Aluminium sheets are primarily produced through a manufacturing process known as rolling.
The Rolling Process for Aluminium Sheets
The creation of aluminium sheets involves a key technique called rolling. This method effectively reduces the thickness of the aluminium material while increasing its length and width.
Starting Material: Cast Billets
The process begins with cast Aluminium billets. These are solid blocks or bars of aluminium, typically produced by casting molten aluminium into a specific shape. These billets serve as the raw material for the rolling operation.
The Rolling Action
To transform these thick billets into thin sheets, they are systematically passed between rolls. These rolls are heavy cylinders that exert immense pressure on the aluminium as it moves through them.
Achieving Desired Thickness
Getting the aluminium down to the required sheet thickness isn't usually achieved in a single pass. Instead, the billets undergo a number of passes through the rolling mills. Each pass progressively reduces the thickness until the desired thickness of the sheet is reached. The spacing between the rolls is adjusted for each subsequent pass.
Hot Rolling: The Common Method
While rolling can be done at various temperatures, the production of aluminium sheets is generally done at higher temperatures. This technique is known as hot rolling. Working with heated aluminium makes it softer and more malleable, allowing for greater reductions in thickness with each pass and requiring less force from the rolling mills.
In summary, making aluminium sheets involves taking cast aluminium billets and repeatedly passing them through heavy rolls, usually at high temperatures (hot rolling), until the desired thinness is achieved.
