Aluminium is a metal that’s ductile, malleable, lightweight, and recyclable, while aluminium alloys, a mixture of aluminium and other elements like silicon, zinc, and copper, have enhanced strength, weldability, and corrosion resistance. These attributes are what make these materials so useful in areas like aerospace, as aircraft wings and frames, construction, as engine blocks, packaging, as drink cans, and electrics, as power transmission lines.
Clearly, aluminium and aluminium alloys are widely used materials utilized in important applications. This makes it all the more necessary that these materials are regulated. EN485, a European standard, addresses this by providing distinct requirements to be followed when using aluminium and aluminium alloys for strips, plates, and sheets. There are 4 sections in total that make up EN485. These sections hone in on aluminium products, offering insights about, for instance, tolerances and inspection and delivery.
We’ll be looking in particular at EN485-2, the segment that focuses on the mechanical properties of both aluminium and aluminium alloy sheets, strips, and plates, as well as where you can purchase these materials in the UK.
What are EN485-2 Materials?
EN485-2 materials are aluminium and aluminium alloys that follow EN485-2. EN485-2 defines the mechanical properties that these aluminum and aluminum alloy materials must adhere to when fashioned into plates, strips, or sheets. By following these regulations, products fashioned from aluminium and aluminium alloys can be standardised, which can verify their reliability and consistency, and comply with industry requirements. The use of EN485-2 also establishes a means of quality control, helping manufacturers to maintain their products’ performance.
EN485-2 provides the following information about aluminium and aluminium alloy products:
Mechanical Properties
The mechanical properties of aluminium and aluminium alloy plates, sheets, and strips are crucial when it comes to how well a material will perform in a specific role. EN485-2 defines these mechanical properties, providing insights on how they can adhere to performance standards. These mechanical properties include:
- Yield Strength: Determines the level of stress materials are able to resist before they’re deformed permanently. Understanding yield strength can specify whether a material can deal with a certain load and not suffer from deformation.
- Tensile Strength: Shows how much stress the material can resist as it’s stretched until it deteriorates.
- Elongation: Normally shown as a percentage of its original length, elongation quantifies the extent to which a material will stretch without breaking down. If the material has an increased elongation value, this demonstrates it has robust ductility.
- Fatigue Strength: Indicates how well a material can resist repeated cyclic loading and not fail.
- Impact Resistance: Specifies the capacity of the material for withstanding impacts without experiencing fracturing.
- Formability: Details if the material can be shaped or bent and not start to crack.
Tempers
The mechanical properties of aluminium and aluminium alloys can be influenced by their tempers. Tempers, involving treatments such as work-hardening or heat treatment, can alter a material’s ductility and strength. EN485-2 defines the mechanical properties affected by tempers, helping engineers pick the best material that will work for them. Here are some of the tempers that are described by EN485-2:
- O (Annealed): Annealed or completely softened to deliver extensive formability and ductility.
- T (Heat-Treated): Offers enhanced strength by undergoing heat treatment. It’s also able to withstand cracking.
- H (Strain-Hardened): Placed in cold working, this temper delivers robust strength but lower formability and ductility.
Is it possible to purchase EN485-2 Materials In The UK?
There are many UK-based companies that offer EN485-2 materials. However, we, Masteel, would like to recommend our own EN485-2 material, 5754-H12. This material is formed from an aluminium-magnesium alloy (5754). It also has a temper (H12) which has been strain hardened to 1/4 hard. This type of aluminium material has excellent corrosion resistance, good formability, especially in comparison with tempers that are harder, such as H22, and great weldability, alongside a good balance of ductility and strength. Moreover, as this material meets European standards, EN485-2, its properties and qualities can be verified as consistent.
The combination of these attributes makes 5754-H12 an excellent choice for the following applications:
- Vehicle bodies
- Automotive components
- Welded structures
- Marine structures and shipbuilding
- Fishing-related structures and machinery
- Food processing equipment.
We have provided further information about 5754-H12 on our news page.
We Can Supply You With EN485-2 Materials
Adhering to the regulations set by EN485-2 can deliver aluminium products that contain a specific set of mechanical properties. By delivering followable guidelines, engineers, manufacturers, and designers can decide upon a material that can offer a robust performance. Should you be in need of EN485-2 materials, Masteel is here to provide them. We have 5754-H12 available and many other grades of aluminium. Our knowledge of these materials is extremely strong, so contact us if you have any questions about our products.