1060 Hot-rolled Aluminum Plate for Lamps

1060 Hot-rolled Aluminum Plate is used in the production of lighting, especially for high-quality lamp housings. The hot-rolled aluminum plate, after high-temperature treatment, has better mechanical properties and higher uniformity.

This 1060 hot-rolled aluminum is specifically designed for lighting manufacturing, offering excellent thermal conductivity and processability. Its surface is smooth, making it suitable for heat dissipation and housing designs in lighting fixtures. The high purity and good surface treatment capabilities of 1060 aluminum alloy make it widely used in the lighting industry, meeting various design requirements.

Due to its high purity, 1060 aluminum performs excellently in many industrial applications, such as electronics, lighting, and decoration.

1060 aluminum excels in the lighting field due to its unmatched reflectivity, thermal management, formability, and highly competitive cost. Although its strength is lower than alloys like 6061, its outstanding performance in reflectors, housings, and conductive components makes it an indispensable material.

The widespread use of 1060 aluminum in lamp manufacturing is primarily based on its unique physical and processing characteristics. 1060 aluminum is a "commercially pure" wrought aluminum alloy with an aluminum content of at least 99.6% by weight (UNS A91060, EN AW-1060). Its alloy content is lower than 1050 but shares many common traits—excellent corrosion resistance, conductivity, and workability.

• Excellent cold/hot workability, weldability, and brazability—easy to deep draw, bend, and extrude.
• Cannot be strengthened by heat treatment; can be strengthened by cold working; can be annealed in the O temper.

1060 Aluminum Stands Out in Lamp Manufacturing

• Bright surface + easy formability.
• Good electrical conductivity (aesthetic and thermally efficient).
• Excellent corrosion resistance.
• Lightweight and easy to process.

Note: 1060 aluminum is not suitable for load-bearing structural components. It is ideal for manufacturing reflectors, housings, brackets, and decorative fins, but not for high-strength frames.

Core Characteristics of 1060 Aluminum in Lighting

High Purity and Corrosion Resistance

• Aluminum content ≥99.6%, extremely low impurity content (e.g., Fe ≤ 0.35%, Si ≤ 0.25%), capable of resisting oxidation over the long term in humid or corrosive lamp environments (e.g., outdoor garden lights, bathroom lights), preventing surface rust.
• The naturally formed aluminum oxide film can be further enhanced through anodizing (film thickness 10–15μm), providing over 240 hours of salt spray resistance and extending lamp lifespan.

Excellent Formability and Processing Ease

• High elongation (annealed elongation ≥8%), supports deep drawing, spinning, bending, and other complex forming processes, suitable for making curved lampshades, irregular reflectors, and decorative lamp body components.
• Soft texture (hardness HB25–30), high shearing and stamping efficiency, reducing machining difficulty for precision parts (e.g., heat-dissipating fins, perforated lampshades).

Functional Advantages

• Reflectivity: High light reflectance up to approx. 85%, critical for maximizing reflector and lamp luminous efficiency. High surface finish—reflectivity is enhanced through polishing or brushing, commonly used in reflective cups and backing plates to improve light utilization.
• Thermal and Electrical Conductivity: Excellent thermal conductivity (electrical conductivity ≥61% IACS), ideal for LED lamp heat sink bases and conductive connectors, rapidly dissipating heat to prevent light decay and reduce power loss.
• Lightweight: Density only 2.71 g/cm³, reducing the overall weight of chandeliers and portable lamps, making installation and transportation easier.

Typical Application Scenarios of 1060 Aluminum in Lighting

Main Applications in the Lighting Field

Reflectors and Parabolic Covers:

• Due to its high reflectivity and ease of polishing, it is used in spotlights, floodlights, and automotive headlights.
• Typically processed into disc shapes (thickness: 0.36–5 mm, diameter: 120–1, 000 mm).

Lampshades and Heatsinks:

Thin sheets/foils (0.02–0.2 mm) can be used for heat dissipation in LED modules and halogen lamps.

Decorative and Structural Components:

• Lamp bases, top trims, and decorative parts benefit from anodizing compatibility, enabling colorful finishes.
• Extruded profiles in commercial lighting fixtures (e.g., grooved shafts). (1060 series)

Electrical Components:

Transformer windings and conductive components (due to conductivity)

1060 Aluminum for Lighting – Typical Forms and Tempers

Available as coil, sheet, plate, foil, rod/bar, extruded profiles, in tempers F, O, H12–H28.

Lamp-making often uses sheets or coils in H14/H16 for rigidity or O/H12 for high-formability.

1060 Aluminum Plate Hot Rolling Process and Mechanical Properties

After hot rolling, 1060 aluminum plate has better uniformity and consistency. The hot-rolled aluminum plate, treated at high temperatures, not only improves the mechanical properties of the aluminum plate, giving it good tensile strength and impact resistance but also ensures uniform thickness. This uniformity is crucial in lighting manufacturing, as it ensures the consistent quality and structural stability of every lamp housing.

The surface of 1060 aluminum plate is smooth, making it easy to perform various surface treatments, such as anodizing, electroplating, and spraying. These surface treatments not only improve the corrosion resistance of the aluminum plate but also enhance its appearance, making it adaptable to different styles of lighting designs. For high-end lighting fixtures, the aluminum alloy, after surface treatment, can provide a beautiful metallic finish, enhancing the product's visual effect and market competitiveness.

The application of 1060 hot-rolled aluminum plate in the lighting manufacturing industry, with its excellent heat dissipation, machinability, surface treatment capabilities, and corrosion resistance, plays an important role in various parts like LED fixtures, street lamps, floodlights, heat sinks, reflectors, and brackets. It not only ensures the functionality of the lighting fixtures but also offers more possibilities for modern lighting design, making it widely used in the market as an essential part of high-quality lighting fixtures.

1060 Hot-rolled Aluminum Plate Alloy Composition

1060 aluminum alloy belongs to the pure aluminum series, with an aluminum content of over 99.6%, offering extremely high purity. The main characteristics of this alloy are excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and outstanding formability.

Physical Properties of 1060 Aluminum for Lighting

• Density: ~2.70g/cm³.
• Melting point: ~650–660°C.

Thermal Properties of 1060 Aluminum for Lighting

• Thermal conductivity: ~230–234W/m·K.
• Specific heat capacity: ~900J/kg·K.
• Electrical conductivity: ~62% IACS or ~3.5×10⁷ S/m.

Mechanical Properties of 1060 Aluminum for Lighting

• Tensile strength (UTS): ~67–130MPa; Yield strength: ~17–110MPa.
• Young’s modulus: ≈68–70GPa; Shear modulus: ~26GPa.
• Elongation: ~12–30%, depending on temper.

Example in H112 Temper:

UTS: 58–95MPa; Yield strength ≥17MPa; Elongation ≥10–30%, depending on thickness.

Advantages and Limitations of 1060 Aluminum for Lighting

Advantages of 1060 Aluminum for Lighting:

• Excellent formability, suitable for deep drawing, spinning, and lampshade forming.
• High reflectivity, ideal for reflectors and lighting fixtures.
• Outstanding thermal and electrical conductivity.
• Durable corrosion resistance.
• Good weldability even in commercial tempers.

Disadvantages of 1060 Aluminum for Lighting:

Relatively low strength compared to other alloys—not suitable where structural rigidity is critical.

Why Use 1060 Aluminum in Lighting

• Reflectors and Lampshades: Its natural luster and formability make it an ideal choice for light-guiding surfaces.
• Lamp Bases/Housings: Very suitable for parts requiring strength, conductivity, and corrosion resistance.
• Heatsinks: Although not as common as 6061, its conductivity and manufacturability make it suitable for some low-stress applications.

1060 Aluminum for Lighting – Advantages vs. Other Aluminum Alloys

1060 Aluminum for Lighting – Processing and Surface Treatments

Forming Processes

Precision Stamping: Suitable for mass production of lampshade perforated patterns and heat dissipation hole arrays; stamping speed must be controlled to avoid material tearing.

Spinning Process: Used to produce parabolic reflectors; relies on annealing treatment (350–400°C) to restore material ductility.

Surface Treatments

Anodizing: Forms a porous oxide film followed by dyeing to achieve decorative colors like black, gold, blue, etc., while also improving wear resistance.

Brushed Texture: Mechanical grinding creates linear/random textures, providing both a concealing effect and modern aesthetic—ideal for premium lamp exterior parts.

Welding Considerations

TIG welding (argon arc) is recommended; welding areas must be thoroughly cleaned of oil and contaminants. Heat input should be controlled to prevent deformation; post-weld annealing helps relieve stress.

Aluminum Selection Recommendations for Lighting

• Cost-Effectiveness: 1060 aluminum is significantly more affordable than 3xxx and 5xxx series alloys, with lower processing energy consumption—ideal for medium to large-scale lamp production.
• Environmental Friendliness: 100% recyclable, in compliance with green lighting product requirements.

For ultra-high-strength components (e.g., large outdoor lamp brackets), it is recommended to use alloys like 5052; in extreme heat dissipation scenarios, consider the higher thermal conductivity of 1070 aluminum.

As an environmentally friendly material, 1060 aluminum plate used in lighting applications also aligns with modern trends in energy conservation and green design. Aluminum is recyclable, helping to reduce environmental impact and meeting the requirements for sustainable development.