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Insight
6061 or 7075? Choosing the aluminium grade
Two grades cover most machined parts. One welds, one is twice as strong.
11 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
Insight
6061 or 7075? Choosing the aluminium grade
Two grades cover most machined parts. One welds, one is twice as strong.
11 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
Insight
6061 or 7075? Choosing the aluminium grade
Two grades cover most machined parts. One welds, one is twice as strong.
11 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
Two aluminium grades cover most machined parts. They look the same on the bench and behave very differently in use.
6061
The general-purpose grade. It machines cleanly, welds well, anodises to an even finish and costs less. Yield strength in the T6 temper is about 275 MPa.
7075
The strong one. In T6 it reaches about 500 MPa, close to some steels at a third of the weight. It does not weld in any practical sense, and it is less resistant to corrosion without a coating.
How to choose
- Welded or bent after machining: 6061
- Highly loaded, weight matters: 7075
- Cosmetic anodising: 6061 gives the more even colour
- Thin walls that must stay flat: 7075 holds its shape better after machining
Cost
Bar for 7075 costs roughly twice as much. On a small, complex part the material is a minor share of the price and the difference disappears. On a large plate it does not.
When in doubt, tell us the load and the environment. Choosing the grade is part of the quote.
One more option
For parts between the two, 6082 is common in Europe and behaves much like 6061 with a little more strength. We stock all three in plate and bar.
Have a drawing on your desk?
Send it over. An engineer reads it and answers with a price and a date inside 24 hours.
Keep reading
Two more fromthe shop floor.
01Guide29 Aug 20266 min readFrom prototype to production without the slip
What has to be frozen, fixtured and proven before the volume arrives.Read the article
02Insight14 Aug 20266 min readWeld distortion: plan for it, do not fight it
Why frames move when they cool, and how sequence, fixtures and machining keep them true.Read the articleTwo aluminium grades cover most machined parts. They look the same on the bench and behave very differently in use.
6061
The general-purpose grade. It machines cleanly, welds well, anodises to an even finish and costs less. Yield strength in the T6 temper is about 275 MPa.
7075
The strong one. In T6 it reaches about 500 MPa, close to some steels at a third of the weight. It does not weld in any practical sense, and it is less resistant to corrosion without a coating.
How to choose
- Welded or bent after machining: 6061
- Highly loaded, weight matters: 7075
- Cosmetic anodising: 6061 gives the more even colour
- Thin walls that must stay flat: 7075 holds its shape better after machining
Cost
Bar for 7075 costs roughly twice as much. On a small, complex part the material is a minor share of the price and the difference disappears. On a large plate it does not.
When in doubt, tell us the load and the environment. Choosing the grade is part of the quote.
One more option
For parts between the two, 6082 is common in Europe and behaves much like 6061 with a little more strength. We stock all three in plate and bar.
Have a drawing on your desk?
Send it over. An engineer reads it and answers with a price and a date inside 24 hours.
Keep reading
Two more fromthe shop floor.
01Guide29 Aug 20266 min readFrom prototype to production without the slip
What has to be frozen, fixtured and proven before the volume arrives.Read the article02Insight14 Aug 20266 min readWeld distortion: plan for it, do not fight it
Why frames move when they cool, and how sequence, fixtures and machining keep them true.Read the articleTwo aluminium grades cover most machined parts. They look the same on the bench and behave very differently in use.
6061
The general-purpose grade. It machines cleanly, welds well, anodises to an even finish and costs less. Yield strength in the T6 temper is about 275 MPa.
7075
The strong one. In T6 it reaches about 500 MPa, close to some steels at a third of the weight. It does not weld in any practical sense, and it is less resistant to corrosion without a coating.
How to choose
- Welded or bent after machining: 6061
- Highly loaded, weight matters: 7075
- Cosmetic anodising: 6061 gives the more even colour
- Thin walls that must stay flat: 7075 holds its shape better after machining
Cost
Bar for 7075 costs roughly twice as much. On a small, complex part the material is a minor share of the price and the difference disappears. On a large plate it does not.
When in doubt, tell us the load and the environment. Choosing the grade is part of the quote.
One more option
For parts between the two, 6082 is common in Europe and behaves much like 6061 with a little more strength. We stock all three in plate and bar.
Have a drawing on your desk?
Send it over. An engineer reads it and answers with a price and a date inside 24 hours.
Keep reading
Two more fromthe shop floor.
01Guide29 Aug 20266 min readFrom prototype to production without the slip
What has to be frozen, fixtured and proven before the volume arrives.Read the article02Insight14 Aug 20266 min readWeld distortion: plan for it, do not fight it
Why frames move when they cool, and how sequence, fixtures and machining keep them true.Read the article
Request a quote
Send the drawing.Get a quote in 24 h.
Tell us the part, the quantity and the material. An engineer reads your drawing and comes back with a price, a lead time and anything that would make the part cheaper to make.
- Quote in 24 h
- NDA before files
- No minimum order
Request a quote
Send the drawing.Get a quote in 24 h.
Tell us the part, the quantity and the material. An engineer reads your drawing and comes back with a price, a lead time and anything that would make the part cheaper to make.
- Quote in 24 h
- NDA before files
- No minimum order
Request a quote
Send the drawing.Get a quote in 24 h.
Tell us the part, the quantity and the material. An engineer reads your drawing and comes back with a price, a lead time and anything that would make the part cheaper to make.
- Quote in 24 h
- NDA before files
- No minimum order