Aluminium Sheet - A Clickmetal Guide

What is an aluminium sheet?

Aluminium sheets (or plates) are formed when raw-form aluminium is pressed and rolled under high pressure. Once in its compressed state, aluminium sheets can be used for a whole host purposes – in domestic, commercial, industrial, and manufacturing settings.

Compared to other sheet metals, aluminium is lightweight and easy to install and maintain. In addition, various coatings can be applied to aluminium to ensure the metal sheet maintains its appearance and integrity in outdoor settings and other harsh environments.

From drinks cans to cladding, aluminium sheets can be rolled, compressed, and finished to suit a huge range of purposes. In this guide, we’ll answer the question ‘what is an aluminium sheet?’, detail the different types of aluminium sheet, and tell you all about what the different types of aluminium sheet can be used for.

Tips for Purchasing Aluminium Sheet

If you’re looking to purchase aluminium sheet for your project, it’s good to know that the sheet comes in a variety of grades, thicknesses and dimensions – Click Metal can ensure the right size aluminium sheet is delivered straight to your door.

With a variety of grades available, if you’re concerned about choosing the right grade of aluminium sheet for your project, why not read our guide to aluminium grading for assistance?

Aside from the grade of aluminium sheet, you’ll also need to think about the finish. If you purchase raw aluminium plate, you’ll be able to purchase the finishing products required to give the aluminium the attributes needed for your project.

You may also want to consider how you’re planning to connect your aluminium sheets. The great thing about aluminium is it can be welded or affixed using rivet and plate fixings.

For DIY enthusiasts, the more common aluminium sheet grades (usually around 1mm-2mm thick), can be easily formed by the standard tools found in your garage. But for those requiring thicker plates, machine manipulation or even the use of pneumatic tools will most likely be required.

If you’re looking for aluminium sheet for your project, Click Metal are your online experts. From plain aluminium sheets to aluminium treadplate and tooling plate, we stock a range of aluminium sheets – and will cut them to size, ready for your project.

Types of aluminium sheet

While Click Metal specialises in the cutting and supplying of aluminium sheet, tread plate, and tooling plate, there are lots of different types of aluminium sheet that are widely available to purchase. These include but aren’t limited to:

• Brushed aluminium sheets
• Anodised aluminium sheets
• Tread plates
• Aluminium tooling plates
• Perforated aluminium sheets
• Composite aluminium sheets

We’ve detailed some of the most common types of aluminium sheet below.

Brushed aluminium sheet

Brushed aluminium sheet is designed to evoke a satin-like appearance, making it a popular choice for decorative or homeware items like light switches and door handles. The ‘brushed’ look is identified by light parallel lines and scuffs, and is actually used in most circumstances to give an industrial, rustic finish.

Anodised aluminium sheets

Having gone through the anodising process, the thicker oxidised layer of anodised aluminium sheets increases the metal’s resistance to wear and tear. The resistance is only enhanced once a layer of sealant has been applied, as the oxidisation of the metal gives the outside layer a porous quality. This, in fact, makes it easier to apply paint, glue, and other finishing touches.

Tread plates

Aluminium tread plates – also known as chequered plates and 5 bar sheets – feature raised hatches on one side that are typically used in areas where slippage is possible, or in high footfall environments where any wear and tear is cleverly disguised by the pattern. Typically, aluminium tread plates are treated to ensure they provide maximum impact resistance and load-bearing properties.

Aluminium tooling plate

Aluminium tooling plate is a fine-grained aluminium product offering a whole host of properties that make it ideal for use in computers, electronics, machine fixtures and fittings, and in pharmaceutical and medical settings. It’s incredibly weldable, ductile, offers high strength when it comes to machine and mechanical performance, and also offers great resistance to corrosion.

Aluminium sheet properties

Aluminium sheet is one of our most popular products – and rightly so – its properties make it arguably one of the most widely used materials in engineering, construction, and domestic usage today. Here are the properties that make aluminium sheets the superior choice:

• Strong yet lightweight
• Resistant to corrosion, notably in outdoor and extreme environments
• Relatively low melting point means its easily formable
• Fireproof, unless exceptionally thin
• Conductive of both heat and electricity, great for electronic components
• One of the most easily recyclable materials
• Durable and low maintenance
• Reflective, making it a great choice for energy-efficient buildings and lighting
• Available in a range of thicknesses and custom sizes (at Click Metal)
• Food grade – making it a common choice for containing food

What are aluminium sheets used for?

Thanks to the properties listed above, aluminium sheets have a huge range of uses – so many in fact, that we would still be writing this a day later if we were to name all the uses. Instead, here are some of its most common uses.

• Roofing and cladding
• Flooring and walls
• Fascia panels
• Balconies, including railing and balustrades
• Food and drink containers – aluminium cans, kegs, trays
• Construction equipment – cranes and other lifting devices
• Caravans
• Lamps
• Aerospace – particularly the 6082 grade

Click Metal provides custom aluminium sheet sizes for a range of grades

At Click Metal, we supply different thicknesses in a range of grades and in custom sizes – from 6mm in thickness to 152.4mm. No matter the specifications for your project, Click Metal will cut to size your aluminium sheets and send them to your door. Ordering online is easy – just select the grade of aluminium you require and the dimensions. Order your aluminium sheets online today.