, making it a hot-rolled aluminum plate series that can undergo deep oxidation processing. In China, the 5000 series aluminum plate is one of the most mature aluminum plate series.
Typical 5000 Series class and application:
5052 aluminum plate has good forming and processing properties, as well as good corrosion resistance, weldability, fatigue resistance and medium static strength. It is commonly used in the production of aircraft fuel tanks, oil pipes, sheet metal components, instruments, street lighting brackets, rivets and wires.
6000 series representative
6061 aluminum has a high magnesium and silicon content, combining the benefits of 4000 and 5000 series aluminum alloys.
It is a cold-treated forged aluminum product, which makes it ideal for applications that require high resistance to corrosion and oxidation. It is highly usable, with excellent surface properties, easy to coat and has good processability. 6061 aluminum is commonly used for low-pressure weapons and aircraft gaskets.
General characteristics of 6061 aluminum: Excellent bonding properties, simple to coat, high strength, good workability and corrosion resistance.
Typical 6061 Aluminum Applications: Aircraft components, camera components, couplings, marine fittings and hardware, electronic fittings and connectors, decorative or miscellaneous hardware, hinge heads, magnetic heads, brake pistons, hydraulic pistons, electrical fittings, valves and valve components.
7000 series representative
7075 aluminum is mainly composed of zinc and belongs to the Aviation series. It is an aluminum-magnesium-zinc-copper alloy, heat treatable, super hard and with good wear resistance.
The 7075 aluminum plate is stress-relieved and will not warp or warp after processing. All super-large and thick 7075 aluminum plates undergo ultrasonic detection to ensure the absence of sand holes and impurities.
This aluminum plate has high thermal conductivity, which speeds up the forming process and improves work efficiency. The main characteristic of 7075 aluminum is its hardness.
7075 is a high-hardness, high-strength aluminum alloy commonly used in the manufacture of aircraft structures and components. It is suitable for the production of high-stress structural parts and molds that require high strength and strong corrosion resistance.
Currently, 7075 aluminum mainly depends on imports and China needs to improve its production technology.
8000 Series
8011 aluminum is part of a different series.
It is commonly used to make bottle caps and radiators. Its most frequent application is as aluminum foil, which is not widely used.
