Aluminium tube applications: where round and box section are used

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…

Joining and straightening aluminium profiles: methods that work

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…

How aluminium profiles are made: the extrusion process explained

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…

Does aluminium corrode? How it resists and when it fails

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: grades, coatings and gauges

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: C, Z and U sections

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 vs powder coating aluminium: which finish to choose

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,…

Steel plate and sheet: hot-rolled, chequer and structural

Steel plate and sheet are the flat carbon steel products behind fabricated parts, base plates, gussets, tanks, floors and machine frames, supplied hot-rolled, as chequer plate and to structural grades. ULAMEX supplies plate and sheet in S235JR, S275JR and S355J2, to EN 10025-2, EN 10029 and EN 10051, with a 3.1 certificate on request. This…

Black steel bars: round, flat, square and hexagonal

Black steel bar is the solid carbon steel long product behind machined parts, brackets, shafts, forgings and fabricated frames, supplied round, flat, square and hexagonal. ULAMEX supplies merchant and engineering bar in S235JR and S275JR, hot-rolled and bright cold-drawn, to EN 10025-2 and EN 10277, with a 3.1 certificate on request. This guide covers the…

Black steel structural sections: IPE, HEA, HEB and UPN

Black steel structural sections are the beams, columns and channels that carry loads in buildings and steelwork, supplied as IPE and IPN I-beams, HEA and HEB wide-flange sections and UPN channels. ULAMEX supplies structural sections in S235JR, S275JR and S355J2, to EN 10365 dimensions and EN 10025-2 grades, with a 3.1 certificate on request. This…

End of content

End of content