6061 and 7075 cover most CNC work, but they aren't the only options, and the right grade can cut cost, add corrosion resistance, or hold flatness that the popular two can't. Here are the aluminium grades we machine most, compared on what actually matters, with a one-line rule for choosing.
The grades at a glance
| Grade | Tensile (typical) | Machinability | Corrosion | Stands out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | ~90 MPa | Fair (soft, gummy) | Excellent | Conductivity, forming |
| 2024-T3 | ~470 MPa | Good | Low (coat / clad) | Fatigue, aerospace |
| 5052-H32 | ~230 MPa | Fair | Excellent (marine) | Salt water, formability |
| 6061-T6 | ~310 MPa | Excellent (benchmark) | Good | All-round workhorse |
| 7075-T6 | ~572 MPa | Very good | Lower (usually coated) | Strength-to-weight |
| MIC6 (cast plate) | ~170 MPa | Excellent | Good | Flatness, stability |
By family
1xxx (1100), commercially pure. Soft and not strong, but the best corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. For bus-bar-style and chemical parts, not for structural work.
2xxx (2024), copper-alloyed. High strength and excellent fatigue life for aircraft structure. The trade-off is corrosion resistance, it's usually clad or anodized.
5xxx (5052), magnesium-alloyed. Non-heat-treatable, medium strength, but outstanding salt-water corrosion resistance and easy forming, the marine and sheet/enclosure choice.
6xxx (6061), the workhorse. The best all-round balance: easy to machine, weldable, anodizes cleanly and evenly, good corrosion resistance. The default for brackets, housings and general parts. (6082 is the common European equivalent.)
7xxx (7075), the strong one. Nearly double 6061's strength for structural, load-bearing and aerospace parts. Costs more, isn't really weldable, lower bare corrosion resistance, so coat it.
Cast tooling plate (MIC6). Not strong, but exceptionally flat and dimensionally stable, and it machines beautifully. The right choice for jig plates, fixtures and precision baseplates where flatness beats strength.
Choose in one line
- Machinability, cost, welding, general use → 6061
- Maximum strength-to-weight → 7075
- Fatigue / aerospace structure → 2024
- Salt water, marine, formed sheet → 5052
- Flatness & dimensional stability → MIC6
- Conductivity / corrosion → 1100
Not sure? Tell us the part's job, load, environment and finish, and we'll recommend the grade at DFM. For the two most common, see our deeper 6061 vs 7075 guide.
