Aluminum
Aluminum tip cones for high performance spinning top
Aluminum was used due to its light weight and strength for the Quark(tm) spinning top. In a high performance top weight must be maximized at the outer edge and minimized on the interior. Yet enough strength is needed in the tip cone to retain a press-fit tungsten carbide ball.
Holder CNC Milled in Aluminum 1100
Aluminum is a light weight, silver-colored metal that can be formed
into almost any shape. It can be rolled into thick plates for armored
tanks or into thin foil for wrappers. It may be drawn into wire or made
into cans. Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust after oxygen and silicon. Aluminum is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for just over 100 years. Pure aluminum is soft and has little strength. Small amounts of elements like copper, magnesium, zinc etc., are added to pure aluminum to give strength.
Aluminum Properties
- Resists corrosion - a thin protective layer is formed when the aluminum metal is exposed
to atmosphere and this prevents rusting of aluminum surface.
- Chemical resistance
- Easily machined
- High strength to weight ratio - weighs about one-third as much as copper
- Good electrical conductor
- Excellent conductor of heat
- Can reflect heat and light
- Non-magnetic
- Readily formed
- Can be drawn
Aluminum Processing
eMachineShop allows you to design custom aluminum parts using: Bending ... Blanking ... Pressure Die Casting ... Sand Casting ... Counter boring ... Counter sinking ... Drawing ... Drilling ... Fine blanking ... Honing ... Knurling ... Laser Cutting ... Milling ... Photochemical Milling ... Plasma Cutting ... Reaming ... Band sawing ... Shearing ... Threading & Tapping ... Turret Punching ... Turning (lathe) ... Waterjet Cutting ... Welding and Wire EDM.
Applications of Aluminum
After iron and steel, aluminum is the most popular metal used for many applications including:
- Transportation: The combination of lightness, strength and formability make aluminum the ideal material for transportation applications. It is used in automobiles, airplanes, railways and marine applications. Aluminum is used for making fuel-efficient engines in cars and trucks. Its low weight reduces fuel consumption and emissions.
- Air travel: Strong aluminum alloys take the extreme pressures and stresses involved in high altitude flying. Wafer thin aluminum panels keep the cold out and the air in. Many internal fittings like the seating on planes are made from aluminum or aluminum composite in order to save weight and thus save fuel, reduce emissions and increase the aircraft's payload.
- Vehicles: In a vehicle crash involving a largely aluminum vehicle a high proportion of the shock is absorbed by the structure.
- Packaging and food processing: Aluminum is non-poisonous and so non-acidic food can be safely wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked in aluminum vessels. Aluminum cooking utensils heat up quickly and evenly and are easy to lift. Using aluminum cookware, the energy required to heat is less than that of stainless steel or cast iron.
- Construction: Aluminum facilitates the construction of corrosion-resistant and low maintenance cost buildings. All kinds of aluminum products are used for new construction as well as renovation. Due to the strength and lightness of aluminum, it is used in earthquake prone zones. As aluminum is a good reflector of light, it is used in lighting fixtures.
- Electrical transmission lines: Aluminum can be drawn in to thin wires. Most of the high voltage overhead transmission and distribution lines over long distances are made of aluminum. Aluminum is also used in light bulbs and telephone wires.
- Medical applications: Aluminum is hygienic and easy to sterilize, and so is preferred for many medical applications.
- Other applications of aluminum: Aluminum is also used in rocket fuel, paints, inks, knitting needles, refrigerators and electronic products.
