Aluminum and its alloys are highly suitable
for many manufacturing applications. Aluminum
alloys have prevailed in the aerospace industry
since its inception. Aluminum is used for a wide
range of aerospace applications from rocket casings
to space station modules.
Today the automotive industry, faced with
increasing demands for fuel economy, has seriously
begun to incorporate aluminum alloys into
vehicles. Integration of aluminum alloys in closures,
body structure, and frames provides desired
light-weighting without compromising performance
or safety. Highway truck bodies and some cabs are fabricated of welded aluminum, providing
larger capacities without adding to gross
weight. Fire engines are also built of aluminum to
reduce weight and improve performance.
Overhead highway signs, lighting poles and
protective railings are common on our highways.
Aluminum for these applications offers good appearance,
durability, and ease of handling during
assembly.
A growing number of corrosion-resistant gondola
rail cars is being built for service in the transportation
of coal and other bulk commodities. Passenger
vehicles for inter-city rail service, rapid
transit, subway systems and for specialized people
movers are commonly of welded aluminum.
The marine uses of aluminum include all
types of work and pleasure craft as well as specialized
military craft. In addition, there are many
unusual applications such as helicopter recovery
systems for marine vessels.
Welded aluminum pipelines are used where
the corrosion resistance, weldability and other
unique properties of aluminum are beneficial for
transporting oil, gas, water and other chemical
products.
The use of welded aluminum is also prevalent
in other industries such as electronics, packaging,
and architecture. There are numerous examples
of the advantages of aluminum fabricated
by welding. Just a few of these are temporary buildings,
glass houses for plant nurseries, pedestrian
bridges, specialized architectural components and storage tanks.