AL · aluminium
Aluminium 6063-T6
Softer than 6061 and just as easy to cut - but it is an extrusion alloy, so the parts that suit it are usually extruded to near net shape and finished with light machining.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 7–12 working days
- Condition
- T6 - solution heat treated and artificially aged
- Achievable finish
- Ra 1.6 µm typical · Ra 0.8 µm best
Machined in-house to your drawing: see the precision CNC machining service and the machine and inspection capability it runs on.
Machinability
Our own 1–10 shop ranking, not a published index: 10 is free-cutting brass C360, 1 is Inconel 718. It ranks how a material behaves on the floor - cycle time, chip control and tool life together. Where a published index exists it is quoted in the note.
Softer than 6061 and just as easy to cut - but it is an extrusion alloy, so the parts that suit it are usually extruded to near net shape and finished with light machining.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 241 | MPa |
| Yield strength (0.2%) | 214 | MPa |
| Elongation | 12 | % |
| Hardness | 73 | HB |
| Thermal conductivity | 201 | W/m·K |
| Modulus of elasticity | 68.9 | GPa |
Hardness, tensile and thermal figures are typical published values for the condition stated. Actual mill certificates govern; send the specification with the drawing and we confirm against the certificate before the material is cut.
Condition
T6 - solution heat treated and artificially aged
Heat treatment
No post-machining treatment; welding softens the heat-affected zone permanently.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 1.6 µm
Ra 0.8 µm
The best anodising alloy of the common grades - architectural and consumer finishes are almost always 6063 for that reason.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 500–1000 m/min (carbide)
Feed
- 0.15–0.40 mm/rev turning · 0.10–0.30 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Sharp uncoated carbide, high rake
Coolant
- Air blast or MQL; flood for tapping
Starting points for carbide on a rigid setup, not a guarantee. The right numbers depend on the machine, the toolholder and the fixturing - ask and we will say what we would actually run.
Typical applications
- Electronic enclosures and heatsink bodies
- Consumer product frames
- Architectural hardware
- LED luminaire components
- Extruded rail and profile end-machining
DFM notes for this grade
- The section is decided by the extrusion die, not the shop - a machined feature that fights the extrusion profile costs more than a modest die change
- Lower strength than 6061: fine for a chassis or a heatsink, not for a load-bearing bracket
- Very high thermal conductivity; long thin extrusions move with shop temperature, so measure after stabilising if the tolerance is tight
Questions buyers ask
- Can you machine 6063 to the same tolerance as 6061?
- On a rigid setup, yes. The issue is not the machine but the section: a hollow extrusion with 2 mm walls flexes under clamping, so the tolerance is really a fixturing problem, and we quote it after seeing the section.
- Why use 6063 rather than 6061 for a heatsink?
- Because it extrudes into the fin geometry you want and its thermal conductivity is actually higher - 201 against 167 W/m·K. For a heatsink the extrusion is the product and the machining is just the ends.