Aluminum is a commonly utilized material in many industries, and there are many aluminum alloys for CNC machining, CNC milling, CNC turning, welding, brazing, casting, stamping, forging, and laser cutting. Because aluminum is so versatile, it's utilized in many industries including automotive, aerospace, and medical.
1.6061-T6 Aluminum
6061-T6 aluminum is precipitation-hardened 6061 aluminum. 6061 aluminum is one of the most versatile, common aluminum alloys that may be heat treated. The main alloying elements for 6061 aluminum are silicon and magnesium. The addition of silicon reduces the material's melting temperature and improves its fluidity, while the magnesium provides greater strength and hardness.
T6 is the temperament of 6061 aluminum material that has undergone precipitation hardening to increase its hardness. The 'T' in the T6 designation refers to thermal tempering, which is a solution heat treating (above 900°F), followed by a quenching in water and then aging at a lower temperature (around 300°F) for several hours.
Advantages of 6061-T6 aluminum:
High strength with relatively low density
Excellent corrosion resistance
Machinable
Is paintable and accepts finishes easily
Capable of being joined
Disadvantages of 6061-T6 aluminum:
Experiences a reduction in strength when exposed to high temperatures
Requires experience to weld
Is susceptible to cracking (brittle fracturing) when bent
Lower fatigue strength
Common uses for 6061-T6 aluminum:
Consumer products like cabinet hardware
High-strength automotive components
Electronics industry parts like connectors and fittings
Valve parts
Bicycle frames
Aerospace fittings
Pressure vessels
Hydraulics
Marine industry fittings and bodies
Automotive or locomotive frames
Commercial property construction
Infrastructure such as bridges or other structures
2.7075-T6 Aluminum
7075-T6 aluminum is precipitation-hardened 7075 aluminum. Like 6061-T6 aluminum, it has been tempered to the T6 condition. The primary alloying element for 7075 aluminum is zinc, which makes the strength of the aluminum alloy comparable to steel alloys - it's one of the strongest aluminum alloys commercially available.
7075-T6 is not only the strongest aluminum alloy, it also has the greatest shear strength of all the alloys listed here. For this reason, 7075 aluminum is often referred to as aircraft grade or aerospace aluminum. But, this super high strength comes at a cost - 7075 aluminum has reduced corrosion resistance compared to weaker aluminum alloys.
Advantages of 7075-T6 aluminum:
Ultra-high strength (tensile and shear strength)
Is paintable and accepts finishes easily
Formable
Good fatigue strength
Disadvantages of 7075-T6 aluminum:
High cost
Lower corrosion resistance
Fair machinability (requires more precision and experience)
Common uses for 7075-T6 aluminum:
Aerospace frames and other structural parts
Bicycle frames
Tooling
Gears
Structural marine and automotive parts
Plastic injection molds
3.7050 Aluminum
7050 aluminum is high strength and possesses excellent exfoliation corrosion resistance - exfoliation is a type of intergranular corrosion that specifically attacks the metal at or near the grain boundaries. 7050 is also tough and fatigue resistant.
It's composed primarily of aluminum, zinc, copper, and magnesium. As with the other alloys, the zinc improves strength and magnesium increases the material's hardness. The addition of copper increases the alloy's strength and aids precipitation hardening.
Advantages of 7050 aluminum:
Heat-treatable
High fracture toughness
High strength
Excellent stress-corrosion cracking resistance (and exfoliation corrosion resistance)
Machinable and formable (even in higher thicknesses)
Disadvantages of 7050 aluminum:
Not ideal for welding, as the weld joints are weaker than 7075 aluminum
Lower electrical conductivity
Common uses for 7050 aluminum:
Aerospace structural parts
Rock climbing equipment
Bicycle parts
