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Frequently asked Questions- Aluminum vs Steel

Are aluminum machines any less sturdy than steel ones?

Not necessarily. Aluminum deflects 3 times as much as steel but on the other hand is three times lighter- so an equal weight of either material will deflect exactly the same amount.

A more important property of a machine is how large the beams are that make up the basic structure of the machine (especially the bridge). An engineering property termed section modulus is a measure of how much the shape deflects. This means that a larger aluminum bridge can deflect less than a smaller steel walled one.

Also, of vital inportance is that the bridge be a completely enclosed shape (no open sections) so that the bridge will not deflect under torsion. This is the reason an open shape I-beam will twist more than a closed shape rectangular tube.

The wall thickness of the aluminum machine will vibrate less than the thinner walled steel one since it is thicker. So for a given machine weight, aluminum actually has an advantage over steel as far as vibration control.

Another key advantages aluminum has over steel lies a manufacturing process that steel does not possess: the aluminum extrusion process. Aluminum extrusions are inherently more accurate and can be custom shaped for a specific product compared with the cold rolling process of steel fabrication for standard structural shapes. Also, it is easier to machine components from aluminum than steel.

A CNC machine made from aluminum extrusions and other fabrication techniques is more cost effective, uniform, and easier to assemble than one made from steel. This means you can get your machine faster without waiting the two months a typical steel machine takes to fabricate.

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