Aluminium 5083
Your guide to Aluminium 5083
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Exceptional performance in extreme environments
Highest strength of all non-treatable aluminium alloys
Fair to good machinability
Aluminium 5083 is a medium strength magnesium-manganese-chromium-aluminium alloy.
5083 grade aluminium presents very little or no issues when machining.
This guide will take you through the main attributes, common applications, notes for designers and suitable finishing and treatments, as well as UK stock sizes and property tables. Don't forget to bookmark the page so you can refer back later.
If you are interested in 5083 machined parts, please scroll to the bottom of the page for more information about our service and to request a quote.
5083 Guide: Properties, Applications and Design Considerations
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What is 5083?
Aluminium 5083 is a medium strength magnesium-manganese-chromium-aluminium alloy.
The 5000 series grades of aluminium are non heat-treatable alloys.
The temper is achieved by the plate being fully annealed and then rolled to the required temper, rather than being heat treated.
It has good ductility for the strength level, better than most other 5000 series alloys.
5083 Machinability
5083 grade aluminium presents very little or no issues when machining. It behaves like many other aluminium grades. Chips can be “sticky” so we keep lots of coolant on the tool to minimise galling and fusion.
For best stock removal we use high rake, high helix cutters and light cuts with higher speed and feed rates. However experimentation is required as alloying tolerances are broad and can lead to different settings from batch to batch.
“High frequency turning” and pecking cycles help chip stringy swarf and assist swarf management when turning. This is less of an issue when milling. Thread milling rather than tapping can lead to better results when forming threaded holes.
Similar or obsolete designation and trade names
You may also see 5083 referred to as:
Overseas: USA - AA 5083 | UK - BS 5083 | Germany - DIN AlMg4.5Mn | Europe - EN AW-A 5083 | Japan - 5083 | JIS A5083P | France - NF A5083 |
ISO: Al Mg4.5Mn0.7.
GM41 | A95083 | AlMG4.5Mn | Al Mg4.5 Mn0.7 | BS N8 | QQ-A-200/4 | DIN 3.3547 (Germany) | UNS A95083
Industry Examples: Marine | Petrochemical | Nuclear | Vehicle manufacture | Defense & Military | Building and construction
Typical Components & Applications: Enclosures | Flanges | Brackets | Pressure vessels | Rail cars | Shipbuilding | Vehicle bodies | Tipper truck bodies | Mine skips & cages | Building products | Electronic components that are not anodised | Base, side and support plates | Packaging and processing machinery components
5083 grade and other similar variants are also extensively manufactured in the form of a “cast tooling plate” with a uniform microstructure, low internal stresses and flatter “plough” ground main faces (usually supplied with a thin plastic protective film).
It is a popular option for both machine builders (base, face and side plates) and jig and fixture manufacturers.
Main Attributes:
- Exceptional performance in extreme environments
- Highest strength of all non-treatable aluminium alloys
- Retains excellent strength after welding
- Highly resistant to both seawater and industrial chemical attack
- Not recommended for use in applications which exceed 65°C
Note For Designers:
- Size range and availability is far more restricted than 6082 grade
- Flatness and thickness tolerances vary greatly on extruded plate and bar (up to +11m on thickness tolerance over a 2000mm length and +10mm on thickness over a 2500mm length).
- 5083 plate is stored in large sheets, one on top of the other. This often results in multiple scratches and gouges in stock faces. This is worth considering when designing a customer facing component.
- Consider the cost implications of buying thicker material and then machining down to size when using 5083.
- If threaded holes are to be used frequently or if in-operation assembles will vibrate or be under stress, consider the use of wire thread inserts or other thread insert variants
- If components are to be plated or finished in other ways, discuss fixturing arrangements for the process with a competent subcontractor and make detailed notes and reference points on manufacturing drawings.
Finishing & Treatments:
5083 is a suitable aluminium grade for successful anodising which offers good protection.
See our Finishing Processes page for further information on services that we can facilitate.
Options include:
- Natural sulphuric anodise
- Colour sulphuric anodise
- Natural hard anodise
- Colour hard anodise
Can we meet your aluminium 5083 machining needs? Contact us now
Further Reading & Resources
For more information on Aluminium check out the external link below
Aluminium 5083 Machined Parts
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Penta Precision provides the following 5083 aluminium machining services:
- CNC milling
- CNC turning
- Prototypes and batch runs
- Insert installation
- Part marking
- Manual milling
- Manual turning
- Machining design advice
- Design for manufacture service
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