Insights

The questions we answer most often, written up so you can judge quickly.

2026-10

Export control: how the 1C202 threshold is judged

Both tests must be met at once — 460 MPa and over 75 mm OD — and "capable of" covers before and after heat treatment.

Item 1C202 of the Chinese dual-use export control list covers aluminium alloys capable of an ultimate tensile strength of 460 MPa or more at 20 °C that are tube with an outside diameter greater than 75 mm, or cylindrical solid bar including forgings. Both tests must be met at the same time: however strong the alloy, a bar of 75 mm OD or less stays outside the item, and however large the section, a strength below 460 MPa stays outside it too. The technical note is the part buyers miss — "capable of" applies both before and after heat treatment, so shipping in the annealed temper does not move the alloy out of scope. The equivalent threshold for titanium alloys is 900 MPa at the same dimensions. Everything listed on this site is civil-range material; we do not quote tube, bar or forgings that meet both conditions above.

2026-09

Which standard applies? GB/T, ASTM and EN at a glance

Plate: ASTM B209/B209M and EN 485-1. Bar: B221M and EN 755-1/-2. Forgings: B247M.

The same 6061 bar ships to GB/T 3191 in China, to EN 755-1 (supply conditions) with EN 755-2 (mechanical properties) in Europe, and to ASTM B221M in North America. Plate follows ASTM B209/B209M or EN 485-1; forgings and rolled rings follow ASTM B247M or YS/T 479; grade naming and chemical composition are set by EN 573, ANSI H35.1 and GB/T 3190 respectively, with separate standards for temper designation and dimensional tolerance. In practice "6061-T6" alone is rarely enough on a technical agreement: stating the standard, grade, temper, size and tolerance class gives both sides the same basis for inspection lots, retest rules and acceptance, and removes most of the back-and-forth. The table below maps common standards by product form; every number comes from the processing standards actually used in production.

2026-08

6061 or 6082 — which one?

Similar strength, but 6082 extrudes and anodises better for structural parts while 6061 welds and machines more predictably.

Mechanical properties are close (about 310 MPa tensile in T6), so the choice usually comes down to forming and finishing: 6082 extrudes better and anodises more attractively, which suits structural profiles, rail and automotive parts; 6061 offers more balanced weldability, machinability and lot consistency for machined parts, tooling and general structures. For visible anodised parts, prefer 6082; when the part is mostly machined, 6061 is the easier route.

2026-07

T6 vs T651 vs T6511

The difference is mainly how internal stress is relieved and which forms it suits — which drives distortion after machining.

T6 is solution heat treated and artificially aged. T651 adds a stretching step to relieve internal stress, so plate stays flat after machining — the usual choice for precision parts and vacuum chambers. T6511 is the equivalent stress-relieved temper for extruded bar and profile. Simply put: for stable machining choose the “1” tempers; for ordinary structures T6 is enough.

2026-06

How much cut-to-length saves

Moving cutting upstream cuts off-cut ratio and secondary freight costs.

Moving cutting upstream keeps off-cuts and secondary freight with us. Taking a 1220×2440 sheet cut into several parts as an example, nesting to your drawing typically lifts material utilisation by a few percentage points and frees your own cutting equipment and labour. Send the cutting list with your enquiry and we quote on the nested material.

2026-05

Export packing and documents

Aluminum dislikes scratches, moisture and pressure; crating and complete documents decide the delivery.

Aluminum dislikes scratches, moisture and pressure: sheet needs film or interleaving paper, tube and bar must be bundled and restrained, and sea freight benefits from moisture protection and ventilation. On documents, the mill certificate, packing list and shipping marks must agree, and any certificate of origin or third-party inspection required by the destination country should be confirmed in advance rather than at the port.

Insights

Reference standards by product form

Form	China	International
Plate & sheet	GB/T 3880.1~.3	ASTM B209/B209M · EN 485-1
Extruded bar & rod	GB/T 3191	ASTM B221M · EN 755-1/-2
Extruded profile	GB/T 6892	EN 755-1/-2
Seamless tube	GB/T 6893 · GB/T 4437.1	ASTM B241/B241M · EN 754-1
Welded tube	GB/T 4437.2	ASTM B221M
Forgings & rings	YS/T 479 · GB/T 32249	ASTM B247M
Grades & chemistry	GB/T 3190	EN 573 · ANSI H35.1
Dimensional tolerance	GB/T 14846	EN 485-3 · EN 755-3~-9
Temper designation	GB/T 16475	ANSI H35.1 · ISO 2107
Export control	Dual-use export control list, item 1C202	EU 2021/821 Annex I · 1C202

The same product supplied to different standards can differ in chemistry, mechanical properties and tolerances; state the standard, grade, temper, size and tolerance class in the technical agreement.

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