Application
Aluminum for Transport & Automotive
Weight reduction per body panel is the entire business case. Formability and weldability decide the grade.
Specification
What Transport & Automotive Specifies
| Grades normally used | 5052 · 5754 · 6061 · 6063 |
|---|---|
| Product forms | Sheet · Coil · Extrusion |
| Standards & approvals | EN 485 · ASTM B209 · IATF 16949 supply chain documentation on request |
Grade by grade
What Each Grade Does in Transport & Automotive
An application page that lists five grades without saying what each one is for is a catalogue, not a specification. These are the roles they actually play here.
| Grade | The job it does here | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 5052 | Body panels, fuel and water tanks, and inner structure — the general sheet grade where strength and formability both matter. | Specs → |
| 5754 | European body panels and rail interiors; more formable than 5083 and normally ordered to EN 485. | Specs → |
| 6061 | Chassis brackets, suspension parts and machined structural pieces that need heat-treated strength. | Specs → |
| 6063 | Extruded trim, frames and profiles — the extrusion grade, not a sheet grade. | Specs → |
Before you send the enquiry
Specification Mistakes That Cost Money Here
None of these is exotic. All of them arrive on real enquiries, and each one adds a round trip before a price can be issued.
1. Quoting by grade alone. Automotive drawings specify grade plus temper plus surface plus coating system; omitting one changes the price by more than the alloy does.
2. Using 5052 where the drawing is European. 5754 is the grade named on EN drawings, and substituting it without written approval voids the approval.
3. Forgetting the heat-affected zone. Welded 6xxx loses the T6 condition locally, so a design checked on T6 properties is optimistic at the weld.
4. Confusing a quality system with a document package. IATF 16949 governs how the material is made; PPAP and the documentation level your programme needs are asked for separately.
Categories that serve it
What We Supply Into Transport & Automotive
Verification
What We Put in Writing for This Application
- Mill test certificate to the class your file requires — 2.2 or 3.1 — carrying the actual mechanical test values for the heat.
- Gauge and surface inspection recorded before packing; photos of the sealed container.
- Where the market requires it, the classification society or coating test report with the issuing body named.
Before you ask
Transport & Automotive — Questions That Come Up
Which grade should a truck body panel be?
5052-H32 on North American drawings, 5754 on European ones. Both form and weld well; the choice normally follows the standard the drawing is written to rather than the metal itself.
Can 6061 be used for a welded chassis?
It can, but the heat-affected zone loses the T6 condition and the design then has to be checked on softened properties. Where the weld carries primary load, a 5xxx grade or 6082 usually gives a better result.
What documentation does an automotive buyer need?
A 3.1 mill certificate, a dimensional report, coating weight where coating is involved, and the PPAP level the programme requires. Ask for the format before the first shipment rather than after it.