6061 Aluminum
6061 aluminum is a common grade of alloyed aluminum. Its main alloys are magnesium and silicon. This general purpose metal is wieldable, heat treatable, and is cold worked or annealed. It is usually supplied in billets rather than cast form. Benefits include good corrosion resistance and high strength-to-weight ratio. 6061 grade aluminum is used in the automotive, aerospace and engineering industries for the manufacturing of trucks, marine vessels, pipelines, railroad cars, large structural components, tank fittings and wire products. Because it is easily machined, this grade of aluminum is able to be cut, stamped, bent, spun and drilled.
After the pure aluminum is alloyed with magnesium and silicone, the billets are shaped by cold working, which does not heat the metal at or past its recrystallization temperature. It is formed by a rolling, extruding or forging process, usually at room temperature. After 6061 aluminum has been cold worked, it goes through various different heat treating processes, such as annealing, solution heat treatments and precipitation heat treatments. These improve the metal's workability, stabilize its properties, improve its mechanical abilities, and harden the surface. T61 is a popular heat treating method for 6061 aluminum. This process improves tensile strength and fatigue resistance.