Aluminum Angles
Aluminum angles are standard extruded L-shaped parts composed of 2 legs that intersect and form a 90 degree angle. Aluminum is often used to make these long, narrow shapes because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. The legs are either equal or unequal in length, and often have sharp corners. They are mostly found within the construction, building and engineering industries as structural components. Aluminum angles are used as framing, railings, posts, supports, hangers, brackets, reinforcements, stiffeners, flanges, collars, window frames, trim and bars. 6061 aluminum, which is alloyed with magnesium and silicon, is the most common material for structural applications.
All aluminum shapes, including angles, are manufactured through extrusion, which is the process of forming long, constant cross-section structural parts by pushing metal billets through a die at either room temperature or high temperature. Angle legs are often welded together because extruding an L-shape can be difficult. In order to obtain the desired strength for structural applications, aluminum angles are often T5 or T6 tempered, a form of heat treatment in which the metal is strengthened when the intermetallic particles are precipitated. Structural aluminum angles are often anodized, a finishing process where the aluminum is oxidized in a chemical bath, which forms a strong outer coating.