One of aluminum’s largest demands is from the automotive industry which use it to make various components. There are many reasons why aluminum has proven to be a perfect material for automobiles, if there ever was one. Aluminum is as strong as steel yet is far lighter. It’s readily available which means there aren’t any big demands on production. Most important, performance-wise, it hits the mark.

Which Aluminum Alloys are Used in the Auto Industry?

There are many different aluminum alloys used to build vehicles and automobile components. Each comes with its own advantages, used accordingly to achieve maximum quality and consumer safety. There are some aluminum alloys whose primary feature is strength and then, there are others that are more easily bent and molded. It’s all in what a manufacturer needs aluminum to be able to do. Another benefit to using aluminum in automobile manufacturing is that it keeps the price affordable.

How aluminum is helping us build better vehicles.

Better safety. Faster vehicles because of aluminum’s lightweight qualities. More affordable for consumers. On these three points alone, aluminum’s building better vehicles. It’s been used more and more to help increase fuel economy and reduce emissions, and it’s not coming at the expense of cost or performance. For families in need of a reliable car or for any individual who wants a reliable vehicle to make it from one place to the next, you can rest assured knowing aluminum’s a quality material that will continue to be strong for decades ahead.

Benefits of using aluminum in transportation and the auto industry.

Aluminum is used not only in auto production but also in making motor bikes, buses, subway systems, airplanes, rocket ships, boats, and almost any and every transportation vehicle you can think of. Here are some basic facts about why and how aluminum’s a preferred choice in automobiles and other vehicles.

 As the demand for vehicles continues to rise all over the world – including in countries like China, India, and other developing nations – more vehicles are needed to supply the market. Aluminum is a great material to choose for automobile production as there’s so much of it and its’ performance is top of the line.

 Aluminum creates less waste than other materials. It is fully recyclable and reusable, meaning at the end of its life cycle in a vehicle, the aluminum can be taken and re-manufactured into something new.

 As aluminum is fully recyclable, it is referred to as one of the most energy-efficient metals there is. Furthermore, this uses less energy in production and also minimizes the cost of producing aluminum thereby bringing down total manufacturing costs of a vehicle.

 Aluminum has high vehicle safety ratings as it’s been shown to absorb crashes effectively and mitigate other harmful effects upon the impact of a collision.

 Aluminum is very aerodynamic, although this does depend on the alloy selected. It is easy to manipulate into the type of shape it needs to be.

Aluminum’s a necessary material in the auto industry, in designing cars, trucks, and more. New vehicle demand is increasing and for companies looking to increase production while keeping costs low, aluminum’s the right material to look to. As vehicle manufacturing continues to advance from the perspective of technology, aluminum’s continuing to play a role in making all types of cars better than ever.

Source : https://aaluminum.com/

Aluminum’s a critical component to many industries like beverage cans, food packaging, and aerospace but one sector that’s oftentimes not spoken about is guns and gun accessories.

Aluminum’s a great material for a wide variety of gun types and military weapons, due to its versatility and strength. Compared to steel, aluminum’s also very lightweight which makes it recommended for a product like a gun which requires easy carrying. Many guns are made predominantly from aluminum and others rely on it to put together the scope, the hand-guard, buffer tube, and other components.

What Aluminum Alloys are Used for Manufacturing Guns and Military Weapons

When manufacturing the body of a gun, you really only have two choices. There’s steel and aluminum. Stainless steel was, for a long time, chosen for guns because it was incredibly strong and had high durability. Comparatively, aluminum is almost as strong as steel and almost as durable but its biggest advantage is in weight. So when choosing between steel or aluminum for gun manufacturing, more often than not, stakeholders choose aluminum.

Aluminum used to be very expensive to work with, prior to World War II. It was difficult to find and refine the raw material. Then, advances in technology in the 1940s and 1950s however made it cheaper to find and use aluminum. In 1949, Colt released the Lightweight Commander gun, reduced in weight by 30% thanks to aluminum. The popularity of this weapon meant adapting aluminum to other gun models and types, eventually leading to many handguns and rifles manufactured from the material.

Now using aluminum for weapons and guns does come with some minor disadvantages. Aluminum frames aren’t as durable as strength and doesn’t have the tensile strength steel comes with. Also, if you’re used to handling steel weapons and you are suddenly with an aluminum weapon, you may find your balance and grip are affected. For most users, the lesser weight is preferable to using steel and having a heavier gun to contend with.

The most popular aluminum alloys used in guns are ‘6061’ and ‘7075’. ‘6061’ is otherwise known as aircraft aluminum. It is made from trace amounts of silicon, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc, first manufactured in 1935. Comparatively, ‘7075’ is significantly stronger than ‘6061’, made up of large amounts of copper, manganese, chromium, and zinc. ‘7075’ has more corrosion-resistance. A lot of guns produced with ‘6061’ had difficulty adjusting to wet environments, such as jungles, rainy settings, and even in human sweat. For this reason, a lot of manufacturers switched to ‘7075’.

Some of our most famous gun types are made from aluminum. The M-16 receiver is made from ‘7075’, as is the Beretta Model 92 gun. The Colt Aircrewman has been used by the US Air Force since 1950 and is made predominantly with aluminum frames and cylinders. The .38 caliber Cobra’s only 11 ounces when fully loaded. Classic models like the UA Arms Integrated Aluminum 1911 has a composite aluminum pistol body which is up to 60% lighter than steel-based alternatives. The aforementioned 1911 is a favourite of many law enforcement agencies.

Aluminum alloys continue to be used all over the gun industry and is preferred by firearm enthusiasts all over the world. The difference in weight is a huge advantage, yes, but beyond this, there’s also the quality of the material, it’s steel-comparable strength, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Source : https://aaluminum.com/