Benefits of Anodized Aluminium in Metal Fabrication
Blog | November 13th, 2017
Numerous finishing techniques are available in the aluminium fabrication sector. As a matter of fact, this metal comes with an inbuilt layer of oxidization, which forms as a result of atmospheric exposure. Anodized aluminium products simply exploit that material property. Electrochemically converted, the surface metal is transformed into an anodic oxide membrane. The advantages of this corrosion-protecting finish in a stated application are obvious, but what about the fabrication benefits?
Exhibits Substrate Strength
Unlike other coating techniques, there’s no separate material applied to the alloy surface. The anodized aluminium converts a layer of the surface material into an oxide form. That means the protective finish won’t peel, nor will it chip. Considering the machine-worked stress applied during the metal fabrication work, this electrochemically induced finishing trait equals a near-impervious workpiece, no matter how often it’s bent or rolled in the fabrication facility.
An Abrasion-Resistant Option
Torturous processes erode aluminium sheets. The material becomes thinner and weaker during metal fabrication operations, so structural strength is impaired. An anodized aluminium component is granted superior abrasion resistance. Pulled through assorted processing stations in a metal machining shop, the wide surface-area sheet metal retains its polished good looks, plus the part’s originally formed thickness quotient. Uniformly structured, the workpiece fastens precisely against a mating component. If that anodized membrane was missing, the assembling parts could warp and wear because of the coarse processing environment, although this undesirable event usually only occurs when the source alloy is relatively soft.
An Equal Opportunity Metal Finish
Broadly speaking, there are many aluminium alloys. The lightweight metal bonds with manganese to create a strong alloy, but it also binds to weaker metals. Combined with copper, for example, the alloy exhibits superior thermal conductivity properties. However, these different alloy variants all possess contrasting material properties. Fortunately, by incorporating the anodizing process, the different alloy types gain strength and abrasion resistance, just like the harder manganese forms mentioned a moment ago. In metal fabrication shops, even the purest aluminium part can be worked again and again, all because of the anodizing process.
In application, aluminium with an anodized skin is corrosion-resistant and mechanically tough. It can be coloured and cleaned with ease. The benefits also apply to the metal fabrication phase, with a protective non-chipping trait aiding the alloy when it’s passed through the toughest tooling stations in the industry. Blessed with this ingrained protective membrane, the electrochemically converted finish is also abrasion resistant. Finally, no matter the alloy form, its graded strength, the oxide coating will make even the softest aluminium workpiece as tough as any other alloyed form.
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