Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082

6082 aluminum alloy belongs to the Al-Mg-Si series of heat treatable alloys, featuring medium strength, excellent weldability, corrosion resistance, and lightweight properties. It is ideal for high-precision structural components such as tooling plates. Its machining properties are excellent, and it can be processed through cutting, welding, bending, and other methods to meet complex tooling requirements. After annealing, it still maintains high workability.

6082 alloy is a medium-strength aluminum-magnesium-silicon (6xxx series) forging alloy, known for its highest strength within its series, while also offering excellent corrosion resistance, weldability, and machinability. The alloy is supplied in sheet form, typically as precision tooling plate grades such as M82 (6082 T651). It features exceptional flatness, tight dimensional tolerances, and a smooth double-sided shiny surface, making it an ideal choice for jigs, fixtures, templates, vacuum chambers, and hydraulic tools.

6082 aluminum is part of the forging aluminum-magnesium-silicon series and shares the same base as 6005, 6061, and 6063 alloys. Unlike casting alloys, 6082 alloy is produced through extrusion, cold and hot stamping, rolling, forging, and occasionally composite manufacturing processes, but not for casting purposes.

Our Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 is manufactured with strict tolerances to provide unparalleled consistency for CNC machining and mold applications. These plates undergo T6 heat treatment for improved mechanical properties and are ideal for jigs, fixtures, and high-load structural components. We offer standard sizes (from 2000x1000 mm to 8000x2500 mm) for your selection or can provide custom-cut profiles. We offer highly competitive pricing, volume discounts, and export packaging.

Tooling Plate Specifics

Manufacturing Methods

• Cast Plate vs. Forged Plate: Forged plates are produced using rolling or continuous casting processes, followed by straightening and controlled stretching to achieve flatness.
• Precision Grade (M82): Heat treated to T651 condition, straightened, and stress-relieved.

Surface Finish and Flatness

• Both sides are polished with a bright finish, offering both aesthetic appeal and functionality, suitable for anodizing.
• Flatness tolerance is stricter than EN 485-2 standards, ensuring stability after machining without needing machine adjustments between batches.

Standards: ASTM B209, EN AW-6082, DIN 3.2315.

Dimensions

• Thickness: 0.5-150 mm.
• Size: Length up to 8000 mm, width up to 2200 mm.

Surface treatment: Glossy, polished, sandblasted, or coated (PVDF, Polyester).

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Tempers

6082 cannot be hardened solely by cold working; it typically requires solid solution heat treatment and aging processes to achieve T6 and T651 conditions, balancing strength and ductility. In the T6/T651 state, the alloy exhibits good machinability, and when using chip breakers, it produces tight "coiled" chips.

• T6: Solution heat treated and artificially aged, with the highest strength.
• T651: Stress-relieved after T6 treatment by stretching to improve dimensional stability, suitable for precision applications.

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Chemical Composition

Main Components:

• Silicon (Si): 0.7–1.3%
• Magnesium (Mg): 0.6–1.2%
• Manganese (Mn): 0.4–1.0%
• Aluminum (Al): Balance

Trace Impurities:

Iron (Fe) ≤ 0.5%, Copper (Cu) ≤ 0.1%, Zinc (Zn) ≤ 0.2%, Titanium (Ti) ≤ 0.1%

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Mechanical Properties (Typical Values)

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Physical and Thermal Properties

• Density: 2.71 g/cm³
• Young’s Modulus: 71 GPa
• Brinell Hardness: 40–91 HB
• Melting Range: 585–650 °C
• Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: 23.1 µm/m·K

Haomei Aluminum Tooling Plate 6082 Features

• Size Stability: Precision plates (such as the M82 grade) are straightened and stretched to achieve exceptional flatness, minimizing tooling changes and material waste.
• Surface Treatment: Both sides are polished to a bright finish, suitable for anodizing (such as sulfuric or hard anodizing) to enhance wear resistance.
• Weldability: Good TIG/MIG welding performance, although strength in the heat-affected zone will decrease. It is recommended to use 4043/5356 alloy welding wires.

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Applications

• Mechanical Structures: Tooling plates, mold support frames, automation equipment frames, etc., balancing lightweight and load-bearing capacity.
• Transportation: Ship parts, vehicle chassis tooling, utilizing its corrosion resistance and weldability.
• Building and Decoration: High-precision tooling templates, which can be anodized or coated to enhance aesthetics.
• Precision Tools: Fixtures, jigs, and molds requiring strict tolerances and stability.
• Mechanical Parts: Hydraulic systems, engine parts, and gears.
• Automotive/Aerospace: Lightweight tooling plates used in prototyping and assembly.
• Electronics: Can be used for molds for circuit boards and heat sinks due to its thermal conductivity.
• Medical Devices: Biocompatible surgical instrument molds and prosthetics.

6082 alloy is known in the industry as the H30 grade alloy, characterized by:

In T6/T651 temper, it has excellent chip formation (tight, coiled chips) and reduced tool wear.

Good weldability (gas, arc, laser welding) and formability (forging, rolling, stamping), though it is more difficult to process thin-walled, complex extrusions compared to other 6xxx alloys.

Aluminium 6082 Equivalent Names

Common alternative names include AlSi1MgMn, 3.2315, H30, and A96082. In Europe, plate states are usually designated as T6 (solution heat-treated and artificially aged) or T651 (T6 state plus stress-relief by stretching).

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Machinability and Workability

6082 alloy is known in the industry as the H30 grade alloy, characterized by:

In T6/T651 temper, it has excellent chip formation (tight, coiled chips) and reduced tool wear.

Good weldability (gas, arc, laser welding) and formability (forging, rolling, stamping), though it is more difficult to process thin-walled, complex extrusions compared to other 6xxx alloys.

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Advantages Comparison

Suitable for tooling scenarios requiring frequent disassembly or high cleanliness standards.

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Advantages and Limitations

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Advantages

• The highest strength in the 6xxx series, with excellent corrosion resistance.
• Precision plates have excellent machinability and surface finish.
• Good weldability and formability, suitable for complex mold shapes.

Aluminium Tooling Plate 6082 Limitations

• Compared to 6061, 6082 has poorer formability in thin-walled extrusions.
• Welded components require careful post-weld heat treatment to restore mechanical properties.

Comparison with Cast Tooling Plates

Cast aluminum tooling plates (such as EcoCast) offer high hardness (105 HB) and size stability, while 6082 provides excellent machinability and weldability. Cast plates typically contain higher levels of copper (1.2-1.8%) and silicon, making them brittle, but suitable for heavy-duty molds. In contrast, 6082 balances strength and machinability.

Notes

• Process Control: Casting temperature tends to be high, and speed low, which can lead to defects; strict parameter management is required.
• Processing Environment: Avoid using iron tools to prevent metal contamination affecting performance.