Aluminum enclosures are increasingly used in modern industry, from electronic products to mechanical equipment, and can be seen almost everywhere. So why has aluminum become a "hot candidate" for enclosure materials? Today we will talk about its core characteristics and the technical skills behind it.
First of all, the most prominent advantage of aluminum is its lightness. Compared with steel or stainless steel, the density of aluminum is only about one-third of theirs, which means that using aluminum as an enclosure can greatly reduce the overall weight. For example, if you replace the laptop in your hand with an aluminum enclosure, it will be much easier to pick up. This characteristic makes aluminum particularly popular in the automotive, aviation and other fields. After all, "weight reduction" can save fuel and electricity, and can also improve battery life.
However, although it is light, many people worry that aluminum will be too "soft"? In fact, pure aluminum is indeed soft, but in industry, copper, magnesium, zinc and other elements are usually added to make aluminum alloys, and the strength is immediately doubled. Common 6061 and 7075 aluminum alloys are even as strong as steel, and are easier to process - cutting, stamping, and bending are no problem, which is why aluminum shells can be made into complex shapes.
Another key feature is corrosion resistance. A dense oxide film will naturally form on the surface of aluminum, which is equivalent to a self-contained "rust-proof coating", and it is not easy to rust even in a humid environment. Of course, if the requirements are higher, the shell can be made more wear-resistant and dyed into various colors through anodizing. For example, the metal shell of the iPhone is a typical example.
Heat dissipation is also the strength of aluminum. The thermal conductivity of aluminum is three times that of steel, which means that electronic products with aluminum shells can dissipate internal heat faster and avoid overheating and crashes. This is why high-end graphics cards and LED lamps love to use aluminum heat dissipation shells.
Finally, let's talk about environmental protection. The recycling rate of aluminum is as high as more than 90%, and the remelting of waste aluminum has almost no loss of performance. Many companies now claim "green design", and aluminum shells are a plus point - both durable and renewable, and can be recycled when they are old.
Of course, aluminum enclosures also has some minor disadvantages, such as higher cost than plastic and easy deformation after collision. But overall, it is still one of the best choices to balance performance, cost and environmental protection. In the future, with the development of new technologies such as 3D printing and nano-coating, the application scenarios of aluminum housing will only become wider and wider.
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