ask aluminium Forum

A lot of products use aluminum, and a lot of items on this site use aluminum plates. Ever wonder how aluminum plates are manufactured? Ever ask yourself how the plates you are using for your business first came about?


The journey for aluminum plates and sheets start with the mining of the mineral used to create this metal. Bauxite, which is the raw material where aluminum comes from, is in clay-like type soil. This is usually found only a few meters underneath the ground and is most abundant around the equator.

Once the bauxite is mined, it is washed off of any clay sticking to it then ground up and prepared for the extraction of aluminum oxide, or alumina. In order to extract the alumina from the crushed bauxite, a process that involves a mixture of hot caustic soda and lime is used. The result of the heating of the crushed bauxite and the purification of the resulting crystals is the alumina needed for the creation of aluminum metal.

The next step in this process is the creation of the aluminum metal. This is done with the help of carbon and electricity. In a process called electrolysis, using negative and positive cathodes made of carbon, the alumina is then converted to a liquid state with the creation of CO2. This liquid aluminum is then poured into different forms that produce sheet ingots or slabs, which are then used to create aluminum plates and sheets.

In the production of aluminum plates, the sheet ingots or slabs are first smoothed for these to get that mirror-like shine that aluminum is known for. These are then rolled through a rolling machine after being heated to 400ºC and this comes out as a thin sheet of metal. This process is called hot rolling. The sheets produced here are rolled into coils in preparation for the next stage.

The next stage for these aluminum sheets is called cold rolling. This is where these sheets are flattened into different thicknesses to suit the many applications these are to be used for and to suit the needs of various clients. These are also stored in rolls, just like the rolls that were produced after hot rolling.

These rolls undergo different finishing processes where different types of aluminum are produced. This is where annealing, surface treatments and many more are done. Before these are shipped out to the respective companies that ordered them, inspection is conducted to ensure that these aluminum plates and sheets are of the right quality

Aluminum plate is a rectangular plate made by rolling aluminum ingots, which has different classifications, uses, specifications, prices, and installation methods. Aluminum plates can be divided into pure aluminum plates, alloy aluminum plates, thin aluminum plates, medium thick aluminum plates, and patterned aluminum plates, which have different properties and uses depending on their alloy composition and thickness. Aluminum panels have a wide range of applications, including lighting, solar reflectors, building exterior, interior decoration, furniture, cabinets, elevators, signage, luggage, interior and exterior decoration of automobiles, interior decorations, household appliances, aerospace and military aspects, mechanical parts processing, mold manufacturing, chemical/thermal insulation pipeline coating, and other fields.

The specification calculation of aluminum plates is mainly based on their weight and area, and can be estimated according to the following formula:

Aluminum plate weight (kg)=0.000028 × thick × wide × length

Aluminum plate area (square meters)=width × Length/100000

The price of aluminum plates is influenced by factors such as market supply and demand, raw material costs, and processing costs, and is generally calculated in units of per ton or per square meter. According to different classifications and specifications, the price of aluminum plates also varies. Taking July 2021 as an example, the price of pure aluminum plate is approximately 18000-20000 yuan/ton, alloy aluminum plate is approximately 20000-25000 yuan/ton, thin aluminum plate is approximately 200-300 yuan/square meter, medium thick aluminum plate is approximately 300-500 yuan/square meter, and patterned aluminum plate is approximately 300-400 yuan/square meter.

There are many ways to install aluminum plates. According to different occasions and effects, you can choose square gusset plates, strip gusset plates, lap structure aluminum plates, U-shaped hanging piece aluminum plates, concave convex (AT) ceiling plates, flying wing type ceiling aluminum plates, M-shaped grid ceiling aluminum plates, molded aluminum plate ceilings, wall aluminum plates, aluminum plate wrapped column installation and escalator wrapped aluminum plates. Each installation method has its own characteristics and requirements, and it is necessary to pay attention to selecting appropriate materials, sizes, thicknesses, colors, and connection methods to ensure the firmness and aesthetics of the installation. At the same time, it is also important to pay attention to the cleaning and maintenance of aluminum plates. Use neutral detergents and clean water regularly to clean the surface, avoid using strong alkaline or acidic detergents or abrasive detergents, and avoid cleaning hot plates or scratching the surface with sharp objects.