Pipes, tubes and section bars in steel, stainless steel and aluminum
Aluminum, steel or stainless steel? The choice of metal alloy is important.
It is not that one is better than the other, but rather each has its own specific characteristics, so it is important to know them and choose on the basis of the use and result you need to obtain.
This means that the structural and esthetic characteristics that your product must have will determine your preference for one over the other.
Here at Tecnocurve, with our experience, we can help you decide which metal alloy is best for your industrial project.
Importance of the metal alloy in tube bending
Why is the choice of metal alloy of the tube or section bar so important? Aluminum, steel and stainless steel are available in a vast number of types of alloys with distinct and specific characteristics (for example aluminum 6060 T4 and aluminum 6082 T4). Every alloy has a specific coefficient of elongation that directly affects the feasibility of bending of the tube.
For this reason, the metal alloy is often chosen on the basis of the intended use of the bent tube and depending on the bend radius.
Inspections
With the certificate of conformity, we certify the quality of the metal alloy from which the tubular element is made. The certificate contains information on:
- The steel mill of origin
- Chemical analysis of the casting
- Type of material
- Identification of casting lot
- Result of strength test
- Reference standards
Aluminum
Mechanical strength, light weight, esthetic quality and resistance to corrosion are the most important advantages of aluminum which, just for these reasons, is used in many industrial sectors. In particular, the sectors most interested in using aluminum are those of lighting, vehicle interiors, ski-lift installations and the rail transportation sector.
The aluminum alloys most frequently chosen for the production of tubes and tubular elements are:
- 6060 T4
- 6060 T5
- 6082 T4
- 5083 0
- 5754 0
Steel
Steel is the metal most widely used for tube bending and roll bending. The most important features of steel tubes are mechanical strength and relatively low cost. Bent tubes and section bars in steel are preferred mainly for structural uses, such as in the frames of cabs, when the technical features of the tubular element are more important than its esthetic aspect.
The most widely used steel alloys are:
- S235
- S275
- S355
- E235+N
- E355
Stainless steel
Esthetic aspect and resistance to corrosion are the essential features of tubes in stainless steel, which are used when the resistance to corrosive agents is a decisive factor, as in the naval shipbuilding sector, for example, in certain types of systems, in the fitness and medical sector and in construction.
The most widely used alloys of stainless steel in processing tubes and tubular elements are:
- AISI 304
- AISI 316
Precision and quality in tube processing
Quality alone certainly is not enough to guarantee the precision of the workmanship in processing and bending metal tubes and section bars.
There are many elements that affect the final outcome and at Tecnocurve great care goes into the feasibility analysis and the design stage, as well as in the actual processing of the material. All our expertise, accumulated over time, is focused on each separate step, each stage, from the preliminaries to the processing and after, with equal attention.
We value every aspect of our work because we know that so many elements go into the success of a project.
