Aluminium Housings

Aluminium is primarily a light metal and is quite soft in its pure form. By adding metals such as magnesium, silicon, manganese, zinc or copper, the material's properties are enhanced without noticeably changing its low weight. As a result, aluminium enclosures with the appropriate alloys are lightweight, corrosion resistant and robust components.
Our industrial enclosures are mainly made from the aluminium alloy AlMgSi0.5 (Al = Aluminium, Mg = Magnesium, Si = Silicon). The order of the symbols indicates the distribution of the metal masses with a silicon content of 0.5% (Si0.5). This aluminium alloy is resistant to corrosion and weathering, even in contact with seawater. The magnesium and silicon components also give the industrial housing greater hardness (high resistance to breakage and cracking) and strength (high flexural strength). The abbreviation "F" indicates the strength of the alloy, e.g. F22.
All of these properties make the enclosures easier to machine, making them ideal for milling, drilling and customization.

Anodizing gives aluminium enclosures a pleasant look and feel, protects them from the environment and, most importantly, provides electrical insulation with a dielectric strength of several hundred volts (typically 900V).

Raw or bare aluminium enclosures have 'only' a natural surface oxide layer of a few nanometres. This thin and transparent layer is not able to protect the enclosure permanently from harsh environmental conditions and corrosion. To give the raw aluminium enclosure a surface finish that is suitable for industrial use, the enclosures are anodized.
To prepare the surface for the anodizing process, the enclosures must be etched with suitable alkaline solutions, depending on the aluminium alloy. This removes the natural oxide layer. The surface is now porous enough to be coloured to the customer's requirements. The anodizing process that follows is an electrolytic process in an acid bath under direct current. This converts the top surface layer back into an oxide layer of several micrometres, depending on the process. The desired degree of surface hardness is then achieved by adding special additives in a water bath. This process also prevents any colour particles that may have been introduced from discolouring.