If you’re looking for an aluminium alloy that has high strength and impressive machinability, 2007 is a fantastic choice. It’s especially good for automotive applications, including gears and machined engine transmission parts. What you need to do here though is ensure you choose it in the right condition for your needs. Let’s have a closer look at two key options to see when to use them. Then, if you want to order 2007-T4 aluminium round bar, you can rely on us.
The alloy
Before we look at the two conditions, let’s do a quick overview of 2007 aluminium itself. It’s an interesting alloy of Al and copper (Cu). This combination makes the material strong, wear resistant, and provides good thermal and electrical conductivity.
Interestingly, the alloy also includes some other key elements such as small amounts of lead, magnesium, and manganese. In fact, the EN AW designation refers to it as Al Cu4 Pb Mg Mn. The lead is a key inclusion as it improves machinability. Additionally, there is tin (Sn) in the alloy to improve wear resistance and load bearing.
Conditions
One of the best things about aluminium is you can choose it in dozens of different conditions. This can include various levels of work hardening, annealing, stabilisation, thermal treatment, stress relief, and ageing. It means you can select a material with the ideal properties for each application, in the right form. Of the options, 2007-T4 aluminium round bar is one of the most popular choices.
Comparison
2007-T4 aluminium is solution annealed and naturally aged to achieve the temper. On the other hand, 2007-O is soft annealed, heated and cooled slowly. This means there are huge differences between the two when you look at the mechanical characteristics. Notably though, chemically they are identical.
The first thing you’ll see when you compare them is the difference in strengths. 2007-T4 is vastly superior. Critically, it has more than double the yield strength and much higher tensile strength. So, if parts need to be incredibly strong, it’s the wise choice.
If you are machining a high number of parts, 2007-T4 aluminium round bar is a great choice. It has excellent machinability, exceeding the very good performance of 2007-O. Significantly, it works very well on high speed lathes. You can achieve consistent results, including quality surface finishes.
Where 2007-O stands out is the ductility. Because it is only soft annealed, it remains softer and more ductile (18% elongation vs 14%). This is critical if you need formability to create parts. It responds very well to cold forming, outperforming the harder 2007-T4.
Another key difference is 2007-O has superior thermal conductivity and a higher maximum service temperature. So, when operating temperatures are higher, it is a better choice than 2007-T4.
Applications
As we said above, 2007 aluminium is ideal for automotive applications. 2007-T4 aluminium round bar in particular is outstanding for making engine and transmission parts, valves, and fittings. It’s also a fantastic choice for gears, whether for vehicles or industrial machinery. You can use it for aerospace parts and precision instruments too.
On the other hand, 2007-O is best for parts that will experience higher levels of thermal stress. This includes things like bushings and electronics components.
It’s also worth noting that 2007 in general provides fine, consistent chip formation. This is one of the factors that make it suitable for high speed machining. Notably, it means the threading performance is exceptional. If you want to machine large batches of accurate fasteners, bolts, and screws, this is a great material.
Speak to us about 2007-T4 aluminium round bar
Brindley Metals is one of the top suppliers in the UK. A few key things make us stand out from other businesses. Firstly, we have a big range of materials, including some that are typically harder to source. We’re always happy to provide details and specifications. On top of that, we provide full traceability and can support you in choosing materials for any applications.
If you’re specifically looking for 2007-T4 aluminium round bar, we have it in different diameters (from 20mm up to 200mm). The bars are ideal for gears, machined engine transmission parts, and more.
Contact us today if you’d like to discuss anything with us. We also have a fantastic network of contacts, so we can help you to arrange key things like machining.