Wellste: Your Professional Aluminum Round Tube Supplier

Wellste aluminum round tube that is around hollow extruded Aluminum, 6063 Aluminum round tube which are used in home fittings, furniture, and construction etc. 6061 aluminum round tube has higher tensile and yield strength than 6063, so they are primarily used as structural component, truck & bike frame, and electrical fittings etc.

Wellste is an aluminum extrusions manufacturer and supplier for almost 20 years. Our products have been exported to many countries, including the United States of America, Italy, Poland, Spain, Africa, and Mexico. Wellste aluminum round tube has gained good reputation both Domestic and Foreign market.

Wellste owns hundreds of standard extruded aluminium tube sizes comes in various dimension and thickness. We have available mold for these aluminum round tube, which can shorten the delivery time and let you receive the goods faster.

Here in Wellste, we are specialized in producing aluminum round tube with wall thickness as thin as 0.4mm. Wellste Aluminum is thin wall aluminum tubing expert.

Ask for a quote today. Our sales engineer can quote to you that only know OD(Outer Diameter) and wall thickness, Our sales engineer will give you fast and warm customer service.

Aluminum Round Tube: A Complete Buying Guide

Most likely, you would like to import aluminum round tube for OEM, distribution or large scale system installations.

Whichever the case, you must focus on fundamental aspects of round aluminum tubes.

These may include, aluminum grade, specifications, applications, etc. That’s exactly what today’s guide will cover.

So let’s get started.

What is Aluminum Round Tube?

It refers to a metal tube made of aluminum material designed for a wide range of commercial, construction, industrial and home decoration applications among others.

It is one of the strongest and robust material hence making it suitable for a wide range of applications including structural and high-pressure fluid flow, among others.

This type of material possesses some of the great qualities making it one the preferable types of metals used in different parts of the world.

Most of the aluminum round tube products are usually readily weldable and machinable.

Aluminum round tube

Moreover, you can also harden this particular product using heat treatment. This is essential because it makes it possible for you to determine the level of hardness you prefer.

It comes in different sizes as well as lengths, as we will come to learn later on in this guide.

In general, though, many manufacturers often produce different types of aluminum round tube depending on the actual application.

Nevertheless, let’s now look at some of the key features of this material, which makes it one of the most popular all over the world.

Main Features of Aluminum Round Tube

Well, the truth is that if indeed you’re looking for a material to suit your various types of applications, you always need to check the features.

What it means here is that considering the properties of this type of metal makes it possible for you to arrive at the best purchasing decision.

In this section, I want us to briefly look at some of the key features of this particular material.

Of course, the essence is to ensure that you understand the basics of what it entails, which makes it a better preference over others.

So some of these features include the following;

Aluminum tube dimensions

·       Corrosion resistant

This metal is made of different alloys that contain different properties.

So it is the combination of these different elements that makes it possible for it to be resistant to corrosion and other environmental factors too.

·       High electrical conductivity

This metal, along with copper, has a high electrical conductivity making it the best when it comes to using it as an electrical conductor.

It can conduct twice as much electricity when compared with other commonly used metals such as carbon steel.

·       Lightweight

This metal is lightweight hence making it suitable for easy fabrication needs as well as convenient movement.

Moreover, this property makes it possible for you to carry out a number of applications where weight tends to be the main concern.

·       High recyclability and formability

It is a great element of aluminum round tube given that you can easily recycle it infinitely its properties degrading.

In fact, this material is often manufactured using high recycled content.

·       Ecologically friendly

Aluminum round tube is environmentally friendly, given that it never burns or produces toxic fumes even at extreme temperatures.

This is to say that it is non-combustible as well as non-toxic.

Some of the additional properties of this material, such as lightweight, flexibility, and high strength, also make it environmentally friendly.

·       Available in several alloys

Aluminum generally, is made of various alloys which of course gives it all these properties.

It is the combination of such different alloys that integrate and make it attain all these possible features, including strength, flexibility, among others.

So these are some of the key properties of the aluminum round tube, which makes it a better option and widely used.

As you can see, these features are indeed significant in various applications in one way or the other.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense always to ensure that you use this material whenever you need it for your specific project.

And talking of a specific project, I want us in the next section to look at some of the areas where the use of this material tends to be common.

Where to Use Aluminum Round Tubing

You see, like I did mention earlier, this metal is seemingly popular for use in various applications.

It is thus important that we also discuss a few of these possible uses at least to give you an idea of what to expect.

In this section, therefore, I want us to look at a few of these areas where the use of aluminum round tubing is common.

And some of them include the following;

Aluminum alloy 6061 tube

·       Interior furnishing

Modern construction finishing incorporates a wide range of elements in a bid of making it both attractive and durable.

For instance, kitchen shelves, bedroom closets, and other units within various places in a house are in some instances made of this material.

The good thing with using this metal for interior furnishing is that it helps in enhancing the attractiveness of the space.

Furthermore, it is also durable hence ideal, especially when it comes to saving money for repairs or replacement.

·       Chemical handling

Aluminum round tube is vital and common in many industries that deal with chemical handling and transfer.

You see, this is a type of material which hardly reacts with chemicals.

So it makes it a better option for handling different types of chemicals.

For example, most of the chemical fertilizer processing plants always ensure that they use this type of material for handling the products.

They are helpful since as we’d seen earlier, they are resistant to corrosion, chemical reaction as well as physical and environmental factors.

·       Gas handling

Companies that produce or deal with transportation of gas also use an aluminum round tube in handling their products.

What happens is that they are fabricated using different means in a manner that ensures they become airtight.

And since this is a strong metal, it becomes possible for it to handle gas pumped even at the highest pressure possible.

So you’ll find it mostly in several gas processing and transporting plants.

·       Liquid handling

It is also another key area where the use of different types of aluminum round tube tends to be common.

And by the way, this one cuts across a wide range of liquids.

You will find it in companies that deal with various types of liquids, whether water, food processing, or any other function.

The good thing with an aluminum round tube, which makes it ideal for this application is that you easily fabricate it.

In other words, you can join it with other different types of tubing and still manage to get the best results.

·       Building and construction

Aluminum round tubes have become the key materials nowadays for a wide range of modern building and construction applications.

Of course, the properties of this material make it a better choice for numerous types of buildings and construction projects.

In fact, such buildings are usually maintenance free since aluminum is resistant to corrosion.

In such projects, they are used as pillars, water piping and fittings, gas connections, and hydraulic pipes, among others.

·       Pneumatic connections

It is yet another key area where the use of aluminum round tube seems to be common.

Pneumatic connections are primarily the sections of pipe, tube, and hose connected in pneumatic systems.

In other words, this material is used for making products for pneumatic systems which are integral in enhancing the efficiency of the same.

Some of these products include couplings, compressed air tubing, and tube nuts, among others.

What makes this material suitable for these applications is the fact that they provide tighter seals and lower pressure requirements.

Ideally, these are the major areas where you will find the use of this particular material quite common.

However, you should also understand that there are other areas where aluminum round tube are used, but we haven’t mentioned here.

The idea here was essentially to give you a sense of where you can use this particular material in any case you’re thinking of one.

As we move on swiftly to the next section, I want us to look at some of the types of aluminum round tubes you’re likely to find in the market.

Aluminum Round Tube Grades in the Market

So when you get to the market seeking a suitable type of aluminum round tube for a particular project, you ought to know that they come in various types.

Therefore, it is quite necessary to ensure that you know the exact type of this metal that fits your application accordingly.

In this section, I want quickly take you through some of the available aluminum pipe grades in the market.

So that it becomes easy for you to know the basic details of what each involves and subsequently helping you to make an appropriate buying decision.

But before I do, you also need to know that I will classify these types of aluminum based alloys based on the grades in the market.

 Aluminum Alloy Designation-Photo courtesy: european aluminium

·       6061 Aluminum Round Tube

It is among the extensively used grade of aluminum round tube available in the market.

It is made from a combination of magnesium and silicon hence giving it the highest corrosion resistance in its class.

The good thing with 6061 is that you can harden it using heat treatment. Also, when in the annealed condition, you can cold work it using the standards methods.

And for that reason, it becomes easy to drill, stamp, deep drawn, cut and bend it.

You can weld any of the 6061 aluminum round tube grade and at the same time attain high finish when machined.

6061 aluminum round tube grade come in different sizes between 1 and 13.5 inches OD and up to about 288 inches long.

The diameter of this particular also varies of course depending with the actual size of the 6061 round tube.

·       6063 Aluminum Round Tube

It refers to an alloy of aluminum which is made of a combination of silicon and magnesium just like the 6061 grade.

Ideally, this is the most common grade of aluminum that is preferred when it comes to extrusion.

Generally, you can use to mold complex shapes that also have very smooth surfaces fit for anodizing.

In most instances, you’ll find that the 6063 aluminum round tube is used in applications revolving around architectural projects.

Moreover, as a medium strength alloy, it is also common for applications such as railing, sign frames, irrigation tubing, and electrical marine piping, among others.

Some of the properties of this type of aluminum grade include workability, weldability, and corrosion resistance.

This grade also offers high heat treatment strengthening, high impact toughness, and it is not sensitive to defects.

·       1100 Aluminum Round Tube

This refers to an aluminum-based alloy in the 1000 series commonly known as a commercially pure metal.

Of course, it is regarded among the softest alloys of aluminum hence not necessarily used for high-pressure and high strength applications.

1100 aluminum round tube grade presents excellent forming characteristics and machinability too.

In fact, chances of obtaining best results is always when machining is done with the alloy in hard temper.

You can readily achieve forming, whether hot or cold with this aluminum grade.

Nevertheless, this alloy can be cold worked extensively in the annealed condition without necessarily an intermediate anneal.

It is also readily welded by all conventional means and hardens by cold working only.

However, you cannot successfully heat treat 1100 aluminum round tube other than to produce it in annealing form an O temper.

·       2024 Aluminum Round Tube

This refers to a heat-treatable aluminum alloy that has copper as its major alloying element.

It is typically used in applications which require high strength to weight ratio and good fatigue resistance too.

This grade of aluminum can be forged but requires retaining of reasonable corrosion resistance by subsequent heat treatment.

Additionally, it has average machining characteristics in the heat treated condition and annealed condition.

Hardening of this material takes place with a solution anneal and aging method at room temperature.

It only weldable through friction welding and often clad with aluminum Al-1Zn for protection as a result of its relatively poor corrosion resistance.

This, however, may reduce fatigue strength.

It has high fatigue resistance hence making it suitable aluminum grade for liquid penetrant test applications outside the normal temperature ranges.

·       5083 Aluminum Round Tube

It is one of the alloys that commonly known for its exceptional performance particularly in the extreme environments.

This alloy is resistant to attack by industrial chemicals, seawater and corrosion.

Furthermore, it retains exceptional strength after welding and high electrical conductivity.

This alloy has an average weldability and it is always recommended that you use 5183 as a filler material when welding it to itself or other alloy from same sub-group.

·       6082 Aluminum Round Tube

This is the type of aluminum alloy with excellent corrosion resistance and high strength.

It is also regarded among the strongest of the Aluminum 6000 series; the more reason it is also referred to as structural alloy.

In fact, it is becoming so popular and many people are now using it as a substitute for the common 6061 alloy.

It derives the strength from the additional large amount of manganese which tends to control the grain structure making it a stronger alloy.

Some of its core features include better machinability, weldability and can be heat treated to produce tempers with lower ductility and higher strength.

·       3003 Aluminum Round Tube

This is a medium strength alloy which contains manganese as its primary alloying element.

It features excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion, weldability, as well as formability by pressing, drawing and roll forming.

It develops strengthening from heat extrusion.

This alloy is also readily machined and in most cased considered to be having great machinability.

In most cases, this aluminum grade is often used in chemical handling, ductwork, and manufacture of pressure vessels.

So all these are the key grades of aluminum round tubes you’re likely to get or come across in the market.

The thing is, there are quite a number that I haven’t described in this guide. It does not, however, imply that they are less important or you can’t use them in various applications.

And from the look of these properties, you’ll notice that they vary slightly in a few properties.

But in general, they’re seemingly more or less similar in many aspects surrounding the properties.

Aluminum Round Tube Manufacturing Process

Well, it is significant to understand the manufacturing process of aluminum round tubes to give you an idea of what it involves.

The most important thing in this aspect is knowing that the process itself is quite rigorous and requires an industrial setting to achieve it.

Aluminum round tube

So in this section, I want to take you through some of the basic things that happen during the manufacturing process of this particular material.

Basically, it starts with determining the size of the billet that you’ll need to use as raw materials.

Remember the billets ordinarily are long; hence, you need to cut them down to a particular size of depending on your preference or that of the client.

The next step is to pre-heat the billets and then heat them to an appropriate temperature depending on the specific requirements.

You then exert pressure which estimated to be over 10, 000,000 pounds to push the aluminum through the standard extrusion die.

This intense pressure leads to the creation of solid and hollow aluminum tubes.

These hollow aluminum tubes are then cooled down on large flat surfaces, stretched out and then cut according to your preference.

Additionally, hardening of the aluminum round tube also takes place by heating to help in bringing out its inherent qualities such as corrosion resistance and durability.

Primarily, that’s what is involved in the manufacturing process of this particular type of aluminum material.

But you also need to take note of the fact that on paper, the process might look quite simple.

However, in reality, it is quite involving and thorough hence the need for having all the necessary equipment to that effect.

How to Fabricate Aluminum Round Tubing

You see, before you even think of the type of aluminum round tubing that you’ll use, you need to determine the application.

In other words, different applications will require different types of tubing as far as fabrication is concerned.

Fabrication of aluminum round tubing mostly refers to the process of crafting a selection of materials with a fixed cross-sectional profile.

In most instances, it is a process that often varies depending on the particular type of application.

So what are some of the methods that you can use to fabricate aluminum round tubing?

They’re quite a number, and the most common ones include the following;

Bending aluminum round tube

This is the most commonly used fabrication method for a number of aluminum round tube grades.

In most instances, bending aluminum tube usually happens in circumstances where a consistent cross section is not essentially a requirement.

Bending angle for aluminum tube

Bending enables aluminum round tube to conform to the die shape by pressing the die against it.

Ordinarily, the tube itself lacks internal support hence making it easy to attain the desired shape of the die.

The great thing about this fabrication method is that you can produce several shapes using the die as much as it can only work for one size tube.

Welding aluminum round tube

This is also another mode of fabricating aluminum round tube which apparently requires special techniques.

You see, it can be difficult to achieve, especially if you do not understand the concepts and other related nitty-gritty.

What happens is that whenever you’re welding this material, you’ll realize that brittle intermetallic compounds start to form.

Welding aluminum tube

And avoiding such occurrences require that you first isolate the other metal from during arc welding.

But then you’ll realize that you can use several welding methods to create the bimetallic transition.

Some of these aluminum welding methods include arc welding, flash welding, friction welding, and explosion welding too.

Arc welding seems to be the common type of welding aluminum round tube using gas tungsten with 5356 filler material.

Cutting aluminum round tube

It is among the most common fabrication methods for this particular piece of aluminum metal.

In most cases, cutting aluminum round tubeis often done as a way of reducing the length to a suitable requirement.

Cutting of this component can use various methods and tools too ranging from basic to relatively sophisticated.

However, irrespective of the method or tool you’re using, you need to ensure that you factor in accuracy and flexibility, finish as well as speed.

Some of the major ways you can use to cut aluminum round tube include, using laser, cold chisel, tin snips, and electric power tools.

You can as well use sew machine to cut this type of aluminum material as demonstrated in this vide.

Therefore, you can decide on whatever method and whichever tool depending on knowledge and availability, respectively.

Drilling aluminum round tube

Well, drilling is one of the popular ways of fabricating aluminum round tube that equally offers quite a significant challenge.

Usually, this type of material has different properties ranging from lightweight to pliable hence making it difficult to figure out the precise drilling approach. However, it is important to understand that all you need to attain this fabrication method are proper tools and expertise.

That’s what can only make it possible for you to attain the best results in carrying out this particular process on the aluminum round tube.

Polishing aluminum round tube

Well, this is the fabricating methods that is usually used for making the aluminum round tube to have a smooth, shiny finish.

It is more of handwork given that it requires manual input.

The best way of attaining this is starting by dry sanding the aluminum round tube with 280 grit paper as a way of getting extruding marks out of stock.

Afterward, you can pick wet sandpaper and then sand it using finer paper until you possibly get down to 1200 grit.

Figure 8 Polished aluminum round tube

Rubbing the compound thoroughly enables you to attain fine polishing compound which then you’ll apply a clear coat to prevent it from oxidizing.

In general, polishing is one of the common fabrication methods of this substance, which gives it an appealing look.

Aluminum Round Tube Specification

This is the thing when you’re thinking of getting a suitable aluminum round tube; you must know the basics of its specifications.

The manufacturing industry is nowadays fast-paced, making it difficult to know all the specifications of this and related components.

In this section, therefore, I want us to look at some of the key specifications that will enable you to attain the best results when dealing with this metal.

Figure 9  Aluminum round tube specifications

·       Thermal conductivity

It is a critical aspect of the aluminum round tube which you must always have in mind whenever you’re looking for one.

Generally, the thermal conductivity of this material is usually high making it suitable for both cooling and heating applications.

A combination of this specification with the fact that is non-toxic makes it a better component for various applications.

·       Pipe diameter

The pipe diameter also forms an important aspect of an aluminum round tube.

Of course, you’d expect the diameter to vary depending on numerous factors.

The most important thing, in this case, is to know that nonetheless, there are specific pipe diameter standards. These standards are what manufacturers use to produce the aluminum round tube.

·       Wall thickness

The wall thickness of the aluminum pipe is also vital in various aspects.

And just like the pipe diameter, you also need to understand that there are specific industry standards that are used in determining the wall thickness.

So whenever you’re looking for one, you need to have a catalog which outlines all this information to make your work easy.

At Wellste specifically, the minimum wall thickness that we can achieve is 0.014 inches. Nevertheless, you can still contact our field and sales engineers for further discussion regarding the same

·       Tube end finishing

Well, this specification is also critical, especially when it comes to determining the particular type of application that you want to use.

Tube end finishing is essential from the perspective of determining how to fix it on a particular surface.

Commonly anodizing is very popular finish since it has higher anti-corrosion feature to protect goods’ surface.

Some of the common tube end finishing you’ll come across when handling aluminum round tube include threaded and chamfered among others.

·       Weight

Understandably, the aluminum round tube is lightweight, naturally. In fact, it has a density of 2.7g/ cm³.

However, there are specific applications where weight becomes a matter of concern.

The good thing with aluminum is that you can combine it with other alloys and still attain the necessary property.

Therefore, when working with this material, you need to know the right weight since it plays a fundamental factor in determining the right application.

·       Surface finish

It is also a fundamental specification of this material that you also need to have in mind.

The surface finishes just like any other specification, is also dependent on the type of application of this material.

For applications that require ideal attractiveness, the surface finish has to be smooth and shiny. And the good thing about it is that Wellste can supply you with anodized, powder coated, and electrophoresis which you can use for enhancing the surface finish of this material.

• Standard specification

One thing you have to learn with the aluminum round tube is that they all have quality standard specifications.

These specifications are vital since they help in describing the minimum quality requirements that the material should meet.

Several of these standards are available for the aluminum round tube, and some of the most common include BS1470, EN, ASTM, and GB/T14847 among others.

These standards describe different properties that each type of this material must meet to consider it suitable for the particular application.

·       Mechanical properties

The mechanical properties of aluminum round tubes are what allows it to be formed by drawing, rolling, machining and other extruding processes.

They are quite a several and for that reason, let me list them here just for your information, and they include the following;

• Ultimate Strength
• Yield Strength
• Elongation percent in 2 inches
• Hardness Brinnel Number
• Ultimate Shearing Strength

So these are among the many vital specifications of an aluminum round tube.

Of course, there are others that I haven’t mentioned or described here, but these ones are the key which would be fundamental for your information.

Conclusion

As you can see from this guide, aluminum round tube involves quite a number of elements, which are significant for you to know.

This guide also puts all the basic aspects of this material into perspective.

However, I would also like to hear from you.

What do you think about this material and the guide in general?

Are there any suggestions, additions, or inquiries that you would wish to make towards this article?

If so, don’t hesitate to put it down on the comment section.

I will be glad to get your feedback, and if possible, you can as well share this guide on your social media platforms.