Everything You Need to Know About the Aluminium Cycle

by On The Spot Steel, Thursday, January 16, 2020 2:51 PM

Everything You Need to Know About the Aluminium Cycle

Aluminium is a soft, silver metal that is used for many purposes, including for fences, posts, gates, awnings and floor beams. Here at On the Spot Steel Fabrication, we are experts and one of the top aluminium suppliers on the Sunshine Coast. Knowing more about the aluminium cycle is a good thing for anyone wondering if it’s the right material for the job. Here’s everything you need to know.

Recyclable Properties

Aluminium is highly recyclable and can be used over and over again. That makes it an environmentally friendly choice that you can feel good about using for many purposes. So, chances are that when you buy an aluminium product, it is made from recycled aluminium. At the same time, aluminium products that you are done using are most likely recycled for use another way. Keep reading to find out more about the aluminium cycle.

Collecting and Sorting

Many things are made from aluminium, including soda cans and foil tray, as well as many products used in building and contracting. The first step in the cycle is to collect and sort it. For proper aluminium recycling, items that aren’t aluminium must be sorted out to get a pure product.

Shredding

Once collected and sorted, the aluminium is formed into blocks and then shredded into tiny pieces. This helps remove the paint and pictures from the surface of the aluminium and gets it ready to be melted down and recycled into the new product. The final step in the shredding process is to pass the aluminium under a magnet to make sure all traces of steel are removed.

Melting

The final step is to melt the aluminium down, where certain chemicals are added to make the final product pure. The impurities then float to the top, which are then removed using a scraping tool. The aluminium is then transferred to a holding furnace where it’s formed into ingots. The ingots can then be formed into new aluminium pieces, either in sheets or otherwise.

What We Make from Aluminium

We create a wide range of products through our aluminium fabrication, including handrails, screens, awnings, stair stringers, security gates and balustrades. We can also do custom metalworks projects for you. And you can be sure that all of our aluminium has been recycled and formed properly so it looks great and functions as it should.

Call On the Spot Steel Fabrication for all of your aluminium needs.

For more great news and advice about steel and aluminium fabrication, read our last blog Steel Supplies From An Experienced Team.