What Are The Differences Between Steel And Aluminum Materials Used For Servo Motor Mounting Brackets?

The steel-aluminum materials used in servo motors installation brackets have great differences in physical properties, processing properties, corrosion resistance, cost and application scenarios. The specific analysis is as follows:

I. Differences in Physical Properties.
Weight and strength
Steel: Carbon structured steel (e.g. Q235B), for example, has a high density (about 7.85g/cm3), high strength, tensile and shear resistance, and is suitable for large loads or high vibration environments.
Aluminum material: Take 6063-T5 aluminum, for example, which has a lower density (about 2.7g/cm3), weighs only athird of steel, but is approximately 68% -69% stronger. In the same cross-sectional area, the deformation of aluminum alloy is 2.9 times that of steel, suitable for weight sensitivity and moderate load requirements.
Temperature resistance
Steel: stable performance, not easy to deform in high temperature environment (such as industrial kiln, high temperature workshop, etc.).
Aluminium: It's relatively heat resistant. Long-term high temperatures may lead to a decrease in strength, but have good thermal conductivity and are suitable for situations where heat dissipation required (such as electronic device brackets).

II. Handling Performance Comparison
Forming process
Steel: can be rolled, casting, bending, stamping and other methods for processing. Cold bending steel is mainly rolled, and the section shape is fixed (e.g. C steel, Z steel). Production is fast, but relatively inflexible.
Aluminum materials: mainly through extrusion molding, any cross-sectional shape can be processed through mold opening, suitable for complex structural design.
Processing difficulty
Steel: It has good processability and is suitable for various cold forming processes, but requires specialized equipment to handle high hardness materials.
Aluminum materials: The processing of aluminum profile is difficult and requires precise equipment to control extrusion accuracy. However, there are various surface treatments (such as anodic oxidation and fluorine spraying) that can improve aesthetics and corrosion resistance.

III. Corrosion Resistance Analysis
Steel: easy to rust, need hot-dip galvanizing (55-80μm) or anti-corrosion coating to protect. Under normal conditions (C1-C4), a an 80μm galvanized coating ensures a service life of more than 20 years. However, in high humidity or salinity environments, zinc plating volumes need to be increased (≥ 100 μM) and should be maintained regularly.
Aluminium: The surface forms a dense oxide film forms (5-10 microns anodic oxidation), which is far more resistant to corrosion than steel. In addition, corrosion rate decline over time, making them suitable for outdoor or marine environments.
IV. Application Scenario Recommendations
Applicable scenarios of steel
High Strength Requirements: Wind farms are strong and have large structural spans (e.g. large photovoltaic power stations, bridges, etc.).
Harsh conditions: Areas with high humidity and salt content,such as coastal areas and chemical plants, require galvanized or anti-corrosion coatings.
Economy First: Projects with limited budgets and insensitivity to weight.
Scenario applicable to aluminium materials
Lightweight requirements: Portable equipment, automated equipment racks (e.g. aluminum profile racks), rooftop photovoltaic power stations.
Corrosion resistance requirements: outdoor or marine environment (e.g. aluminum alloy photovoltaic bracket, marine equipment brackets).
Complex design requirements: Scenes (such as laboratory laboratory equipment display display stands etc.) with the cross-sectional shape that require flexible adjustment.