MG · magnesium
Magnesium Alloy AZ61A (wrought)
A wrought magnesium alloy sitting between AZ31 and AZ80: more strength than AZ31, easier to extrude and form than AZ80, and it machines cleanly.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 15–25 working days
- Condition
- Extruded
- 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.
A wrought magnesium alloy sitting between AZ31 and AZ80: more strength than AZ31, easier to extrude and form than AZ80, and it machines cleanly.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 260–300 | MPa |
| Yield strength (0.2%) | 180–200 | MPa |
| Elongation | 12 | % |
| Hardness | 60 | HB |
| Thermal conductivity | 78 | W/m·K |
| Modulus of elasticity | 45 | 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
Extruded
Heat treatment
Not precipitation hardenable to the extent of a T5 grade; it is a solid-solution strengthened wrought alloy. Annealing is a stress relief after forming.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 1.6 µm
Ra 0.4 µm
Long runs of extrusions are supplied to a controlled finish; machined ends and fittings finish well.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 300–600 m/min (sharp uncoated carbide)
Feed
- 0.10–0.35 mm/rev turning · 0.10–0.30 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Sharp uncoated carbide with large clearance
Coolant
- Mineral-oil mist or dry
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
- Extruded structural profiles
- Aerospace brackets and clips
- Portable equipment frames
- Sports equipment hardware
- Electronic device frames
DFM notes for this grade
- Extrudability is the reason to choose it: AZ61 pushes into a profile that AZ80 cannot, which lets the design use a near-net extrusion and machine only the features
- Corrosion protection is still mandatory; a machined extrusion end is exactly where a coating system has to be applied and maintained
- Stiffness is 45 GPa, so a profile has to be deeper than an aluminium equivalent for the same deflection - the extrusion section design carries the load
Questions buyers ask
- When is AZ61A chosen over AZ31B?
- When the extrusion or the part needs more strength than AZ31 gives but the profile still has to be extruded. AZ61 is the middle grade: more strength than AZ31, more formability than AZ80, and that combination is why it shows up in structural profiles.
- Why is the extrusion route important for magnesium?
- Because near-net extrusions avoid machining, and magnesium chips are the part of the process that demands the most care. The less swarf a design produces, the simpler and safer the job - that is a real design consideration for the material.
Grades we would quote instead
AZ31B
9/10Magnesium machines faster than aluminium with a sharper finish, provided the chip is kept moving and the swarf rules are respected.
AZ80A
8/10A wrought magnesium alloy with the highest strength of the common AZ grades: it machines like a harder aluminium and holds a better finished surface than the casting grades.
ZK60A
7/10A zirconium-containing magnesium alloy with the highest strength of the conventional grades.