Aluminium 7075 / L95
Your guide to Aluminium 7075 / L95
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Very high strength aluminium alloy (comparable to many steels)
One of the highest strength to weight ratios of any aluminium alloy
Increased strength at sub-zero temperatures - reduced strength at very high temperatures
7075 bar and plate is a commonly used commercial grade of very high strength aluminium. L95 is the aerospace approved equivalent.
7075 is considered to have fair/average machinability. It machines very similarly to aluminium 6082T6.
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 7075 machined parts, please scroll to the bottom of the page for more information about our service and to request a quote.
7075 Guide: Properties, Applications and Design Considerations
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What is 7075?
Aluminium 7075 was developed by a Japanese manufacturer in the 1930s, looking to build lighter aircraft.
Today 7075 bar and plate is a commonly used commercial grade of very high strength aluminium that has zinc as the primary alloying element (as with all alloys in the 7000 series). L95 is the aerospace approved equivalent.
7075 aluminium applications include high strength components where corrosion resistance is less important.
L95 applications include aerospace, nuclear and military highly stressed structural components.
Similar or obsolete designation and trade names
You may also see 7075 referred to as:
- Global Plate Specifications: AMS 4044/4045/4078, AMS QQ-A-250/12, AMS QQ-A-250/24 (USA), AIR 9048.680/.690/.700/.710 (France), 3.4364 (Germany), EN 2126, EN 2511 (Europe).
- Global Sheet Specifications: AMS QQ-A-250/12, AMS QQ-A-250/13 (Clad), AMS QQ-A-250/24, AMS QQ-A-250/25, AMS QQ-A-250/26 (USA), AIR 9048.260/.270, AIR 9048.280 (Clad) (France), 3.4364, 3.4374 (Clad) (Germany), L88 (clad) (UK)
- Tempers: 0, T6, T651, T73, T7351, T76, F, T7651, W51(T651)
- L160 (UK bar)
- International designations: AIZn6MgCu (ISO), AI-P42 (AECMA), ALZnMgCu1.5 (Germany DIN), 3.4365 (Germany Werkstoff), A/Z5Gu (France AFNOR), P-AIZn5.8MgCu3735 (Italy Old UNI), 9007/2 (Italy New UNI), AIZn6MgCu1.5 (Switzerland)
- Trade names: Zicral, Ergal, Fortal Constructal
Industry Examples: Aerospace | Automotive | Military | Nuclear | Marine | Transportation
Typical Components & Applications: Aircraft structures & fittings | Gears | Shafts | Highly stressed structural parts | Missile parts | Regulating valve parts | Bicycle components | All-terrain vehicle sprockets | Rock climbing equipment | Mould tool manufacturing
Main Attributes:
- Very high strength aluminium alloy (comparable to many steels)
- Good fatigue strength
- Increased strength at sub-zero temperatures
- Reduced strength at very high temperatures
- Less resistance to corrosion than many other aluminium alloys
- Some tempers offer improved stress-corrosion cracking resistance
- One of the highest strength to weight ratios of any aluminium alloy
- Generally speaking does not offer good weldability
- Heat treatable
- Can be highly polished
- Poor formability/workability
Attributes Vary By Temper:
- T6 temper has the highest strength but lowest resistance to stress-corrosion cracking
- T73 temper provides much improved stress-corrosion resistance but decreased strength
- T76 temper provides improved exfoliation resistance and limited stress-corrosion resistance over T6 with some decrease in strength
- Further details about the treatment of tempers can be found in the ‘finishing & treatments’ tab below
Note For Designers:
Due to the relative higher cost of 7075 aluminium, it is generally only used where its superior strength is required.
Should the extra strength not be critical, aluminium 6082 which has less strength but superior corrosion resistance may be a better option.
Please feel free to get in touch with our engineering team who can advise on your project.
Finishing & Treatments:
7075 can be heat treated, annealed and aged. It is not ideal for anodising and may produce a yellowish tint when clear anodised.
Here is a summary of the available temper treatments:
- T6 – solution heat treated then artificially aged
- T651 – solution heat treated, stress relieved by stretching then artificially aged
- T73 – solution heat treated then artificially overaged to achieve best stress corrosion resistance
- T7351 – solution heated treated, stress relieved by stretching a controlled amount then artificially overaged to achieve best corrosion resistance
- T76 – solution heat treated then artificially overaged to achieve good exfoliation resistance
- T7651 – solution heat treated, stress relieved by stretching a controlled amount then artificially overaged to achieve good exfoliation corrosion resistance
See our Finishing Processes page for further information on services that we can facilitate.
Can we meet your 7075 machining needs? Contact us now
Further Reading & Resources
For more information on Aluminium check out the external link below
Aluminium 7075 Machined Parts
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Penta Precision provides the following 7075 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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