Anodized Aluminum Square Pipe 6063 T6 For Furniture Frames

This anodized aluminum square pipe is made from 6063 T6 alloy and is aimed at furniture frames where a light section has to stay straight under load. The square profile gives a flat face for welding, bolting or clipping on, which is usually easier to join accurately than a round tube.

Where it is used

Furniture frames are the main use: table legs, chair frames, desk structures, sofa bases, bed frames, shelving uprights and display stands. The same section also appears in shopfitting, partition frames, machine guards and light trolleys, wherever a visible metal frame has to look tidy and stay rigid. An anodized aluminum square pipe is often chosen over painted steel in this kind of work because it does not need a painted finish to resist handling marks.

How to choose

Alloy and temper: this pipe is produced in 6063 T6. Say so if your part is bent after forming, because a lower temper bends further before it cracks.

Outer size and wall: give both. Stiffness follows wall thickness far more than outer size, so a slightly smaller section with a thicker wall often makes a stiffer leg.

Corner radius: square tubing is normally supplied with a small radius at the corners rather than a sharp edge. Tell us the radius if a cap or insert has to sit flush against the aluminum square pipe.

Length: state the finished length and whether the ends are square cut, mitred or tapped.

Finish: anodizing is the standard finish and can be ordered in different shades, which is why a coloured aluminum square pipe is common in retail furniture.

Joining: say whether the frame is welded, bolted with corner brackets or assembled with connector inserts, because the section often has to be cut differently for each method.

What to confirm before ordering

The outer size, wall thickness and temper of the aluminum square pipe, with the drawing number.

Whether the frame is welded, since the aluminum square pipe has to be anodized after welding rather than before.

Tolerance on the outside dimension and on straightness, if the legs have to stand level.

Packing, because an anodized or coloured face scratches easily without film or paper between parts.

Questions buyers send us

Can the pipe be supplied with a matte surface instead of bright anodized? Yes, a blasted finish can be applied before anodizing.

Can you match a section we already use? Send the drawing or a sample with the alloy.

Is a colored aluminum square pipe as hard wearing as natural anodizing? The anodic layer is the same thickness; the colour is added in the same step.