Raw Materials · Aluminum Products

Aluminum Bar

Bar is specified by alloy, temper and diameter, and the temper is what turns 6061 from something that bends into something that machines. The same diameter in 2024-T351 and 6061-T6 behaves differently at the tool and in service.

Alloys for machining, marine and strength. 2024 and 7075 where strength is the point, 6061 for general machining, 5083 for marine and welded work, 6063 where the surface finish matters more than the yield.
Temper stated with the grade. T6, T651, T351 and O machine and move differently. The temper goes on the order, not on an assumption.
Sawn with a machining allowance. Bars cut to length with a square end and a consistent allowance, so the first operation removes a known amount rather than a variable one.
Tolerance that suits the collet. Diameter and straightness tolerances quoted against the process: bar that runs in a collet, or bar that has to be turned first.

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Bundles of aluminum round bar in the warehouse

The Forms We Supply

Four routes cover most of what we quote. Each is a different mill or process route, so the size window and the lead time differ even where the grade looks similar.

2024 and 7075 bar

High-strength alloys for parts where the load is the design driver, supplied in the tempers that give the highest strength.

Aerospace parts, high-load components

6061 and 6063 bar

The general machining alloys: 6061 for strength, 6063 where the anodized finish matters more than the yield.

Machined parts, fittings, hardware

5083 marine bar

A weldable, salt-water-resistant alloy for marine fittings and welded assemblies where 6000-series bar would corrode.

Marine hardware, welded structures

Sawn blanks and cut lengths

Bar sawn to length with a square end and a machining allowance, so the first operation removes a known amount of material.

Production blanks, repair stock

Size Range and Standard

Aluminum bar is quoted by alloy, temper and diameter. Where the part is structural, the temper matters as much as the alloy, and both belong on the enquiry.

Swipe the table sideways for the notes →

Parameter	Range	What decides it
Alloys	2024, 5083, 6061, 6063, 7075, 2011	2024/7075 for strength, 6061 for general machining, 5083 for marine and welding.
Diameter	From 5 mm to 500 mm, depending on alloy	Large diameters are not available in every alloy; the pairing is confirmed per size.
Temper	O, T351, T4, T6, T651, H32	T651 is stress-relieved for machining; T6 is the usual structural temper.
Length	Cut to length from 1 m to 6 m, or sawn blanks	Sawn blanks remove the handling of a full bar but carry a cutting charge.
Finish	Mill, anodized, turned, ground	Ground bar is specified where the diameter is a running surface.
Standards	ASTM B211, AMS on request	The standard sets the mechanical property table and the tolerance used.

Products' Properties and Advantages

Four properties explain why aluminum bar replaces steel in a machined part, and the fourth is usually the deciding one.

Strength to weight

At about a third of the density of steel, a 6061-T6 bar gives a comparable part at a fraction of the mass, which matters on anything that moves.

Machinability by alloy

2011 and 6061 cut fast and clean; 5083 is gummier and better welded than machined. The alloy is a production decision as much as a strength one.

Corrosion behaviour

The oxide layer protects the surface, and 5083 and 6061 hold up outdoors; 2024 needs protection because its copper content works against it at the surface.

Thermal and electrical conductivity

Aluminum moves heat and current well, which is why bar becomes heat-sink stock, busbar and electrical hardware.

How We Help Customers

Bar orders go wrong on temper and tolerance rather than alloy. We settle both before quoting.

Name the alloy and the temper

6061-T6 is not 6061-O, and 2024-T351 is not 2024-T4. The temper is part of the specification.

Give the diameter with its tolerance

Nominal diameter does not define the bar; the tolerance band decides whether it runs in the machine as delivered.

Decide the cut and the allowance

Sawn to length with an allowance, or cut to finish size. The first operation depends on it.

Agree the test and the documents

Chemical composition and mechanical properties to the standard, with the heat number traceable from the certificate to the bar.

Real Applications

Aluminum bar is mostly a machining input, and the application decides whether strength, finish or corrosion resistance is the constraint.

Machined components and fixtures

6061-T6 and 2024 bar turned into parts where the strength-to-weight ratio shortens cycle time and reduces moving mass.

Marine and transport hardware

5083 and 6061 bar for fittings and structures exposed to salt water, where corrosion resistance outranks strength.

Electrical and thermal hardware

Busbar, heat-sink stock and connector bodies where conductivity is the specification.

Aerospace and high-strength parts

7075 and 2024 in the tempers that give the highest strength, with the certification that goes with them.