Perforated Aluminum
Perforated aluminum is aluminum that has been stamped or punched with holes in a sequence or pattern using a machine, a tool or a combination therein. Aluminum is so popular and frequently selected over other metals for use as a raw material for the creation of perforated metal sheets because it exhibits many desirable characteristics. Included among these are the qualities of durability, heat resistance, strength, corrosion resistance, rust resistance and recyclability.
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Advantages to Perforated Aluminum
Perforated aluminum and perforated aluminum products are versatile, strong, durable, lightweight, easy to manufacture and affordable. They are available with various warranties, per the company that makes them, and can be fabricated to meet the standard requirements of various governmental, industry and/or building codes, including OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), ISO (International Standards Organization) and the American Iron and Steel Institute. For the very best results, IQS recommends that you browse the list of aluminum manufacturers listed on this page, and then reach out to one or more of them with your questions and concerns or for a quote. All of the manufacturers listed on this page are skilled, experienced and reputable. They will provide you with top-notch guidance as you navigate the waters of perforated aluminum shopping, no matter your application.
Purpose of Perforated Aluminum
Perforated aluminum sheets are sold for use with and in a variety of different parts and products, and in general, they are vastly popular within the architectural, food and beverage, chemical and energy, automotive, furniture, filtration, HVAC, sound system, construction and material development industries. Applications in which perforated aluminum is used include, among others: acoustic panels, speaker covers, industrial cabinetry, acoustic panels, cheese graters, spoons, colanders, ladles, window and door screens, water screens, coffee screens, cement slurry screens, cinder screens, blast furnace screens, drain coverings, pipe guards, ventilation grilles, air filters, oil filters, retail displays, indoor and outdoor furniture, decorative wall paneling and architectural decorations of all sorts.
Design of Perforated Aluminum
Perforated aluminum is fabricated via the metal perforation process, which employs various types of perforation machinery and equipment such as punch presses, sectional XY punching presses, die presses and laser perforators, all of which can be manufactured with varying levels of automation. Regardless, to begin the perforation process, manufacturers feed metal sheet into the perforation equipment, where the metal passes through and then, one way or another, is perforated with new shapes.
One of the more popular pieces of perforation equipment are rotary pinned perforation rollers. These types of perforation machines are equipped with a rolling beam, which is in turn equipped with several precisely shaped perforating tools. When the metal sheets run through machines equipped with rolling beams, the turning beam makes contact with them and forces its shape into the aluminum. This method may be considered a punching method because the tools on the roller "punch" out shapes.
Other methods work somewhat similarly, using a press equipped with perforation tools. When at rest, perforation presses sit in a retracted position. In order to press perforations into the metal, they must be pushed down and extended into the metal. Metal perforation processes like these and others can be operated by hand, but more and more frequently, they work automatically or semi-automatically using computer controlled technology. CNC perforating machines are especially popular with manufacturers who wish to create high volumes of high quality perforated aluminum. For the creation of very small volumes of perforated aluminum products, though, manual or hand operated perforating equipment or tools can still be very effective.
Materials Used for Perforated Aluminum
In addition to aluminum, manufacturers can perforate materials such as: carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, bronze, brass, cast iron, copper, titanium and zirconium. Nevertheless, perforated aluminum shines through as one of the most highly used perforated metals in transportation, architecture, building and construction, food and beverage, sound transference and noise control and household appliances. Stainless steel manufacturers offer perforated aluminum products in a wide variety of thicknesses (measured in gages), perforation patterns, perforation sizes, tolerances, margins, sheet and plate flatnesses and product volumes. They can also further process and finish them using metal forming processes such as notching, welding, bending, rolling and shearing.
Metal manufacturers are happy to create custom perforated aluminum pieces for their customers, whether that customization be related to aluminum thickness, shape, margins or perforation patterns. Some examples of perforation hole patterns with which an aluminum sheet might be punched include: straight square slots, round slot ends, staggered rounds, staggered squares, staggered centers, staggered sides, rounds, line squares, ellipses, crosses, diamonds, chain links, hexagons and decorative cutouts like flowers or stars.