Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best Aluminum Products Purchasing Service

With its many desirable attributes, aluminum is found in a wide range of architectural, structural, and general fabrication applications. If you work in an industry that relies heavily on aluminum products, it's essential to find an aluminum supplier you can trust to provide the highest quality at the best possible value. When the underlying quality of your materials is exceptional, you can expect that your finished product will be exceptional too.

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Here are some things to look for when choosing a top-notch aluminum supplier.

1. An Aluminum Supplier With a Wide Range and Scope of Products

A highly competent aluminum supplier will have strong relationships with trusted aluminum manufacturers who produce only the best quality aluminum material, follow strict manufacturing processes to meet high industry standards, and use cutting-edge machinery.

Aluminum is known for its durability, excellent weldability and machinability, and heat conductivity. It has an outstanding strength-to-weight ratio and good corrosion resistance. A good aluminum supplier will offer a wide product range that includes aluminum sheet, aluminum tubing, aluminum plate, and aluminum bar.

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Kloeckner Metals is a full-line aluminum supplier and service center. Download our aluminum spec sheet and check what Kloeckner Metals routinely stocks.

Aluminum Sheet

Aluminum sheet is used in aerospace and automotive manufacturing. It's also found in everyday applications like beverage packaging, storage applications, and housing siding, gutters, and roofing. An aluminum sheet is a cold-rolled material that is between 0.25 and 6 mm thick and comes in many forms, including diamond plate, expanded, perforated, and painted.

Aluminum Tube

Aluminum tube comes in different shapes like square tube, rectangle tube, and round tube. Typically, aluminum tubes are used in industrial applications, including frames, marine lifting, aerospace, and structural components.

Aluminum Plate

Aluminum plate is thicker than 6 mm and comes in a variety of shapes and styles. Some typical applications include components for the aerospace industry, structural components, and bridge components.

Aluminum Bar

Aluminum bar comes in different shapes, including square bar, rectangular bar, hex bar, and round bar. It's often used in the engineering and industrial industries. Some typical applications are medical assembly, structural components, aircraft construction, and commercial transportation.

In addition, a good aluminum supplier should offer different grades so that you can choose what you need for specific projects. In addition to offering you standard products, larger suppliers will also be able to offer products manufactured to customer specification and custom processing capabilities.

2. An Aluminum Supplier that Shows Product Expertise

It's important that an aluminum supplier fully understand and have in-depth expertise with aluminum itself. Beyond being knowledgeable about aluminum's chemical composition and physical and mechanical properties, it's also necessary to be aware of practical considerations like storage and shipment.

Aluminum is a soft metal and can easily become scratched and damaged if it's not stored or shipped properly. It's also susceptible to damage from moisture. A knowledgeable aluminum supplier will know how to handle aluminum correctly and ship it with proper care.

An expert aluminum supplier will know that it's important to not transport the product next to dissimilar metals without the necessary precautions. When you're dealing with carbon steel, for example, carbon dust is always a problem. Aluminum can be transported with steel, but it needs to be protected so that carbon dust doesn't contaminate it.

A good aluminum supplier will also understand how soft the metal is. It can easily get damaged when transported with heavier metals or when allowed to scrape against hard or sharp surfaces. Certain coatings can be applied to protect its surface during transport. It's also important to keep aluminum in a clean, dry, dust and contaminant-free environment away from moisture.

3. Does the Aluminum Supplier Deliver Value?

An experienced aluminum supplier will help customers procure the quality of materials that they need for the most reasonable price. Ideally, the supplier will employ a consultative approach that helps the customer avoid unnecessary costs. This includes recommending material in an optimal sheet size to avoid downstream processing, choosing the correct alloy for the application or end product, and, if recommended, applying a sheet protective coating to prevent scratching during fabrication.

4. Excellent Customer Service and Delivery Performance

Buying the right materials for commercial applications can sometimes be complicated. While there are many aluminum suppliers in the market, they're not all equal in their strengths. In addition to delivering product, a good supplier will provide excellent customer service and attention to detail when it comes to delivery schedules, and be there when things don't go as planned.

Additional reading:
How To Choose The Right Aluminium Section Profile

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Order Transparency

Is extruded aluminum stronger than steel? - Exlabesa

Good service includes having a well-stocked inventory and information tools to help guide customers in their purchasing process. The aluminum supplier should be able to confirm orders promptly and complete complex orders quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Customers should be clear about what they're getting and the details of their order.

Prompt Claim Handling

In the event of product damage, many service and distribution centers can be difficult to work with when it comes to claims. A reputable aluminum supplier will handle claims promptly and be accessible and easy to communicate with.

5. Does the Aluminum Supplier Have a National Footprint?

Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, if you have a need to source aluminum from multiple locations, it's a good idea to look for a supplier with a national footprint.

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Kloeckner Metals is a full-line aluminum supplier and service center. Kloeckner Metals combines a national footprint with the latest fabrication and processing technologies and most innovative customer service solutions.

Aluminium is a metal that holds its prominence for a whole number of reasons, including its properties of non-toxicity, non-magnetism, anti-corrosion, lightweight, superior electrical conductivity, and its ability to withstand relatively low temperatures. Additionally, it can also be recycled many times over! Aluminium and its products are used in a wide range of industries from architectural, industrial, automotive, to F&B. Within these and other sectors, manufacturers use aluminium plates and sheets and others and turn them into a broad range of products.

Any industry that requires the regular use of aluminium to carry out architectural, structural, or general manufacturing applications will be looking to find the best aluminium suppliers. Many suppliers offer varied types and quality of aluminium in the market. There are several parameters to look at when choosing the right supplier or manufacturer. The company's expertise, quality, pricing, and delivery time being the top 4 reasons.

Why must you choose a good supplier?

1. It is a financially sound choice. Procuring materials at high prices will lead to budget instability. While choosing a reputed supplier will help in delivering good material at affordable prices.
2. It can save you a lot of trouble. Choosing the right supplier will ensure that the delivery is that of good quality aluminium products. Whereas, using a product from a sub-par aluminium player will result in poor quality of your project.

How can you choose the right supplier?

1. Aluminium expertise: One of the most essential attributes that an aluminium dealer should have is an extensive knowledge of the metal. There are several companies that store and distribute this valuable metal, but without proper knowledge of its properties, structure, uses and limitations. An aluminium metal expert will know how soft the metal is, how important it is to store it dry and away from moisture, how easily it can be damaged when transported with heavy metals, and so on. A supplier with an in-depth knowledge on aluminium and its products will also be more likely to provide expert guidance on the type and quality of aluminium that you require, based on its planned application. Therefore, when selecting a metal supplier it is critical to choose one that knows aluminium and also has a strong reputation as an aluminium dealer in the market.

2. Value for money: Fair pricing is an aspect that should be looked into when a reputable aluminium supplier is on the market. Reasonable rates are always a bonus, particularly if you are looking to buy aluminium in large quantities. Many aluminium manufacturers sell a wide variety of products, but if their costs are too steep, chances are it can be difficult to purchase the quantity you need. Hence, it is important to choose a company that focuses on delivering high-quality goods at affordable prices. This way you will have enough budget to buy the right amount of products you need. A respectable manufacturer will understand their business and yours as well!

A few helpful tips to keep in mind:

a. Suppliers are required to be transparent with their charges based on – raw aluminium cost of processing, packaging, and shipping.
b. Beware of recycled aluminium without the certification of purity.

3. Not all aluminium is the same: Aluminium is manufactured worldwide by hundreds of factories, but not always in the same process. Ensure that your aluminium dealer knows your manufacturing process and the end requirement.

4. Client service and delivery performance: Good manufacturers can be relied on for timely service. As a client, you expect your order to arrive within a reasonable time period, but most importantly you expect to receive it on the day it was expected. A competent supplier will respect your deadline and adhere to it. The last thing you need is a supplier that does not understand your business, or what it costs you to have a piece of equipment sitting idle waiting for the material to arrive that never did! Professional distributors have an inventory, information resources, and customer service personnel to complete even the most complicated orders easily, effectively, and quickly. With the correct supplier, you will be assured that your products are ordered and filled to the correct specifications, professionally packed and delivered on time.

5. Certifications and qualifications: While looking at the workforce of a company, you will also need to acknowledge their qualifications and certifications, as well as their work experience. Highly trained manufacturers will be aware of the production and client handling. Expert aluminium dealers will also have full knowledge of aluminium and its various forms.
To sum up, when working with a supplier, it is important to ensure that they understand the business conditions and what it costs you if the material is not delivered on time. Professional manufacturers and suppliers have sufficient knowledge, inventory, and customer service resources to produce quality products on time. Hence, it’s always the go-to choice to select a professional company for quality products.

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