Anodized Aluminum Seamless Tube for Aviation, Aircraft and Fluid Lines

What makes this tube different A welded tube carries a bead along its length; this aluminum seamless tube does not. Because the aluminum seamless tube is formed from a billet and pierced rather than folded and joined, the wall is one continuous piece of metal, so there is no seam to crack, no bead to machine away and no heat-affected strip beside a weld. Where a part is bent, the tube also bends evenly, because the wall thickness does not change around the circumference. Grades, temper and tolerance The aluminum seamless tube is produced across the 1000 to 7000 series, with aluminium content at 98.8 percent or above. Temper runs from T3 through T8 and hardness sits between 160 and 205. Tolerance is plus or minus one percent, and wall thickness spans 0.3 mm to 50 mm, so the tube can be ordered thin for a light housing or heavy for a pressure line. Length is made to order. Aviation and aircraft work Airframe builders, galley and seat makers and instrument panel suppliers use the aluminum seamless tube because it is light enough to save fuel and consistent enough to be clamped into a jig without shimming. Common jobs are seat rails, overhead bin posts, pitot mast blanks, control rod sleeves, undercarriage struts, cabin trim rails and antenna mount poles. In each case the aluminum seamless tube is chosen over a welded alternative where vibration would otherwise open a seam. Fluid, gas and pressure lines Because there is no weld to leak, the tube is used for fuel lines, hydraulic returns, compressed air drops, coolant runs and instrument tubing. Where a line has to hold pressure, tell us the working pressure and the temperature; we will confirm the wall the aluminum seamless tube needs before the order is released. Anodizing and surface colour Surface treatment covers mill finish, anodizing, polishing and powder coating. An anodized film grows out of the metal itself, so the aluminum seamless tube keeps its finish where a painted tube would chip, and the bath can be dyed silver, bronze, champagne, black or golden. Standards followed include GB/T 5237, EN12020-1.2, ASTM B85-96 and JIS H5302. Welding, bending, decoiling, punching and cutting are all offered before dispatch; on a bent part keep the visible face away from the tooling so the tube reaches you unmarked. Decoration, mobility and general industry Architectural trim, shower rails, towel bars, grab bars and display frames all use thin seamless tube, and mobility builders use the same section for walker legs, crutch shafts and wheelchair push rims. Usage also covers general industry and support frames, where a clean round section is wanted without the cost of machining a welded tube. Seamless tube for repair shops Repair stations keep a stock of aluminum seamless tube in the sizes they use most, because a straight replacement is faster than welding a patch. If a strut or a rail has failed, send the section and the length with a photograph of the failure, and we will match the aluminum seamless tube to the original part, including its grade and temper. Where only one end of the aluminum seamless tube is damaged, a shorter cut length is usually enough. Buyer questions Q: How does a seamless tube differ from a welded one? A: There is no seam, so pressure and bending loads are carried by one continuous wall. Q: Which grades are usual for aviation parts? A: 6061 and 7075 cover most airframe work, and 3003 or 5052 suit lighter trim. Q: Can the aluminum seamless tube be anodized after bending? A: Yes, finish it after the final form so the coating is not cracked by the tool. Q: What length can I order? A: Length is made to order, so the aluminum seamless tube arrives cut to your list. Ordering and cutting Send the outer diameter, the wall, the grade, the temper and the finish you need, and we will quote the aluminum seamless tube against that list. Cut ends can be left square and burr free, and a short length can be sent for trial before a production run is scheduled.