Custom Sheetmetal Fabrication

LGS offers a wide variety of aluminums, from thin foils to thick plates. 

Aluminum is known for superior corrosion resistance, formability, conductivity and high weldability. Aluminum is available in a variety of grades and used in various commercial and aerospace applications today.

1100 – This grade is commercially pure aluminum. It is soft and ductile and so it has excellent workability. It can be welded but it is not heat treatable. It has excellent resistance to corrosion.

2024 – One of the most commonly used high strength aluminum alloys. Commonly used where a good strength to weight ratio is required. Exhibits excellent fatigue resistance and can be formed in annealed condition and heat treated in secondary operations. Has lower corrosion resistance than other grades and is normally anodized in subsequent process to aid in this area.

3003 – Is the most widely used of all aluminum alloys. This grade is pure aluminum with added manganese to increase its strength (20% stronger than 1100 series). It has excellent corrosion resistance and workability. This grade can be drawn or spun, welded or brazed.

5052 – Has the highest strength alloy of the non-heat-treatable grades. Its fatigue strength is higher than most aluminums grades. This grade has excellent resistance to marine atmosphere and salt corrosion. It can be easily formed and has excellent workability.

6061 – Is the most versatile and widely used of the heat treatable grades. Is highly machinable and provides medium strength (lower than 2024 and 7075 when compared). Has great welding and brazing ability due to its high corrosion resistance.

7075 – is a high strength aluminum plate comparable to many steels. This grade is relatively higher costs compared to others.

Copper Alloys exhibit excellent corrosion resistance and high thermal conductivity as well as very high electrical conductivity. Small amounts of alloying can be added to improve certain characteristics. Applications include architectural, heat exchangers, plumbing, locks, fasteners, hinges and electrical connectors/busbars.

Temper

Temper refers to the hardness of the material. For copper the two extremes of temper are “hard” and “soft”. While there is a numbering convention of H00 (Soft), H01 (Cold Rolled, high yield), H02 (Half Hard, H03 (Three quarters hard) to H04 (Hard), most refer to temper by specifying the degree of hardness.

Grades

C10100 – Engineered Applications

C11000 – Architectural applications

C12200 – Tubing applications

Bronze

Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper. In most cases the additional ingredient is tin but arsenic, phosphorus, aluminum, manganese and silicon can also be sued to produce different properties in the material. All produce an alloy harder than copper.

Grades

Bronze C932 – Bushings and Bearings
Bronze C954 – Aluminum Bronze

Brass

Brass is an alloy of both copper and zinc. It has low friction properties and some germicidal properties which means it can kill microorganisms on contact. Often used in decorative applications due to the resemblance to gold.

Grades

Brass 260 – Heat Exchangers, pump cylinders, wire screen
Brass 360 – Gears, Pinion, Plumbing fittings
Brass C464 – Bushings, Fasteners, Marine Hardware

Nickel alloys are used extensively because of their corrosion resistance, high temperature strength and their special magnetic and thermal expansion properties. Nickel is a versatile element and will alloy with most metals. Nickel increases the hardenability of most metals.

Monel

Monel is a group of nickel alloys, primarily composed of nickel and copper, with small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon. Stronger than pure nickel, Monel alloys are resistant to corrosion by many agents, including rapidly flowing seawater.

Inconel

Inconel alloys are oxidation-corrosion resistant materials well suited for service in extreme environments subjected to pressure and heat. Inconel has incredibly high tolerance for extreme heat as it retains more tensile strength at 2,000 degrees F compared to most steel. However, Inconel is an expensive material and therefore only used in applications that require it.

Carbon Steel

Made up of mostly carbon and relies on the carbon content for its structure

Alloy Steel

Steel combined with iron and one or more elements in addition to carbon that allow the properties of steel to be changed.

Grades

4130 (Chromoly) – Roll cages, motorsport applications
4140 – Sprockets, high temperature bolts, axle shafts
4340 – Crank shafts, dies, gears,
6150 – springs, heavy pins, bolts, pinions

Hot Rolled Steel (HRS)

Tolled into flat sheets after reheated. It can be purchased with scale on the surface or in pickled and oiled form. Pickled and oil form removes the scale by acid etching and oil coating for rust protection.

Grades

A1011 – agricultural implements, bins, partitions
A36 – Trailers, ramps, structural support, general fabrication
C1018/20 – worms, king pins, chain pins, ratchets
C1045 – Axles, stud bolts, gears, forming dies
C1141 – Shafts, tie rods, studs, bolts

Cold Rolled Steel (CRS)

Steel that reduces the thickness without first reheating it. It produces a smoother surface that is easier to machine.

Grades

C1008 – Car body, metal enclosures, most metal fabrication
C1010 – Exhaust tubes, handles, hand rails
C1018 – cold forming, crimping, swaging, bending
C1045 – Shafts, bolts, pinion, gears
C12L14 – Bushings, inserts, couplings, hydraulic hose fittings

Galvanized Steel

Hot-dip galvanizing is the process of coating iron or steel sheet with a thin layer of zinc by passing the material through a molten bath of zinc. When exposed to the atmosphere pure zinc reacts with oxygen to form a zinc oxide and carbon dioxide to form zinc carbonate that further stops corrosion.

Grade

G90 – AC ducting, refrigeration, corrosion resistant require applications.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a steel alloy with common ingredients include chromium (11%-12%), nickel, or molybdenum. Stainless alloy is a steel with increased corrosion resistance compared to carbon/alloy steels. Common applications include medical instruments, food handling/processing, appliances and architectural uses.

Grades

303 – Aircraft parts, excellent for moving parts where low magnetic permeability is required.
304 – Dairy, beverage and food processing, hospital equipment, medical instruments
316 / 316L – Pump shafts, machinery parts
416 – Machinery parts used in or around fresh water
440C – Bearings, nozzles, knives, surgical tools