Aluminum Tubes vs. SWA Forged Rings: Choosing the Right Form

Are you weighing the options between readily available aluminum tubes¹ and custom-forged rings for your project? Understanding the distinct advantages of each is key to making the best choice.

When considering aluminum tubing versus forged rings, it's crucial to understand that tubes are suited for general structural and fluid transport needs, while forged rings offer superior strength, precision, and tailored properties for high-performance, critical applications.

Many of our clients at SWA Forging begin their design process by looking at standard aluminum tubes. They are often readily available, cost-effective, and suitable for a wide range of applications where general structural support or fluid conveyance is needed. Alloys like 6061 and 6063 are common choices, each with specific properties suited for different uses, such as architectural elements or basic framing. However, when a project demands exceptional strength, integrity under stress, complex shapes that tubing cannot easily achieve, or highly specific material properties, standard tubes often fall short. This is where custom-forged rings and discs from SWA Forging come into play. Forging involves shaping metal using localized compressive forces, which refines the grain structure, eliminates voids, and significantly enhances mechanical properties. This process allows us to create components with superior strength, toughness, and dimensional accuracy, tailored precisely to the most demanding industrial, aerospace, and defense applications where reliability is paramount.

What are aluminum tubes used for?

Aluminum tubes are used across various industries for applications requiring lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and structurally sound components, ranging from structural framing to fluid transport and decorative elements.

Common uses for aluminum tubes include building and construction (frames, supports), automotive (fuel lines, structural components), aerospace (fluid lines, structural elements), industrial machinery, furniture, and decorative applications, benefiting from their strength-to-weight ratio and ease of fabrication.

When clients discuss their needs with us at SWA Forging, we often compare the capabilities of tubing against our forged solutions. Aluminum tubes, depending on their alloy and temper, serve a multitude of purposes. In the construction sector, they are used for lightweight framing, support structures, and architectural elements. The automotive industry utilizes them for things like fuel lines, coolant pipes, and chassis components where weight reduction is critical. For aerospace, specialized aluminum tubes are used for hydraulic lines, fuel systems, and structural components where high strength and reliability are non-negotiable. Industrial machinery employs tubes for various structural parts and fluid handling systems. Beyond these, aluminum tubes are found in furniture, bicycle frames, lighting fixtures, and many other applications where their combination of strength, corrosion resistance², and workability is advantageous. Their hollow nature makes them lightweight yet structurally sound for many general-purpose uses.

Application examples for aluminum tubes:

Aluminum tubes are versatile components found in a wide array of everyday and specialized items.

What is the difference between 6061 and 6063 aluminum pipe?

While both are heat-treatable 6000-series alloys, 6061 offers higher strength and broader applications, whereas 6063 is optimized for extrusion and surface finish, making it preferred for architectural purposes.

6061 aluminum alloy is stronger and more versatile for structural applications due to its higher magnesium and silicon content, while 6063 aluminum alloy is favored for its superior extrudability and excellent surface finish, making it ideal for architectural components and decorative uses.

When clients consider aluminum tubing for their projects, the distinction between 6061 and 6063 is frequently a point of discussion. Both belong to the 6000 series, known for their excellent extrudability and corrosion resistance, but they differ in their primary alloying elements and resulting properties. 6061 has a slightly higher percentage of magnesium and silicon, which allows it to achieve higher tensile and yield strengths, especially when heat-treated (commonly to the T6 temper). This makes it a go-to alloy for structural applications, machined parts, and general-purpose fabrication where strength is a key requirement. 6063, on the other hand, is specifically designed for optimal extrudability and a superior surface finish. It’s known for forming complex shapes easily and taking a bright, polished finish, making it the industry standard for architectural applications like window frames, door frames, and curtain walls. While 6063 is still a strong alloy, it generally has lower mechanical strength than 6061. So, for structural integrity and load-bearing capacity, 6061 is usually preferred, whereas for aesthetic qualities and ease of forming intricate extrusions, 6063 is often the better choice.

Alloy comparison:

• 6061: Higher strength, good corrosion resistance, excellent machinability, versatile for structural uses.
• 6063: Excellent extrudability, superior surface finish, good corrosion resistance, preferred for architectural and decorative applications.

6061 is generally stronger; 6063 is better for extrusion and appearance.

What is the difference between 7075 and 6063 aluminum?

7075 aluminum is a high-strength alloy, typically used in demanding applications like aerospace, while 6063 is a lower-strength alloy optimized for extrudability and aesthetic finishes, commonly found in architectural applications.

7075 aluminum³ offers significantly higher tensile and yield strength due to its zinc alloying elements, making it suitable for high-stress components, whereas 6063 aluminum, alloyed with magnesium and silicon, excels in formability and surface quality, making it ideal for extrusions with aesthetic requirements.

When we at SWA Forging discuss material properties, the contrast between alloys like 7075 and 6063 is striking. These two alloys represent different ends of the aluminum spectrum in terms of strength and application. 7075 is one of the highest-strength aluminum alloys available, belonging to the 7000 series which are primarily alloyed with zinc. It offers strength comparable to many steels, making it indispensable in critical applications such as aircraft structures, high-performance sporting goods, and military equipment where maximizing strength while minimizing weight is paramount. However, this high strength comes with trade-offs: it has lower corrosion resistance than many other alloys and is more difficult to weld. 6063, as we've seen, is in the 6000 series, alloyed with magnesium and silicon. Its key strengths are its excellent extrudability and its ability to achieve a beautiful surface finish after anodizing. It's widely used for architectural purposes like window frames, door frames, and decorative trim, where ease of fabrication and appearance are more critical than extreme tensile strength. So, if you need maximum structural integrity, 7075 is the choice. If you need complex shapes with a great finish for non-heavy-duty structural use, 6063 is preferred.

Alloy property differences:

• 7075: Very high strength, good fatigue strength, lower corrosion resistance, less weldable.
• 6063: Moderate strength, excellent extrudability, excellent corrosion resistance, excellent surface finish.
• Primary Use: 7075 for high-stress aerospace/performance parts; 6063 for architectural and decorative extrusions.

7075 is significantly stronger; 6063 offers better formability and aesthetics.

Does 6061 aluminum bend well?

Yes, 6061 aluminum, particularly in softer tempers like -O (annealed), can bend well. However, its bendability decreases significantly in harder, heat-treated tempers like -T6.

6061 aluminum⁴ bends reasonably well, especially in its annealed (-O) or milder tempers, allowing for moderate bends without cracking. However, when heat-treated to harder tempers like -T6 for increased strength, its ductility decreases, making it more prone to cracking during tight bends.

The question of whether 6061 aluminum bends well is common, and the answer depends heavily on its temper. At SWA Forging, we often advise clients on how alloy properties influence formability. 6061-O (fully annealed) is the most ductile and bends easily with minimal risk of cracking. This makes it suitable for applications where significant forming is required after initial fabrication. As the alloy is heat-treated to harder tempers, its strength increases, but its ductility decreases. 6061-T4 offers a balance; it’s formable and can be bent, then hardened through aging. However, the most common temper for 6061 is T6, which offers excellent strength but significantly reduced ductility. While T6 can be bent, it requires larger bend radii to avoid cracking, and extreme bends are not recommended. If significant bending is a primary requirement, it’s often best to form the part in a softer temper and then heat-treat it, or to consider a different alloy that offers better formability, such as 5052. For critical bends, especially in T6 temper, performing a bend test is always advisable to ensure the material can withstand the forming process without compromising its integrity.

Bendability of 6061 aluminum:

6061's bendability is temper-dependent, decreasing as strength increases.

Conclusion

While aluminum tubes offer broad utility, custom-forged rings from SWA Forging provide superior strength and precision for demanding applications where standard tubing cannot meet critical performance requirements.