The Features of 6xxx Automotive Aluminum Sheets

 6xxx automotive aluminum is an aluminum alloy with magnesium and silicon as the main alloying elements and Mg2Si phase as the strengthening phase, which is a heat-treated aluminum alloy. It has medium strength, high corrosion resistance, no stress corrosion cracking tendency, good welding performance, unchanged corrosion performance of the welding zone, good formability and process performance.

When the alloy contains copper, the strength of the alloy can be close to that of the 2 series aluminum alloy, and the process performance is better than that of the 2 series aluminum alloy, but the corrosion resistance becomes worse. The most widely used 6xxx automotive aluminum sheets are 6061 and 6063.

The main grades of 6xxx aluminum alloy are 6005, 6060, 6061, 6063, 6082, 6201, 6262, 6463, 6A02 and 6056 aluminum alloy. There is a brief introduction of 6056 aluminum:

6005: it is used for structural parts that require a strength greater than 6063 alloy, such as ladders, TV antennas, etc.

6061: It is used for a variety of industrial structures requiring certain strength, weldability and high corrosion resistance, such as trucks, ships, mechanical parts, car body panel,etc.

6063: It is often used as industrial profiles, construction profiles, irrigation pipes and extrusion materials for vehicles, benches, furniture, fences, etc.

6101: It is used for high-strength bars for buses, electrical conductors and radiator materials, etc.

6151: It is used for die forging crankshaft parts, machine parts and production of rolled rings. It is used for applications that require good forgeability, high strength, and good corrosion resistance.

6201: It is used to make high-strength conductive rods and wires.

6262: It is used to make high-stress parts which require higher corrosion resistance than 2011 and 2017 alloy.

6A02: It is used to make aircraft engine parts, complex forgings and die forgings.

6056 Aluminum: It is an Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy widely used in the automotive and aviation fields. Its strength is 15% higher than that of 6061 aluminum alloy. Its weldability, corrosion resistance and cutting performance are better than 7075 and 2024 aluminum alloy.

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