PLATE & SHEET BUYING TIPS
When buying aluminium plate and sheet please keep the following in mind.
Stock Range
There are many hundreds of types and sizes of plate and sheet in metalweb’s stock range. For non-stock sizes, through our reserved allocation, lead times can be scheduled to meet your requirements.
metalweb’s stock range of aluminium plate and aluminium sheet contains numerous sizes, alloys, and tempers.
It includes:
- Plate from 6mm/ ¼” thick up to 500mm thick in our standard range
- Plate thicker than 500mm can be supplied as special requests
- Standard and bespoke plate sizes are available
- M82 aluminium precision plate in 6082 T651
- Sheets from 0.5mm thick to 6mm thick
- Sheets are available in standard commercial grades as well as SPF (super plastic forming)
- Sheets in standard 2000mm x 1000mm; 2500mm x 1250mm and 4000mm x 2000mm sizes are available
- Super size sheets longer than 4000mm (for example for marine applications) can also be supplied
- Sheets can be supplied polycoated to ensure they arrive in pristine condition
The ‘metalweb aluminium Handbook & Stock List’ has details of the complete standard range of sizes available from stock – please ask for your copy. It also contains advice on choosing the correct alloy as well as having details on available patterned sheet and plate, for example 5 bar treadplate.
Flatness
The majority of our rolled plate stock is control stretched to minimise built-in stresses and to achieve a high standard of flatness. If European Norm flatness tolerances are not adequate for your needs you should consider buying Cast Tooling Plate.
Welding
All grades are good welding alloys except the 2000 and 7000 series. MIG or TIG welding is recommended.
Cost
Instead of buying full plate or sheet sizes and thus incurring extra costs, why not ask us to cut it to the precise size required, or get us to order a multiple size plate which can save on wastage or scrap. Please ask us how we can improve your competitiveness by getting a bespoke size on a quick mill lead time from our reserved allocation. This will improve your costs and price per piece. For profiled shapes we will cut to your drawing or will work to a template.
Tolerances
Since there are no British Standard or European Tolerances for plate cut-to-size by stockholders, the tolerances required should be agreed when placing your order. On the face of the order, please state the size after final machining as well as the desired cut size.