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Cars Are Lighter Because Of Sheet Aluminum

By Jaclyn Hurley


Makers of many products use sheet aluminum. That is the fact and one of the reasons that is so is because it is a popular material. It is cost effective because of its light weight, rust and corrosion resistant make up. Most people see things made out of aluminum every day and in all sorts of items.

One of the first inroads this material has had was in soda cans of the 1970s. Up to that point, all pop cans were made from tin or other rusting materials. The soda makers found out about aluminum and gave it a try. That was all they needed as it resists the rust and handles itself well in packaging machines and shipping containers.

A soda pop can is made from the fairly thin material. Other objects, such as car body panels, are made from thicker pieces of this metal. Using this makes the car or truck lighter so less fuel is needed to get it going and keep it up at highway speeds. The makers of engines found a perfect metal to build high performance engines that stay cooler with this.

An industry that uses a lot of aluminum is the aeronautics businesses. They create the space craft we use to explore the heavens. The airplanes that travel to all points of the globe are also made form this light weight material. The sheer resistance of this metal and the ability to alloy it with other materials makes it stronger than the steel that is too heavy to be used in these items.

The raw ore is extracted from the mine and formed into ingots. This is then transported to a foundry where alloys are made. An alloy is simply the raw material being mixed with others to achieve a specific characteristic. Tin can be mixed in as well as titanium. Each alloyed material will lend a different strength to the existing aluminum, making it better for a particular need.

When thinking about what, precisely, you need for the product you are manufacturing, the decision about sheets or plates is important. The alloyed metal is sent through presses that will compress the material into the various thicknesses needed. Those thicknesses for sheets are between just short of a quarter of an inch and about six thousandths of an inch. Anything thinner than that is called foil and pieces thicker are known as plates.

This type of metal is used on many things, inside and outside of the home. Appliances, computer cases and parts used in each one. Cars, planes, fences, roofing systems, as well as gutters and down spouts. Duct work for heating and air conditioning systems, flashing around many parts of construction as well as conduits that contain electrical, chemical transport and plumbing services. All of these and many more are made easier and more durable because of aluminum.

This element is cost effective and resistant to many weather conditions. It is used on things that are exposed to outside conditions and those that require it to be submerged in all sorts of liquids. It can be anodized and colored to make it look like other surfaces as well as being textured to present a pebbled look. Durability and flexibility are good points to consider.




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Cars Are Lighter Because Of Sheet Aluminum Cars Are Lighter Because Of Sheet Aluminum Reviewed by noor abid on 03:04:00 Rating: 5

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