Aluminum: The Material of the Future?

Finding alloys that offer the right balance of durability to weight is crucial for manufacturers across the globe. And the metals that are at the forefront are mostly aluminum alloys and composites, materials combined with steel, titanium, and aluminum.

Of these, aluminum is the most promising for its qualities: lightness, flexibility, resistance, and conductivity. Almost all modern industries rely on aluminum to create the products needed for transportation, technology, and even everyday objects, such as furniture.

And the popularity of aluminum won’t wane soon, as the metal’s affordability, reusability and abundance has made it one of the most promising materials in manufacturing. It could open new opportunities for machinists and tool manufacturers, especially when it comes to creating the best end mills for aluminum.

Why Aluminum?

Aluminum is very abundant on the earth’s surface, and it is highly available in many countries and areas. This makes it very affordable for many manufacturers, and very easily obtained. Aside from this, the metal is very recyclable and reusable.

According to researchers, 75 percent of the aluminum, or 750 million metric tons,  that has ever been produced is still in use today. This amount of material makes it a great resource for the future, especially because of its recyclability.

And the recycling process that requires remelting used aluminum takes up only a small amount of energy, and suffers very minimal metal loss. This is mainly due to the lightness of aluminum, which also gives it the flexibility and resilience even under stress.

So it’s no surprise that aluminum has  become the most favorable metal when it comes to industries that require the following: electronic components, protective function, corrosion resistance, and weight reduction.

Industries that Rely on Aluminum

There are many industries that rely on this metal, particularly the aerospace, automotive, and construction industries. It is also used extensively in electronics manufacturing and packaging, but as of now the largest market for aluminum is transportation.

Weight is a big issue when it comes to transportation, especially in shipping and aerospace. Reducing the weight of vehicles can help in improving speed and maneuverability, and aluminum is the go to metal for this.

Cars, aircrafts, trains, and ships need steel, but they use a lot of aluminum in many parts and areas as it is only half the weight of steel. It can give any vehicle more efficiency and savings when it comes to fuel consumption, as it does not require much power to move a lighter vehicle.

Additionally, aluminum improves electromobility. For many e-vehicle investors and enthusiasts, this is a promising idea. Using aluminum for e-cars can expand its range and make it more acceptable in any other markets. The thermal conductivity of aluminum makes it very ideal for battery trays, as aluminum is helpful in controlling temperature in the engine.

Aluminum and Machining

When it comes to machining, using cast aluminum (or pure aluminum) alloys for machining is easy. Most alloys from aluminum are lightweight, and they meet the highest requirements in construction when it comes to strength and durability.

All aluminum alloys can be machined, using drills, mills, and metal cutting tools. The smaller components required in some industries require the best end mills for aluminum because they have to be precisely milled from solid material. Also, if there is a need for smooth surfaces, the right cutters and settings are required to get a fine finish on such a soft material.  

So when milling with aluminum, it is important to use tools that can deal with the material’s build up. When machining an aluminum alloy, tools must have coatings that help to decrease friction, as aluminum chips are soft and can gather around the cutting surface.

This means that machining aluminum could mean more demand on tool manufacturers making tools that will help with processing aluminum or its alloys as well as increase the demand for machining experts that have an expertise on using aluminum.