AL · aluminium
Aluminium 6082-T6
Machines like 6061 and holds a slightly better edge on a thin wall. The difference between them is metallurgical, not a machining one.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 5–10 working days
- Condition
- T6 - solution heat treated and artificially aged
- Achievable finish
- Ra 1.6 µm typical · Ra 0.4 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.
Machines like 6061 and holds a slightly better edge on a thin wall. The difference between them is metallurgical, not a machining one.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 310 | MPa |
| Yield strength (0.2%) | 260 | MPa |
| Elongation | 10 | % |
| Hardness | 95 | HB |
| Thermal conductivity | 170 | W/m·K |
| Modulus of elasticity | 70 | 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
Supplied in T6; no post-machining treatment. The same welding caveat applies as 6061 - the heat-affected zone loses temper and does not come back without a full re-treatment.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 1.6 µm
Ra 0.4 µm
Takes anodising evenly, which is why it is popular for visible European industrial enclosures.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 500–900 m/min (carbide)
Feed
- 0.15–0.40 mm/rev turning · 0.10–0.25 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Uncoated carbide, high positive rake
Coolant
- Air blast or MQL for milling; flood for tapping and deep pockets
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
- Industrial machine frames and guards
- Rail and transport brackets
- Structural extrusions and machined nodes
- Marine deck hardware
- Pneumatic manifolds
DFM notes for this grade
- European drawings often specify EN 1706 / EN 755 with a mill certificate - send the standard, not just “6082”
- Slightly lower elongation than 6061 makes it less forgiving on a part that is formed after machining
- Available in a wider extrusion range than 6061, so a near-net extrusion can remove a lot of the machining
Questions buyers ask
- Why do European buyers specify 6082 when 6061 is cheaper?
- Habit and standards. 6082 is the grade written into a lot of European structural and machinery specifications, and substituting 6061 means re-approving the part. We stock both, so the answer is usually to machine what the drawing says.
- Does 6082 machine differently from 6061 in any way that matters?
- Not enough to change a quote. Tool life and surface finish are within the noise. The one place it shows is on anodised cosmetic parts, where 6082 usually comes out slightly more even.
Grades we would quote instead
6061-T6
9/10The alloy most of our cycle times are quoted against.
6063-T6
9/10Softer 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.
7075-T6
8/10Harder than 6061, so it cuts cleanly and takes a sharper edge, but it is less forgiving of a rubbing tool and it is not weldable in any useful sense.