Click here to get more.
Aluminium is a lightweight, conductive and adaptable metal that is easy to cut, drill and weld. Its versatility is why it&#;s been used for a variety of domestic and commercial projects over the years. However, it&#;s wise to understand if aluminium tubing is best suited for your next project, especially if you&#;re not sure if it&#;s the right metal for the job.
With over 70 years&#; experience within the metal industry, we feel we are best placed to explain to you everything you need to know about aluminium tubing, and how we can supply the right aluminium for your next project.
Contact us today to learn more about aluminium tubing for your project.
An aluminium tube is usually a hollow pipe made of pure aluminium or aluminium alloy. It can be circular, rectangular, square or elliptical and is available in different diameter sizes and wall thicknesses.
Aluminium can be used for:
We have a whole blog dedicated to this topic &#; &#;What is aluminium used for?&#; for a deeper dive into each of these uses.
We provide aluminium tubes in alloy grade T6 up to 16swg (1.6mm) thick and in alloy grade T6 for 10swg (3.2mm) and thicker.
We recommend reading our &#;Choosing the right aluminium grade for your project&#; blog to learn more about the aluminium grades available.
Most aluminium alloys can be welded together, typically with a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).
With the right sized aluminium tubes and the relevant connectors, aluminium can be pushed into the connector with the use of a rubber mallet for a tight, snug fit.
Aluminium tubes can also be connected using a propane torch and some aluminium brazing rods. It can create a very strong bond with little practice required.
See our latest blog &#;How to join aluminium without welding&#; for more ideas to join aluminium tubing.
We specialise in supplying both aluminium tubing and stainless steel tubing, and based on our expertise we understand each metal has its own strengths and weaknesses. This is also based on how the metals are produced on a spectrum of alloys, allowing for different chemical and physical properties.
We break down our comparison of the two metals into separate categories to help you determine what will be more preferable for your project.
Based on volume, steel is three times heavier than aluminium.
If you&#;re looking to produce kitchen supplies, medical tools or for aerospace manufacturing then we&#;d recommend opting for aluminium. However, if your metal is for structural purposes we suggest choosing steel as it will do the job at a lower cost.
Stainless steel&#;s increased weight allows for increased strength. Steel can withstand higher shock, impact and stress than aluminium and is less likely to bend under pressure.
With competitive price and timely delivery, Foshan Brilliant sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
Stainless steel has further strength capacity thanks to its alloy &#; high carbon steels are harder and sturdier than low carbon steels.
Stainless steel is typically more durable and less likely to scratch than aluminium.
The biggest durability concern with steel is that it is usually mixed with an iron alloy meaning it&#;s very prone to rusting. Aluminium, on the other hand, does not rust but can corrode &#; however due to an aluminium oxide coating it typically does not.
Cost is quite difficult to quantify. A pound of aluminium will cost more than a pound of steel, but as aluminium is lighter, you&#;ll get more material per pound.
Once produced, the costs tend to balance out, but you&#;ll also need to consider the cost of the type of alloy you&#;ll want to add to your metal.
We are a leading UK supplier of aluminium and other nonferrous metals. We specialise in cutting down all metal to your required size, delivering nationwide to both the trade and to customers domestically.
Choose from our wide array of aluminium and stainless steel metal options. Order online today for bespoke sizing and quick, nationwide delivery.
To learn more about how we can supply the right aluminium for your next project, enquire today via our contact webpage or give us a call on .
Depending on the roughness of the surface, aluminium&#;s appearance ranges from silvery white to dull grey.
Aluminium is especially durable, lasting for decades. The lifespan of aluminium in the construction sector is 60 years, but depending on who you talk to it can take up to a century before decomposing.
Absolutely &#; aluminium is incredibly eco-friendly. As one of the most sustainable materials, it can be recycled forever.
No, but do be aware that aluminium does corrode. That&#;s why an aluminium oxide coating is applied to the metal which is highly resistant to corrosion. Can you bend aluminium tubes? Yes &#; you can bend tubing of up to 1.25 inches by hand, however, a manual pipe bender or hydraulic bender will make this easier.
This will vary on:
We can work with you to give you approximations on load bearing weight for your chosen aluminium tube. Do note stainless steel tubes typically hold more weight than aluminium ones when compared at the same size.
With hollow aluminium tubes, we recommended filling the tube with concrete to increase the weight load without bucking the top or compression side of the tube.
1.2.64 Definitions for Pipes as amended per Government Gazette A//BZ/a1
1. All pipes are to be made of a long hole, surrounded by metal copper or plastic, centered around the hole.
2. All pipes are to be hollow throughout the entire length &#; do not use holes of different length than the pipe.
3. The ID (Inside Diameter) of all pipe must not exceed their OD (Outside Diameter) &#; otherwise the hole will be on the outside.
4. The pipe is supplied with nothing in the hole, so that water, steam or other stuff can be put inside at a later date.
5. All pipe is to be supplied without rust; this can be more readily applied at the job site.
NOTE:
Some vendors are now able to supply pre&#;rusted pipes. If available in your area, this product is recommended, as it will save a great deal of time at the job site.
6. All pipe over 150m in length should have the words "LONG PIPE" clearly painted on each side and end, so the contractor will know it's a long pipe.
7. Pipe over m in length must also have the words "LONG PIPE" painted in the middle so the contractor will not have to walk the entire length of the pipe to determine whether it is a long or short pipe.
8. All pipe over 1.8m in diameter must have the words "LARGE PIPE" painted on it, so the contractor won't mistake it for a small pipe.
9. Flanges can be used on pipes. Flanges must have holes for bolts, quite separate from the big holes in the middle.
10. When ordering 90 or 30 degree elbows, be sure to specify left&#;hand or right&#;hand, otherwise you will end up going the wrong way.
11. Be sure to specify to your vendor whether you want level, uphill or downhill pipe. If you use downhill pipe for going uphill, the water will flow the wrong way.
12. All couplings should have either right&#;hand or left&#;hand threads, but do not mix the threads, otherwise, as the coupling is being screwed on to one pipe, it is being unscrewed from the other.
13. All pipes shorter than 3mm are very uneconomical in use, requiring many joints. They are generally known as washers.
14. Joints in pipes for water must be watertight. Those pipes for compressed air, however, need only be airtight.
15. Lengths of pipes may be welded or soldered together. This method is not recommended for concrete or earthenware pipes.
16. Other commodities are often confused with pipes. These include; Conduit, Tube, Tunnel, and Drain. Use only genuine pipes
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Custom Aluminum Tube.