It is all too often that everyday materials just become part of the background. However, when using aluminum bar in various types of construction or fabrication there are some important properties, and differences, between the different alloys, extrusions and other factors that should be considered.
To start, aluminum bar can be produced by a variety of different processes based on the specific alloy and the intended use. Typically most bar, like most rod, is made by extrusion, but they can also be made by rolling and coiling or by being drawn from molten aluminum.
What is Bar?
While most people refer to bar as square or rectangular shaped solids, it is also possible to have hollow bar, which is more commonly referred to as a tube. The same is also true with round rod and round tube, with the latter being the hollow version.
According to The Aluminum Association aluminum bar can actually be any shape and have any number of sides, and this is very common in custom extrusions to create specific parts or components.
Production through Extrusion
Most aluminum bar is processed by extrusion, which includes heating up a large billet of aluminum and then forcing it, with a hydraulic system, through the die that moves the heated but not liquid aluminum through a specific shape.
The shape of the die creates the shape of the final extruded aluminum bar. It can be square, rectangular, flat, hexagonal or literally a unique shape that is created by a custom die.
After the bar is produced in the desired extrusion, it is allowed to cool at the correct speed and at the correct temperature. This process increases the strength of the aluminum and also reduces the impurities to the grain, making it more workable. The specific process used for the aluminum bar will depend on the alloy and the temper required based on the final application or end use.
The Various Uses
With an excellent strength to weight ratio, high levels of corrosion resistance and good workability for many of the alloys, this is one of the most common metals used in construction and fabrication.
You will find aluminum bar in aircraft designs, in naval warships and personal fishing boats, in the frames of big rigs as well as the frames of hand gliders. Aluminum bar is also used in many industrial applications include benches, production equipment, air conditioning and heating systems and in racing vehicles for land, air and water use.
The demand for aluminum bar continues to grow. Highly recyclable and very long lasting, aluminum use continues to increase and replace more traditional types of materials in an ever-increasing number of applications.
