What is Aluminium, why and where is it used?
Aluminium has a silvery-white appearance, and is a lightweight metal known for its versatility and durability. It is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and has excellent resistance to corrosion and is easily malleable. Therefore, Perforated Aluminium is a popular material in a variety of industries.
Sheets are easily manufactured and can be cut, rolled, and folded with ease or fabricated into different shapes. The material is used in a wide range of industry sectors from automotive to architectural applications.
Why Choose Perforated Aluminium?
Aesthetics: Perforated Aluminium sheets work well aesthetically and are formed and fabricated easily making them ideal for Architectural Applications.
Finishing:
Anodized Aluminium: Is a good medium to long term solution for corrosion protection and delivers a high-quality cosmetic finish with a high resistance to fading. Anodizing is a transparent finish integral with metal, it retains and enhances characteristics of Aluminum. Anodizing with darker colours can be costly as the Perforated Aluminium Sheets will be ‘dipped’ in the tank for longer.
Aluminium Powder Coating: Powder coating Perforated Aluminium Sheets is another good medium to long term solution with a particularly good cosmetic finish. The formula for powder coating paints has developed greatly over the years and so are more resistant to fading. There are varying ‘powder classes. Class 1 is used for most of the Architectural metalwork while class 2 is used in high weather facades.
For large scale jobs we order powder in one batch to avoid any inconsistency from batch to batch.
Strength: Mild Steel and Stainless Steel are stronger materials and more durable than Aluminium if comparing the same sheet thickness, however, Aluminium is almost three times lighter making it a favorable material for cladding particularly where weight is an important consideration.
Weight: The specific gravity of Mild and Stainless Steel is approximately 8 kilos per square meter with 1mm thickness, while Aluminium is 2.75 kilos. Perforating Aluminium Sheets further decreases weight, making it an ideal material for situations where minimum weight is essential such as ventilation panels, cladding panels, and ceiling tiles.
Maintenance: Depending on whether aluminium is left finished or unfinished (i.e. no powder coating and anodizing) and or on material grade a maintenance schedule may be required from time to time.
Corrosion Resistance: Aluminum forms a protective oxide layer naturally, shielding it from corrosion. When anodized, its resistance increases manifold. Unfinished Aluminum forms a protective oxide layer, in certain conditions this can cause a whitish residue or pitting. Graepels can advise on these considerations to negate these issues.
Advantages of Perforated Aluminium
- Easily finished with powder coating or anodize coatings with a vast range of colours
- Light weight making it ideal for cladding and other architectural applications easy to install and handle.
- The material has the largest selection of perforation shapes, sizes, and configurations
- Readily formed and Perforated
- Durability and Corrosion: Good longevity of Perforated Aluminium Sheets due to durability and resistance to corrosion
- Applications: Ideal for indoor or outdoor applications, used in many architectural applications including cladding and screening or partitions.
- Variety of Aluminium Grades available on the market
- Environmentally Friendly Aluminium can be recycled repeatedly through remelting
Why Choose Aluminium Woven Wire?
Lightweight: Aluminium is lightweight, although woven wire tends to be lighter than most materials due to its high % open area. Might be applicable more for aerospace and automotive industries.
Corrosion Resistance: Aluminum naturally forms a protective oxide layer when exposed to air, which makes it highly resistant to corrosion. This property ensures longevity and reliability, especially in outdoor and harsh environments.
Recyclability: Aluminum is highly recyclable, and the recycling process requires only a fraction of the energy needed to produce new aluminum.
High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Aluminum’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it suitable for applications where both strength and weight are important considerations, such as in overhead transmission lines and structural applications in buildings.
Advantages of Woven Wire Aluminium
- Ease of Handling and Installation: Being much lighter than other metals such as steel or copper
- Application in Weight-Sensitive Areas: Its lightweight nature makes it ideal for use in aerospace, automotive, and other applications where weight reduction is crucial.
- Easily Fabricated: Aluminum can be easily shaped and formed into different mesh patterns and sizes, allowing for customization to meet specific requirements.
- Complex Designs: Its ductility enables the creation of complex designs and intricate mesh configurations without compromising strength.
- Applications: Aluminum’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for applications where strength is required without adding excessive weight, such as in construction and engineering projects.
