Aluminum Etc.: The benefits of aluminum welding

There has been tremendous growth in aluminum production and manufacturing. These developments, paired with technological innovations, have many companies rethinking their products made from steel.

From construction, automotive, and aerospace to aluminum cans and electrical conductors, manufacturing advancements have made a fabricator’s choice of phasing out steel for aluminum easier and more cost effective than ever before. And if you factor in consumers demanding more transparency from their suppliers regarding their sourcing and sustainability efforts, aluminum’s benefits outperform steel in almost every category.

Sure, steel costs less than aluminum currently. But if you take into consideration application costs, aluminum might be the most cost-effective material without sacrificing quality. And consider that aluminum is 100% recyclable and retains its properties indefinitely, making it one of the only materials that more than pays for its own collection.

Considering Aluminum Welding?

Here are a few things to consider if you are thinking of making the switch to aluminum:

• Aluminum does not rust easily, so there is no need to provide a coating (such as paint) to resist corrosion.
• Aluminum is much more malleable than steel, which tends to get rigid and crack if overworked.
• You can work and shape aluminum into just about anything a designer can think up.

Weight is a huge factor many will consider, as aluminum is about one-third the weight of steel. Switching to aluminum can save a lot of money on building, transportation, and packaging costs. If we can reduce the weight of our products by one-third, we can address global fuel-efficiency concerns. Lighter planes, boats, and vehicles will cut our fuel consumption by an estimated 60% or more. How can you justify not switching to aluminum?

Keep in mind, this is not in any way a full, comprehensive list of how using aluminum vs. steel can benefit a company and consumers. There are so many more positive factors out there for you to go further down the rabbit hole. But even the few examples I have listed should give you pause and hopefully get you thinking about aluminum differently.