At Fab Masters Company we regard alloy selection very seriously in the pre-production stages of project development with our customers. This reasoning is twofold; first, the alloy must be compatible with the fabrication processes in order to manufacture the part successfully, and economically. Secondly, the alloy must withstand structural requirements expected of it to perform in the field without failure.
If your project requires an aluminum extrusion, the chances of you selecting alloy 6063 or 6061 without much research are pretty good. That’s because alloy choice is often driven by designations or national standards rather than end product properties. The design stage of a project is when extra time given to detail pays off in the manufacturing process. So talk to your alloy supplier or extruder sales team, and explain your needs. They may suggest one of the new alloys out there that you may not be aware of, like 6013 and 6262. The extruder can even tailor the alloy selection and processing conditions to meet your requirements, and you may even save some money.
Download our new whitepaper “Making the Correct 6000 Series Alloy Selection.” It will provide you with a basic realization of the potential of the 6000 alloys in extruded applications.