Aluminum Sheet Stock - 21 gage available?

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Pablo

Pablo

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I'm working on a production project. I need dead soft Al sheet in .028" (0.028 in = 0.711 mm) thickness, or the closest I can get to .7mm (.7 mm = 0.0276 in.)

20 gage (.032") is too thick. .8mm (.8 mm = 0.0315 in), same problem.

Looks like .0253" (0.0253 in = 0.643 mm) (22 gage) will be the next step down. It may work, but is obviously on the thin side.

I don't think 21 gage (0.0285 in = 0.724 mm) can be had or at least my feeble searching is coming up empty. What say all the great minds here? Anyone have a source for Al 1100 or 3003 alloy 21 gage sheet stock in the annealed condition?
 
The company I worked for was a major aluminum user. I looked in my old company design manuals. 21 gage aluminum isn't even mentioned and they usually listed the oddball stuff so they could tell you to not use it.

Could you use steel and go thinner? If I didn't mess up the calculation, you could get the same stiffness as 0.028 Al with 0.021 thick steel.
 
Originally Posted By: jsharp
Take a few thousandths off the head then use a thicker material for the gasket? You should be able to get your assembled height correct that way.


It's a replacement part. For thousands of customers. While I can (and have) shaved my head, it's not a "practical" recommendation.

Originally Posted By: NJC
what about compressible (flexible) graphite.


Never thought about it. How costly? +/-'s?
 
I missed the "production" part of your post.

Any custom gasket fabricator that builds laminated gaskets should be able to make whatever height and composition you need. If you're looking at production quantities, even small ones the NRE shouldn't be too high across the number of units you're anticipating.

You end up as somewhat of a middleman instead of manufacturer but it would allow you to possibly sell a part that no one else can provide...
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
I need dead soft Al sheet in .028" (0.028 in = 0.711 mm) thickness, or the closest I can get to .7mm (.7 mm = 0.0276 in.)

How much compression is required - IE what's finished deck height? 11µm is an extremely minute difference ... I'd phone the supplier and get them to mic a piece - it's likely they could a fat one on high side of tolerance.
 
Originally Posted By: NJC
Originally Posted By: Pablo
I need dead soft Al sheet in .028" (0.028 in = 0.711 mm) thickness, or the closest I can get to .7mm (.7 mm = 0.0276 in.)

How much compression is required - IE what's finished deck height? 11µm is an extremely minute difference ... I'd phone the supplier and get them to mic a piece - it's likely they could a fat one on high side of tolerance.


That's not what the decision is about. Re-read my OP. it's more like .025" vs. .032". (0.007 in = 0.178 mm)
 
I think we will go with .025", charge less than China and sell it as a performance enhancement via better CR!!
grin2.gif
Seriously, not a bad way to go.
 
My source for sheet metal offers 6062-T6 alu from 0.32" and up, brass from 0.1" and up, and stainless steel from 0.12" and up.

How about cork?
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
My source for sheet metal offers 6062-T6 alu from 0.32" and up,.....


.32" is mighty thick, chief. Where do you get your thin stuff?

T6 is mighty hard as well. Must be a German thing. Mention annealed and they bring out the T6 age hardened stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
I think we will go with .025", charge less than China and sell it as a performance enhancement via better CR!!
grin2.gif


That's right, it's always a feature! What's the final compressed thickness?
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: moribundman
My source for sheet metal offers 6062-T6 alu from 0.32" and up,.....


.32" is mighty thick, chief. Where do you get your thin stuff?

T6 is mighty hard as well. Must be a German thing. Mention annealed and they bring out the T6 age hardened stuff.


I buy from K&S engineering, because I get their products locally. They are a US company. They have thinner metal sheets, but thy call them “foil.” I used their T6 for the alu parts that I made for my compass. Their T6 seems rather soft to me, so maybe they fib? Their prices are nutso.
 
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