Alfiniti, Inc. has registered the 6061-T8 temper with The Aluminium Association and secured its inclusion in the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards. This provides a standardized definition of the temper's manufacturing methods and mechanical properties that were unavailable until now. Broader usage of this lightweight temper reduces costs across sectors.
The lightweight and durable 6061-T8 temper has been in use for decades. However, its application was based on individual agreements between companies and suppliers.
Alfiniti, Inc. is a global leader in producing drawn aluminium tubes and pipes, offering products in a wide range of alloys and sizes. With over 55 years of experience, they have extensive tooling capabilities, producing tubes and pipes in Winton, NC and Chicoutimi, QC facilities.
Richard James, the Managing Director of Alfiniti, stated, "This registration is about standardizing an established temper, allowing designers to use it without prior supplier agreements."
James emphasized the broader implications of this registration by saying, "Any industry looking at hydraulic cylinder tubing would be interested in this. They can now look at designs for changing materials, like converting from steel to aluminium or optimizing current aluminium designs by taking advantage of the higher properties. This makes applications lighter and less costly."
Impact on the aluminium industry
The 6061-T8 temper registration with the Aluminium Association and its inclusion in the ASTM provide a consistent manufacturing process with guaranteed mechanical properties for designers to reference. This makes the data more widely available, which in turn means the 6061-T8 will be more widely used. Applications for the 6061-T8 will broaden as a result of the recent inclusion, but for now, use cases include shock absorbers, hydraulic cushioning systems, trench shoring, and mining.
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