Excellent Conductivity for low Weight

Aluminium’s light weight provides economic benefits in the construction of power supply lines and for transmission lines. Power lines are distinctly lighter as a result, so that pylons can be positioned much further apart. This brings with it economic benefits, especially in inaccessible areas. This is because the erection of pylons in such areas can only be achieved by large-scale deployment of personnel and materials.

Further advantages of aluminium are the resultant resistance to weathering of the pylons, whereby additional protective measures such as coats of paint or maintenance work at a later date are superfluous.

Energy for Rail Transport

Conductivity that is three and a half times greater than that of conventional systems for conducting electricity coupled with extremely high abrasion resistance provides the basis for a particularly reliable supply of electricity to underground and suburban railways. This only requires a strip of stainless steel a few millimetres thick, which is co-extruded with an aluminium profile and metallically bonded; given the growth in investments in rail transport worldwide, clearly a growth market.

Efficiency for Transformers and Electromagnets

Aluminium windings with the widest possible range of cross sections can be used to create the inductance needed in transformers and electromagnets. Both lacquer-insulated aluminium wire and rolled aluminium strip are used. The advantage of aluminium strip is a significantly greater winding volume compared with conventional wire windings.

A ceramic insulating layer can be applied to aluminium using anodising. One can then forego additional insulation, such as is necessary, for example, with copper coils. The windings (e.g. of electromagnets) are closer together and thus result in a higher field density.

Aluminium keeps it cool

With aluminium it is possible to produce cooling elements with an extremely large surface in a relatively small volume. This creates space and at the same time reduces the weight of plant and machinery. Water cooling, which used to be necessary and was often a source of problems, can thus be replaced by maintenance-free, high-performance cooling fins. When aluminium is used, for example, in the manufacture of high-performance transformers with a rating of several megawatts, there is no need at all for an expensive cooling system. The light metal transfers the heat generated from the inside to the outside thanks to its relatively high thermal conductivity.

Aluminium as functional Housing for Electric Motors

The housings of electric motors require a material that is very good at removing heat and can also be formed into the widest possible range of shapes. Aluminium is the first choice here because of its good formability and other properties.

In addition, thanks to innovative rolling or casting processes, fasteners can be incorporated in the enclosure or casing, which leads to a speeding up of the manufacturing process.