What Is Aluminum Plating?
Aluminum plating involves bending, pressing, and cutting aluminum sheets into desired shapes. This material is favored for its affordability, lightweight, and excellent workability, including electrical and thermal conductivity. Despite its softness, alloying aluminum with metals like magnesium and copper enhances its strength, making it ideal for use in vehicles, sporting goods, and cooking utensils, as well as numerous everyday items.
Uses of Aluminum Plating
The versatility of aluminum sheet processing is evident in its application across various sectors, from household items to sports equipment and vehicles. Its accessibility and ease of processing facilitate a wide range of DIY projects, such as signs, dog tags, rings, and keychains. Aluminum’s lightweight nature makes it indispensable in aviation and space exploration, where minimizing weight is crucial. Additionally, aluminum alloy sheets offer improved corrosion resistance and strength, expanding their use to electrical appliances and construction materials.
Principles of Aluminum Plating
Aluminum sheet processing encompasses several techniques.
1. Bending
Bending aluminum sheets into vertical or curved shapes can be achieved through various methods, such as roll bending and sheet folding. This cost-effective process requires no dies, but must be carefully managed to avoid spring back.
2. Press Working
Press working involves shaping aluminum sheets with a die, facilitating the mass production of simple parts. While efficient for creating uniform products, the setup costs for press working can be high.
3. Cutting Process
Cutting aluminum sheets into specific shapes or sizes can be labor-intensive and less suited for mass production but allows for high precision in the final product.
Other Information on Aluminum Plating
Types of Aluminum Plates
Aluminum plates vary by alloy series, affecting their properties.
1. 1000 Series Aluminum Sheet
Comprising over 90% aluminum, the 1000 series offers high purity but low strength.
2. 2000 Series Aluminum Sheet
The 2000 series, or duralumin, is an aluminum, copper, and magnesium alloy, noted for its high strength but susceptibility to corrosion.
3. 5000 Series Aluminum Sheet
This series, an aluminum and magnesium alloy, is praised for its processability, strength, and corrosion resistance, making it highly versatile.
4. 6000 Series Aluminum Sheet
Composed of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon, the 6000 series is favored for its strength and corrosion resistance across various applications.