Resources
Selection Guides
Practical guides for alloy selection, form choice, and application matching.
What's included
01
Alloy Selection Guide
| Alloy Series | Key Characteristic | Strength | Corrosion Resistance | Formability / Weldability | Heat-Treatable | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1xxx | Commercially pure aluminum (≥99% Al) | Low | Excellent | Excellent formability, excellent weldability | No | Electrical conductors, heat exchangers, chemical/food equipment |
| 3xxx | Aluminum-Manganese | Low–Medium | Very good | Excellent formability, good weldability | No | Roofing and cladding, HVAC coils, food and beverage containers, general sheet metal work |
| 5xxx | Aluminum-Magnesium | Medium–High | Excellent, especially in marine/saltwater environments | Good formability, excellent weldability | No | Marine and shipbuilding, tanks and pressure vessels, structural panels, automotive body sheet |
| 6xxx | Aluminum-Magnesium-Silicon | Medium | Good | Excellent extrudability, good weldability | Yes | Architectural and structural profiles, window/door frames, automotive and industrial structural parts |
| 7xxx | Aluminum-Zinc | Highest | Lower — often needs surface protection | Lower formability, generally not recommended for welding without special process control | Yes | High-stress structural and load-bearing applications, aerospace-grade components |
02
Form Selection Guide
| Product Form | Typical Fabrication Route | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| Coils / Sheets | Rolling (hot then cold rolled, coiled) | High-volume flat products: cladding, roofing, HVAC fin stock, general fabrication, further slitting/cutting |
| Plates | Rolling (thicker gauge, supplied flat) | Structural and heavy-duty flat components, tooling, machined parts |
| Discs | Rolling + circle blanking | Deep-drawn products — cookware, lighting reflectors, pressure cookers |
| Pipes / Tubes | Extrusion or welding + drawing | Fluid and gas conveyance, structural tube, railings |
| Profiles | Extrusion | Architectural sections, window/door frames, structural framing, custom cross-sections |
| Bars / Rods | Extrusion or drawing | Machining stock, structural bar, fasteners |
| Billets | Cast (as extrusion feedstock) | Input material for profile/bar extrusion — not typically an end-use product |
| Ingots | Cast (as rolling/casting feedstock) | Input material for sheet/plate rolling or foundry casting — not typically an end-use product |
| Wire Rod | Extrusion or continuous casting + drawing | Feedstock for wire drawing — cable, rivets, welding wire |
03
Application Matching
| Industry | Recommended Alloy Series | Recommended Form(s) | Example Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 5xxx, 6xxx | Sheets, coils, profiles, plates | 5083 sheet/coil for cladding and structural panels; 6082/6063 extruded profiles for framing |
| HVAC / Heat Transfer | 1xxx, 3xxx | Coils, fin stock, tube | 1050 or 3003 coil for fin stock and heat exchanger components |
| Automotive | 5xxx, 6xxx | Sheets, coils, profiles, bar | 5083 for body/structural panels; 6061/6082 for structural and chassis components |
| Electrical | 1xxx | Coil, wire rod, bar | 1050 for busbars and conductors, given high conductivity and corrosion resistance |
| Food Industry | 1xxx, 3xxx | Sheets, coils, discs | 1050 or 3003 sheet/coil for food-contact equipment and containers; discs for cookware |
| General Manufacturing | 3xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx | Sheets, coils, plates, bar, profiles | Alloy and form selected per application — contact our technical team for a specific recommendation |
Not sure which alloy or form fits?
Share your application, load case, and finish requirements — our technical team will recommend an alloy, temper, and form combination and confirm availability.