Archive: Feb 2021

Why A Rolling Partner Is Important When Buying Sheet Metal

There no doubt that metal fabrication jobs play an important role in manufacturing. In fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the metal fabrication industry is on track to add 12,000 jobs over the next decade.

When it comes to ordering copper sheet metal for sale, aluminum, or some other kind of metal, surface finish is one of the most important factors to look at. It’s true that there are different types of surface finishes, but the surface finish isn’t something to be ignored or thought of lightly.

Consider for example, if you’re buying copper sheet metal for sale or a combined metal like copper brass. As you go to buy the copper, you need to consider the following points that finish can have on that copper:

• Visual appeal
• Corrosion resistance
• Different effects on manufacturing options
• Economic considerations depending on finishes

Once you’ve zeroed in on a finish and determined that it works monetarily, and for a manufacturer and their application, then all the metal — for example, copper—needs to have the same finish. Using your copper sheet metal for sale, you can ensure consistency, quality, and repeatability. If you’re buying metal, let’s say from a steel buyer, then you need to work with them to make sure that they’re selling you metal that’s the same high quality each time. This is because the surface finish can be affected by a lot of things including thickness, cleanliness, and the finish on the actual rolls.

If you’ve got copper sheet metal for sale, and you’re wondering what’s the best surface finish to go with, you have a lot of options. Whether you’re looking at a mirror finish for a shinier appearance, a more traditional mill finish, you want to make sure you pick the best one for the project you’re working on.

As you ponder what the best surface finish will be, you want to work hand-in-hand with a precision rolling partner. That partner can help you select the right surface roughness for the metal you buy, which in turn will help determine the finish for your application. Rolled out as thin steel sheets work better whether the application is one where thin copper strips or stainless steel are most appropriate. If you can find a rolling partner that you work well with, you’ll be able to turn out quality applications for a long time.

3 Common Uses for Aluminum

When most people think of aluminum, they think about aluminum foil, which can be torn into thin aluminum strips and used for several purposes around the house. It’s versatile due to it being a soft metal, which means it can be folded and reshaped easily. It can also hold heat and let heat transfer through it without heating up itself. This versatility has its benefits around the home, but it’s not limited to the home.

Broadly speaking, aluminum has a number of uses, and depending on what you need the aluminum for, the alloy you choose will change. Here are just a few common uses for aluminum that you may come across.

Types of Aluminum

There are different types of aluminum. 3003 aluminum is the more common of the two different types of aluminum. Thin aluminum strips of aluminum 3003 can easily be reshaped while retaining their strength. This tends to have tons of uses throughout several industries. 6061 aluminum is stronger than 3003 aluminum because, as an alloy, it adds silicon as well as magnesium. Its uses, due to its strength, tend to be industrial.

Aluminum Is a Common Household Item

Many people use aluminum every single day in their own home without much thought to their routine. This goes back to the pliability of aluminum, which makes it very versatile. It’s used in cooking all the time. However, it’s also commonly used in furniture and cans for food. These common uses are, at their most basic, how most people interact with aluminum on a day-to-day basis.

Aluminum Is Often Used in Wiring

Thin aluminum strips are sometimes referred to as aluminum tape, and it is commonly used in electrical wiring. This goes back to the versatility of aluminum. It’s resistant to corrosion, easily reshaped, handles heat well, and conducts electricity. This makes aluminum a great product to use in wiring, be it electrical or cable.

Aluminum Is Commonly Used in Construction

Owing to the strength of 6061 aluminum, it’s commonly used in construction. This is because this alloy is better able to hold heavyweights and is a bit more durable than 3003 aluminum. It’s also corrosion-resistant and puts less stress on a building than other metals do at its junction points, making the entire structure stronger. This strength makes aluminum 6061 popular in buildings as well as in chemical equipment, as it lasts longer than other metals.

Whether it is rolled, in a tube, in a sheet, or in plate form, aluminum along with steel and stainless steel are among the most common metals bought by consumers. It is largely due to versatility, which ranges from industrial uses to cooking at home. This versatility has made thin aluminum strips very popular for things like transformers and cable alike.