Stainless steels divide into four families: austenitic (such as 304 and 316), ferritic (such as 430), martensitic (such as 420) and duplex (such as 2205). The family sets the balance of corrosion resistance, strength, formability and cost, and within each family the grade is defined by an EN 10088 number such as 1.4301 for 304….
Stainless steel is welded by TIG or MIG under an argon shield, with a low-carbon filler matched to the grade: 308L for 304, 316L for 316 and 309L for dissimilar joints. The challenges are distortion from stainless steel’s high thermal expansion, sensitisation that can rob the weld of corrosion resistance, and oxidation that must be…
Stainless steel rusts when its protective chromium oxide layer is beaten by chlorides, contamination or trapped moisture, not because the steel is faulty. The metal defends itself with a thin, self-healing passive film, and rust appears only where that film cannot form or is broken down: in salt-laden air, where carbon steel particles are pressed…
Aluminium tube is used wherever a structure needs to be strong, light and corrosion resistant: vehicle frames, railings and balustrades, furniture, marine fittings, machine guards and solar mounting. Its appeal is a high strength-to-weight ratio, a self-protecting oxide layer that survives outdoors uncoated, and a clean surface that takes any finish. Both round tube and…
Aluminium profiles are joined three ways: mechanically with connectors, screws and bolts, by welding with a 4043 or 5356 filler, or by adhesive bonding. Mechanical joints are the workshop default because they are demountable and do not weaken the metal, while welding is used where a permanent, rigid joint is needed and some loss of…
Aluminium profiles are made by extrusion: a heated aluminium billet is pushed through a shaped steel die under thousands of tonnes of force, emerging as a continuous profile with the die’s cross section. The profile is then quenched, stretched straight, cut to length and heat treated to a T5 or T6 temper. The alloy is…
Aluminium does not rust, but it does corrode under specific conditions. It protects itself with a thin, self-healing oxide layer that reforms the instant it is scratched, which is why bare aluminium lasts for decades outdoors. It corrodes when that layer is overwhelmed: in contact with steel or copper (galvanic corrosion), and in salt-laden or…
Galvanised steel sheet and coil is flat carbon steel with a continuously applied zinc coating, used for roofing, cladding, enclosures, ducting and the strip that cold-formed sections are rolled from. ULAMEX supplies galvanised sheet in the forming grades DX51D to DX56D and the structural grades S250GD to S550GD, in zinc (Z) and zinc-magnesium (ZM) coatings,…
Galvanised steel profiles and purlins are the corrosion-protected structural sections behind roofs, walls, frames and light steel structures, supplied as cold-formed C, Z and U sections, angles and flat bars. ULAMEX supplies galvanised profiles in pre-galvanised structural grades and, where fabrication follows, hot-dip galvanised after making up, to EN 10346, EN 1993-1-3 and EN ISO…
Anodising and powder coating are the two main finishes for aluminium, and the choice comes down to appearance, durability and environment. Anodising thickens the metal’s own oxide layer for a hard, integral, UV-stable finish in metallic tones, to EN 12373 (Qualanod). Powder coating bakes on a thick coloured polymer film in the full RAL range,…
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