When it comes to fabrication, choosing the right metal is essential for achieving the successful outcome of a given project. Most sheet metal manufacturing companies in India mainly use aluminum and stainless steel to carry out the process.
Both metals have pros and cons depending on the project’s requirements. They are known for their durability, versatility, corrosion resistance, and other much-appreciated properties, making them popular fabrication options.
The metals serve their best purpose in industries like automotive, aviation, manufacturing, construction, and industrial, among others. Additionally, they are used to make a range of household products and workplace tools.
Though both stainless steel and aluminum appear similar to the eyes, they hold different properties that make it crucial to pick the right one when it comes to successful fabrication.
Therefore, before starting out a fabrication project, Automobile Sheet metal companies in Faridabad and other fabricators need to know the pros and cons of each metal.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a silvery-white metal, extremely lightweight, soft, non-ferrous, and malleable. It is a chemical and metallic element found in nearly all vegetation, animals, and rocks. It must be alloyed with other elements, like silicon, magnesium, zinc, copper, and-or manganese, to strengthen and enhance the properties required for fabrication. Fabricators can easily create unique shapes and complex designs with the described metal.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and is known for its excellent corrosion-resistant and rust-resistant properties. It is formed by adding a minimum of 10.5% chromium to iron with a small percentage of carbon. The mechanical properties of the metal are further enhanced by combining the metal with other elements, like silicon, nickel, molybdenum, niobium, titanium, and manganese. Depending on the requirements or properties required, manufacturers can alter the composition. With stainless steel, fabricators can achieve better corrosion resistance, increased strength, high or low-temperature resistance, formability, and weldability.
Aluminum Vs Stainless Steel: Which Is Better For Metal Fabrication?
Let’s compare both metals on different properties, so it becomes easy for you to conclude which one will work for your fabrication process.
Strength
Stainless steel is a heavier, stronger, and denser metal than aluminum. Although aluminum is lighter than steel, it has better strength than stainless steel. Its lightweight and good strength make it a perfect choice for manufacturing many parts and components for the automotive and aerospace industries. Parts made from aluminum help improve fuel efficiency while increasing load capacity. On the contrary, stainless steel has immense strength, making it more preferred by fabricators when it comes to making structural components and architectural features of buildings.
Electrical and Thermal Conductivity
As compared to stainless steel, aluminum possesses better electrical and thermal conductivity. Conductivity plays an important role in fabricating metal for a specific purpose. Aluminum has high electrical and thermal conductivity with better corrosion resistance; it mostly acts as a heat sink for devices that require fast cooling, like LED lights, air conditioning units, radiators, and electronics.
Thermal Properties
Stainless steel possesses exceptional thermal properties that make the metal withstand high heat applications (it can withstand up to 400°C). On the other hand, aluminum softens when the temperature exceeds 200°C.
Weldability
If the project you are dealing with demands welding, choosing stainless steel over aluminum is wise. This is because aluminum has high thermal conductivity and a low melting point, making its welding a little challenging. Aluminum may also crack after the process when it is left to cool down. Stainless steel has high tensile strength and is stronger than aluminum, making it a better choice for producing strong and long-lasting welds.
Cost
The cost of both metals continuously fluctuates, depending on the demand and supply factors, accessibility of elements required to make them, and fuel prices. In general, the cost of raw material to make aluminum is higher than that of making stainless steel, making the former metal expensive. So, depending on your project’s requirements and budget, you can choose the right metal.
Industries
Aluminum leaches or dissolves into food because it is not used in the food industry. Additionally, the metal tends to scratch or dent easily, making it difficult to clean. On the contrary, stainless steel is highly used for making cutlery, cookware, and kitchen equipment because of its strength, durability, and ability to prevent germs and bacteria.
Conclusion
Choosing between aluminum and stainless steel can make you scratch your head. Therefore, it is necessary to understand your fabrication requirements first before making a choice.
If you are still having difficulty with the fabrication process and need experts to do the task, we at Sangeeta Industries are happy to help.
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