How to Get the Right Metal for your Application

Metals play a key role in the development of civilization and society. That is why we have associated ages with metal, such as the Bronze Age, Stone Age, Copper Age, and so on; from computers to spaceships, most gadgets and most products contain a metal component. Since the old days, different scientists and metallurgists have been studying different possibilities with metal by forming various alloys. Even to this day, countries like India have entire communities dedicated to maintaining secret formulae of special alloys that their ancestors have developed.

Coming back to our article, the most versatile and widely used alloy is steel. It is often forgotten that steel is an alloy, and many people end up thinking steel is a base metal. There are various steel industries in Dubai, but Khambati Industries is one of the oldest and leading steel manufacturing companies in Dubai. We manufacture different steel products like flat products, hollow products, stainless steel products, galvanized products, long products, color-coated profile sheets, and other miscellaneous products. We even provide services like electroplating, zinc coating, powder coating, etc., The metal industries in the UAE have shown a lot of versatility and wide availability of different metal alloys in recent years.

With the availability of a wide variety of metals and alloys, it is natural to get confused while picking the best metal for your specific application. Let us see how we can get the right metals for our application in this article;

Properties of metal

We must consider the different properties of the metal when choosing a certain metal for any of our applications. Some important properties of metals are illustrated here.

Tensile strength

In common man’s terms, the tensile strength of a metal is its ability to withstand a load without snapping. In scientific terms, it is described as a property of a metal that determines its ability to withstand a tensile (pulling) force and refers to the breakage point of the metal. This is an important factor, especially if your project involves a lot of impact-creating elements.

Weldability

Many industries have a heavy requirement for welding. In particular, industries like automobile manufacturers rely on welding completely to assemble and manufacture their vehicles. Similarly, in different industries, welding is required at one point or another. Welding is a simple process in which, with the help of heat application in a controlled environment, two metals are permanently joined together. Many metals can not be welded; one major example of this is aluminum alloys. When aluminum alloys are welded, they release a toxic vapor and melt instead of getting joined to another metal. Thus, it is important to check the weldability of metal before deciding to use it in one of your applications.

Machinability

As the name suggests, machinability is the ability of the metal to withstand machining and finishing. Some metals are so fragile that they cannot be easily machined, whereas some metals are so tough that they cannot be easily cut with a blade and finished. If your project requires higher finishing standards, then you must consider metals' ability towards machining.

Ductility and Formability

Ductility is the ability of a metal to be drawn into thin wires without breaking, and formability is the ability of metals to be beaten into thin sheets without breaking. Depending upon the nature of your application, you can decide what will be best suited for your project.

Similarly, there are various properties of metals. Apart from properties, many other factors will assist you in choosing the right metal for your application. Let us study them further.

Cost consideration

Many metals have similar properties but vary hugely in cost. For example, aluminum and copper are both excellent conductors of electricity and both have good ductile strength. But since copper is costly, many applications use aluminum wires instead to save costs and make the end product more affordable. So, depending upon the end product of your project, you can choose a metal based on its price range. Prices of metals keep fluctuating depending on global commodity trends, so you can keep a watch on the commodity trend and purchase your desired metal in the season when it is trending low. Khambati Industries is also one of the leading metal trading companies in the UAE; with us, you can find various metals at affordable prices.

The End Product

What your end product is going to be is again one of the most important factors that will help you choose the right metal. If your end product is pistons for automobile engines, then the best-suited material can be one of the aluminum alloys, as the aluminum alloy is light in weight, and pistons manufactured in alumina alloy can perform much better than those made in cast iron alloys.

Similarly, if you are choosing metal for one of your industrial applications, then the effects of the metal on your end product need to be considered as well. Industries such as the food processing industry strictly require stainless steel equipment. In certain cases, you can use galvanized and tin-alloy as well in the food industry.

If you get confused about all the technical details, then experts at Khambati Industries can help you choose the best metal for your application. This is one of the main reasons we are considered amongst the best metal companies in the UAE.