Aluminum Plate or Sheets? What’s the Difference? from luis huang's blog

Aluminum offers a multitude of benefits, including being lightweight and having high corrosion resistance. It comes in the form of plates or sheets, both of which can continuously be recycled without any loss of properties, and can be used for a wide array of industrial applications.

Plates and Sheets

As aluminum moves between rolls under pressure, it becomes longer and thinner, thus resulting in Aluminum Plate or sheets. One of the main differences between Aluminum Plate and sheets is that sheet metal is under .249” thick, while plate metal is .250” and above.. Another difference between Aluminum Plate and sheets has to do with the distinct applications for which they are used.

Sheets

Sheet is the form of aluminum that is used the most often. You can find it in all of the major markets of the aluminum industry. For instance, aluminum sheet is useful for manufacturing packages and cans in the packaging industry. It is also valuable for manufacturing tractor trailers and automobile body panels in the transportation industry. Sheets are also useful for cookware and home appliances, as well as for construction/building products, such as carports, awnings, roofing, gutters, and siding.

Sheet aluminum can even be given blue, red, gold, or black colors, for instance, through color anodizing. It can also be etched to feature a matte finish, or be polished to feature a bright, sparkling appearance. Aluminum sheets may additionally be made to resemble wood through texturing.

Plates

Aluminum plate is the most often used for heavy-duty applications, particularly in the transportation product manufacturing, aerospace and military industries. Since certain aluminum alloys have the potential to become more durable at extremely cold temperatures, Aluminum Plate serve as the skin of spacecraft fuel tanks and jets, and can also be useful for storage tanks. Moreover, you can use Aluminum Plate in the manufacture of structural sections used in ships and railcars and for military vehicle armor.

Howard Precision offers aluminum plate along with many other forms of aluminum products that are designed to suit your specific needs. Our company focuses on providing quality so our customers can have access to top-tier aluminum products each time they need them.