Aluminum Billet: From Properties to Applications
Aluminum billet is a widely used material in both industrial and construction sectors. It’s crucial to comprehend its properties, structure, manufacturing process, and applications across various fields. The following article by Dinostar Aluminum provides detailed insights into the structure, properties, applications, and other information about aluminum billet. Let’s dive into understanding aluminum billet right away!
1. Aluminum Billet
Aluminum billet is an aluminum ingot cast into a cylindrical bar shape, produced through heat treatment and alloy mixing processes according to specific standards. It serves as the raw material for manufacturing aluminum products used in construction, transportation, energy, electronics, and more
2. Characteristics and Structure
Aluminum billets are produced through alloy aluminum casting processes, where the main elemental component is aluminum combined with other metals such as magnesium, manganese, silicon, copper, etc., to enhance the mechanical properties and strength of the product. The ratios of these components are adjusted according to specific application requirements to meet various product feature and quality standards.
Aluminum billets enable the production of products with complex shapes. Particularly, aluminum billets have smooth surfaces, high strength, good corrosion resistance, and environmental friendliness. Hence, aluminum billets find widespread applications in the construction and industrial sectors.
During the billet production process, aluminum is mixed with other elements such as silicon, copper, magnesium, manganese, etc., to form aluminum alloys with special properties. These alloys are divided into various series, including 3xxx, 4xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx, and 7xxx. Depending on the usage requirements, aluminum alloys used in billet production will have different characteristics and properties to meet various quality standards and requirements.
3. Aluminum Billet Production Process
The aluminum billet production process is complex, requiring meticulousness in each stage. At Dinostar Aluminum factory, the aluminum billet production process consists of 7 steps carried out sequentially, from inspecting the raw materials to packaging and transportation. The specific steps are as follows:
- Step 1: Raw Material Inspection
At this stage, samples of pure aluminum ingots are taken and inspected to ensure purity before proceeding to the next production steps.
- Step 2: Melting
After meeting the initial standards, ingot raw materials are placed in a melting furnace at temperatures ranging from 660°C to 710°C. This stage transforms aluminum from solid to liquid form.
- Step 3: Alloying
Liquid pure aluminum is mixed with elements such as Silicon, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Chromium, etc., according to international alloy standards, to create various aluminum alloys to meet manufacturers’ requirements such as A6063, A6061, A6005, A6060, Series 7000, etc. Additionally, water samples are taken and analyzed multiple times during this stage to ensure absolute accuracy of the alloy composition.
- Step 4: Casting
Liquid aluminum alloy is passed through a GBF system and poured into casting molds of predefined sizes and diameters. Subsequently, the aluminum billet bars undergo ultrasonic testing to detect and eliminate any products that do not meet the standards during the casting process.
- Step 5: Cutting
The aluminum billet bars are cut into standard lengths of 5m8 or 6m or according to the requirements of each aluminum billet manufacturing unit.
- Step 6: Homogenization
Aluminum billets are passed through a homogenizing furnace to enhance the physical properties and uniformity of chemical elements in the billet bars, while also improving the surface quality of the finished aluminum billet blanks.
- Step 7: Quality Inspection, Packaging, and Transportation
This stage is crucial in determining whether the product is ready for the market. Physical and surface property inspections are conducted to ensure that the product meets the technical requirements before reaching the end-users. Products that do not meet the requirements will be rejected, while those that meet the quality standards will proceed to the packaging process and be delivered to customers.
This process demands strict supervision and adherence to multiple inspection procedures according to international standards to ensure the quality of the aluminum billet production.
4. Characteristics of Aluminum Billet
Aluminum billet exhibits superior mechanical properties such as high hardness, corrosion resistance, tensile strength, and good shaping ability. Below are the prominent characteristics of the most commonly used aluminum billet alloy types:
4.1. Characteristics of A6063 Aluminum Alloy
A6063 aluminum alloy features high strength, rigidity, excellent shaping ability, and superior corrosion resistance. Products made from A6063 alloy have smooth, glossy surfaces and can be easily processed using various surface treatment methods such as electrostatic powder coating or anodizing. Hence, A6063 aluminum alloy finds wide applications in industries such as construction, architecture, manufacturing of aluminum doors, aluminum curtain walls, facades, interior aluminum, mechanical component fabrication, heat sinks, electrical equipment, transportation, etc.
4.2. Characteristics of A6061 Aluminum Alloy
Products manufactured from A6061 aluminum alloy exhibit better tensile strength compared to other alloys in the 6000 series. Moreover, its weldability and machining ability are among its outstanding advantages. Therefore, A6061 aluminum alloy is widely used in applications requiring strength and tensile durability, such as industrial zones, export processing zones, CNC automated mechanical processing mold-making companies, jig manufacturing, machine parts, automated mechanical and automotive components, food processing mold manufacturing, fabrication, etc.
4.3. Applications of A6005 Aluminum Alloy
A6005 aluminum alloy is also commonly used due to its fundamental properties such as high hardness, ductility, and good oxidation resistance. In terms of load-bearing capacity, A6005 aluminum alloy falls between A6061 and A6063. A6005 aluminum alloy is typically found in products serving the transportation, construction, and related industrial sectors.
4.4. Applications of Series 7000
Aluminum Alloy Series 7000 aluminum alloy boasts the highest strength and hardness among aluminum alloy categories due to its relatively dense crystal structure. It finds extensive applications in the aerospace industry for manufacturing aircraft parts, rockets, and other aerospace applications. The strength and wear resistance of the 7000 series aluminum alloy are critical factors in ensuring safety and reliability in aerospace applications.
Moreover, the series 7000 aluminum alloy is utilized in the automotive industry for manufacturing vehicle frames, wheels, and other load-bearing components, enhancing the durability and safety of transportation vehicles. The series 7000 aluminum alloy is also used in industries demanding high strength, such as mold manufacturing, mechanical processing tools and equipment.
5. Where to Find High-Quality Aluminum Billets?
Dinostar Aluminum billet products best meet customers’ needs for quality and variety, including billet series 6000, series 7000, etc., with dimensions ranging from 4 inches to 9 inches. Dinostar Aluminum billets possess good uniformity, superior extrusion and shaping capabilities, meeting international standards ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015.
Dinostar Aluminum billets primarily consist of premium imported aluminum ingots with a purity of up to 99.89% aluminum and iron content limited to below 0.05% – minimizing oxidation. The products are manufactured on modern production lines with advanced melting, casting, and homogenizing systems.
As a result, Dinostar Aluminum billets have smooth surfaces, high strength, excellent corrosion resistance, good flexibility, and melting temperature, making them convenient for production. Especially, Dinostar Aluminum billets meet RoHS environmental standards, ensuring environmental friendliness and safety, certified by the European Union.
With these advantages, Dinostar Aluminum billets are highly regarded for quality, product diversity, and environmental safety. Not limited to the domestic market, in recent years, Dinostar Aluminum Billets have successfully exported to demanding markets such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, contributing to affirming the position of Vietnamese aluminum in the international market.
Dinostar Aluminum offers aluminum billet products with a capacity of up to 60,000 tons per year. Additionally, as an environmentally friendly business, they meet strict environmental safety standards, trusted by domestic and international business customers.
Through the above exploration of aluminum billets, you’ve likely gained basic information about the definition, characteristics, structure, production process, properties, and applications of aluminum billets in manufacturing. With detailed information on where to find high quality aluminum billets, it’s hoped that you’ve found a reputable supplier to meet your needs!
Contact Dinostar Aluminum for price consultation and fastest aluminum billet ordering:
- Headquarters: 35 Hai Ba Trung – Hoan Kiem – Hanoi.
- Tel: 024. 3958. 8588 – Hotline: 0918. 762. 013
- Ho Chi Minh City Branch: 360 Dien Bien Phu – Binh Thanh – Ho Chi Minh City.
- Factory: C2 Road – Zone C – Pho Noi A Industrial Park – Van Lam – Hung Yen.
