Live chat is now available!

Live Chat is Now Available!

A New Way To Serve You! At Clinton Aluminum, we understand the importance of seamless communication and top-tier customer service, which is why we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new live chat feature on our website. During regular business hours, connect with one of our experts in real time with any questions…

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Sending Warm Wishes this Christmas Holiday

This holiday is the perfect opportunity to express our gratitude for the trust you have placed in our team at Clinton Aluminum. We are excited to continue our partnership in 2024, striving to deliver the highest-quality aluminum products and services you have come to expect. Our team offers warm wishes for the holidays and we hope…

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Website Launch

Introducing the New ClintonAluminum.com

We are excited to announce that our newly redesigned website is now live! Our goal with this refreshed look is to create a user-friendly browsing experience for our trusted and valued customers and business partners. Our updated site includes changes to navigation, with a better-organized product catalog, that makes it easier for you to find…

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Upset Forging Of Aluminum

In general, forging describes a type of metal forming process in which a workpiece is shaped using compressive forces, such as from the blows of a hammer. Upset forging involves compressing the length of the metal to increase its diameter, width or thickness. Of particular note in this process is it’s suitability for long parts.…

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Aluminum In Electronic Vehicles

Aluminum has been an integral material in cars, trucks and other vehicles throughout their history, but it’s still surprising to learn about how new electric vehicles are so dependent on aluminum alloys.  It just goes to show that even after 100 years, aluminum is still undergoing tremendous innovations that are essential to industry. An overview…

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The Differences Between Extruded Aluminum Bar and Cold Finished Aluminum Bar

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXTRUDED ALUMINUM BAR AND COLD FINISHED ALUMINUM BAR Although they are often produced as the same grade of material, there are many differences between extruded aluminum bar and cold finished aluminum bar.  Both share the major benefits of aluminum: it’s corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity and high strength to weight ratio; but each…

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What is the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)?

Many manufacturing companies’ expertise lies in design, materials, and manufacturing processes rather than economic trends and forecasts.  When it comes to understanding economic factors or predicting industry trends, dependable and unbiased information sources are critical.  The Purchasing Manager’s Index, or PMI, is one such credible source of data. The PMI is a valuable tool for…

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The Importance of Safety in the Manufacturing Workplace

The Importance of Safety in the Manufacturing Workplace With so many things that manufacturers need to worry about given the current economic environment, whether it’s cutting costs, international trade tariffs, materials shortages or COVID-19 shutdowns, it’s easy to forget about the most important element of any business: safety.  Maintaining a safe environment for your employees…

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What is a Press Brake Machine?

One option among metal fabrication methods is the press brake machine.  Powered press brakes have been around for almost a century, though manually operated brakes were first invented several decades earlier.  The press brake is a great tool for bending or shaping metal plates or sheets rapidly and safely, particularly for high volume production programs.…

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Ultrasonic Testing of Aluminum Plate

Ultrasonic testing (or USI, ultrasonic inspection) is one of the best ways to ensure that aluminum plate and other materials meet certain thresholds of material integrity.  It exposes hidden flaws and imperfections that would have otherwise gone undetected. What is ultrasonic testing? Ultrasonic inspection is a form of non-destructive testing that propagates high frequency sound…

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Impact Extrusion Process

When specifying aluminum, how to process the material into the desired part reliably and cost-effectively is an important consideration.  Cold forming is one of the methods manufacturers employ to achieve this goal.  While there are a few options when it comes to cold forming, one of the fastest growing techniques is known as impact extrusion.…

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Duplex Stainless Steels

Stainless steel has become indispensable in countless different industries over the past one hundred years.  Since its inception in the early 20th century, metallurgists and material scientists have continued to develop new stainless steel alloys that perform better than industry standards, as well as accomplish more demanding functions that can only be accomplished with high-performance…

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Machinability of Stainless Steel

Machinability is roughly defined as how easy it is to cut a particular kind of metal.  If a metal is easy to machine, it will require low power and will cut quickly without excessive wear of the cutting tool.  There is typically an inverse correlation between a metal’s durability and machinability.  The challenge for manufacturers…

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Global Aluminum Smelting Capacity

Most people don’t put much thought into where aluminum comes from, but it’s something that manufacturers, fabricators, designers and consumers of aluminum products should give some thought to.  That’s because the global supply of raw aluminum has a direct impact on their business, and in turn can affect the final cost of the products consumers…

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Wear Resistant Coatings for Aluminum

Aluminum has dramatically impacted the way manufacturers design and build their products since its introduction over a century ago.  It’s combination of strength, light weight, versatility and corrosion resistance make it a cost effective choice for any industry. No material is perfect, however, and as resilient as aluminum is, it may be necessary to add…

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Common Alloy Aluminum Grades

Aluminum and its many alloys have transformed the way we build, move, and communicate.  It’s nearly impossible to name an industry that hasn’t been impacted in the past century by the introduction of aluminum alloys. There is a certain paradox about aluminum that helps explain why there are so many alloys on the market today.…

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The Differences Between Extruded Aluminum Bar and Cold Finished Aluminum Bar

The Differences Between Extruded Aluminum Bar and Cold Finished Aluminum Bar Although they are often produced as the same grade of material, there are many differences between extruded aluminum bar and cold finished aluminum bar.  Both share the major benefits of aluminum: it’s corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity and high strength to weight ratio; but each…

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Saw Operator/Material Handler – Janesville, WI

Job Title:        Saw Operator/Material Handler Shift:               Multiple Shifts Available Location:        Janesville, WI Primary Responsibilities: Operate machine and handle material safely Understand controls, feed rates, pinch points and dangerous zones to operate safety Read and cut customer jobs according to job specifications and tolerances Select and change machine blades safely according to blade change…

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Conformally Cooled Steel Molds vs. Aluminum Molds For Plastic Injection Molding

By Donald R. (Don) Shrader, VP, American Quality Molds, Richmond, IN Reprinted with permission from:  https://www.moldmakingtechnology.com/articles/comparing-3d-printed-conformal-cooled-steel-molds-to-aluminum-molds ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ENABLES BETTER CONFORMAL COOLING Additive Manufacturing (AM, also known as 3D Printing among other names) has made great strides in the last few years in terms of both technical advancements and manufacturing production implementation. One application that has…

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What Are the Differences Between Seamless and Structural Aluminum Extrusions?

When working with aluminum extrusions, it’s important to understand the differences between seamless and structural extrusions.  Manufacturers and designers are tasked with fulfilling material requirements without sacrificing quality and they need to rely on their supply streams.  Aluminum extrusions have a proven track record of being reliable and offering consistent performance over the lifetime of…

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The Importance of ISO Certification

We often have customers inquire about our ISO Certification.  There are several different certifications for the aerospace, medical, automotive and petrochemical industries; to name a few.  Unfortunately, not all industry certifications are created equal.  ISO is probably the most prevalent quality certification of them all. That’s why it’s important for every organization to have a…

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Aluminum in Cryogenic Applications

Many people wonder what happens to aluminum at extremely cold temperatures.  The branch of physics known as cryogenics looks at physical properties of materials at low temperature.  This is an important area for many industries, where it is essential that materials and applications perform well beyond adverse environmental conditions. It should come as no surprise…

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Aluminum Applications for Vacuum Chambers and Semiconductors

One area in the aluminum industry that doesn’t get enough attention is vacuum chambers and semiconductors.  These technically advanced fields have rigid material specifications and only certain grades are suitable.  Aluminum, with its many benefits and high performance, is a perfect choice for such demanding applications. While these two technologies are distinct from each other…

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Stainless Steel Melt Practices

Manufacturers need to be well versed in the properties of the various materials they work with, including stainless steel.  It’s important to know how metals will respond to the different conditions they will be exposed to in their operating environments.  Manufacturing processes can improve a specific grade’s performance with regards to corrosion resistance, grain structure,…

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kasto round

Large Diameter Aluminum Round Stock

Large diameter aluminum bar has many applications in today’s manufacturing marketplace.  A variety of industries including aerospace, semiconductor, tire manufacturing, defense and foundry markets have requirements specifying large sections of round aluminum alloys for critical programs. The material supply stream for this product has a few options, including castings, forgings and bar stock.  Large castings…

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Aluminum Uses In The Medical Field

The medical and health care industries have been getting a lot of attention recently, and for good reason. With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s more important than ever to have an efficient, reliable and affordable supply chain for medical tools and equipment. This includes the choice of what materials you use. The…

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The Chemistry Of Aluminum

The people that tend to be most interested in aluminum are manufacturers and engineers. Although aluminum has amazing mechanical properties that make it a prized material for all kinds of products and modern designs, the real wonders of this indispensible metal must be understood at a molecular level. The chemistry of aluminum tells us a…

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Aluminum Alloys In Racing

Aluminum has been transformative for too many industries to name, but one that people don’t often consider is automobile racing. This may be because if fans of auto racing are asked about what materials are most important to their sport, they might first say the rubber of the tires or the composite material of the…

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Wrought Alloys And Aluminum

We often get asked about the difference between wrought and cast aluminum products; this is an important distinction that must be made before purchasing aluminum. In today’s post, we’ll look at these differences and discuss the nature of wrought aluminum and the kind of applications it is well suited for. Aluminum is an amazing metal…

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Aluminum as An Electrical Conductor

One of the major attributes of many metals is the ability to conduct electricity, and aluminum is one of the best performers in this application. As an electrical conductor, few materials can rival aluminum. That’s why so many industries and technologies, from high tech consumer devices to aerospace to heavy-duty transformers, have turned to aluminum…

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Even The Wright Brothers Used Aluminum!

Aluminum has been instrumental in transforming any number of industries. This amazing metal has positively impacted sectors such as automotive, food and beverage, medical supplies, architecture, consumer electronics and more. There may not be any industry more closely identified with advanced aluminum alloys than the aerospace industry. Aluminum is synonymous with airplane construction. It’s no…

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How Durable Is Aluminum?

In terms of importance, aluminum is probably surpassed only by steel when it comes to industrial metals. That’s because in addition to being one of the most abundant materials on our planet (aluminum is the third most commonly found element in the Earth’s crust), it has a number of benefits that make it extremely attractive…

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How Hot Is Too Hot For Aluminum?

Aluminum is an amazing metal with outstanding mechanical properties that make it an ideal choice for a variety of applications. One of the qualities that sets it apart from other materials is its thermal conductivity. Of all the commonly used metals, copper and aluminum have the greatest thermal conductivity, making aluminum a great option for…

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What is Arc Rectification?

Everyone in the manufacturing and fabrication fields is familiar with the challenges posed by welding aluminum. One of those challenges is known as arc rectification; today I’ll be explaining what it is, whether you need to worry about it and what to do if you encounter it. Welding aluminum is not as straightforward as working…

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How Strong Is Aluminum?

How Strong Is Aluminum? Aluminum has a lot of amazing features. It’s famous for being extremely lightweight and has a great deal of flexibility, making it adaptable to any number of applications. It’s 100 percent recyclable, and thus one of the most sustainable metals we have at our disposal. It has advantages when it comes…

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How Sustainable Is Aluminum

What Are The Sustainability Advantages Of Aluminum? When you run your own business (or are responsible for the purchasing decisions of a company), it’s tempting to ignore concepts like sustainability and just focus on profit. But in the 21st century, there are plenty of reasons for paying attention to the sustainability of your business. This…

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Aluminum Uses in Aircraft

Aluminum is an amazing metal that has transformed many different industries over the past one hundred years. Nowhere is this probably more true than the aircraft industry. Due to aluminum’s advantages over other metals, including its light weight and incredible strength, airplanes rely on this material in order to be a safe, affordable, feasible form…

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What are the Physical Properties of the Aluminum 6061 Plate vs. 7075 Plate?

Aluminum plate has a host of tremendous benefits that make it a popular choice among manufacturers. Whether you are drawn to it for the tremendous strength-to-weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance or well-recognized aesthetic qualities, aluminum offers you the ability to produce competitive products at an affordable cost. Additionally, your customers will be happy with aluminum’s…

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Normalizing Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is an amazing metal that has made possible many modern advancements in all types of industries.  Its versatility has allowed for the development of a wide variety of alloys; no matter what the application, there’s usually an appropriate stainless steel.  It’s also much more cost effective than most other materials, especially for the…

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The Differences Between Flame Cutting, Plasma Cutting and Water Jet Cutting

Anyone who works with metals on a regular basis understands the importance of having the right processing methods. Different metals, such as aluminum and stainless steel, have very different properties and will be easier or harder to cut depending on their particular characteristics.  Complicating matters even further, the increasing diversity in high performance alloys means…

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Aluminum Uses in Lithographic Plates

Aluminum is one of the most versatile and adaptable materials available for industrial use.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that the commercialization of this amazing metal has transformed our society and unlocked an unprecedented level of technological and industrial progress.  This includes the rapid developments that are happening in the area of offset lithography…

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Stainless Steel Uses in Chemical, Processing and Oil & Gas Industries

Stainless steel is an amazing metal that has transformed nearly every industry since it’s development more than a century ago.  From the medical to aerospace industries, the revolutionary metal has boosted technological advancements and made previously impossible achievements a regular, everyday occurrence.  One popular category of production that often doesn’t get as much attention as…

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Is Stainless Steel Magnetic?

One of the most important considerations that a manufacturer or product designer will need to address is whether or not the materials they use can be magnetic. Unfortunately, this is frequently a question that is postponed until the last minute, or which is ignored altogether. This can often be a mistake, and we recommend anyone…

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Aluminum Thermal Barriers

When it comes to window frames, one material makes more sense than any other. Aluminum, thanks to its lightweight and other beneficial attributes, is a cost-effective, easy to use solution that allows architects and engineers to be extremely creative in the types of windows they design. Unfortunately, aluminum does have one drawback that needed to…

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Aluminum In Solar Panels

Ever since it was first introduced as a commercially viable metal almost a century ago, aluminum has been transforming nearly every industry into which it is introduced. This transformation continues today as aluminum is helping to shape the renewable energy industries, such as involving the construction of solar panels. It is amazing to realize that…

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304 vs 316 Stainless Steel

One of the most crucial decisions any manufacturer must make is selecting the optimal material for a given application. Many years ago, that choice might have been relatively easy, choosing between steel and aluminum, for instance. But with the increasing diversity of metal alloys, modern-day materials have an ever-growing list of very specific properties available.…

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What Is Aluminum Smelting?

For manufacturers, no matter what industry you’re in, understanding the various processes involved in working with materials such as aluminum is an essential part of your job. It’s important to know the essential properties of various grades and alloys of the metals you are working with, and comprehend how different materials will respond to different…

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Plasma Cutting Stainless Steel

One of the most important tasks for manufacturers is the cutting of materials. This can be accomplished in many different ways, depending on the material involved and the desired shape of the finished product, so most manufacturers will have a number of cutting options at their disposal. Knowing when to apply which method is a…

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What is Manifold Quality Bar?

The amazing thing about aluminum is the tremendous diversity of alloys that are available for manufacturers and designers. Its unique combination of properties makes aluminum a versatile material for construction and engineering, among many other industries. One of the most difficult challenges for producers is choosing from the many different options available to them. This…

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Stainless Steel Uses In Architecture

Stainless Steel, as its name implies, is best known for its corrosion resistance properties. But the many benefits and revolutionary uses of stainless steel extend far beyond any single attribute, as attested by its presence in applications in nearly every industry. Of course, one of the most visually stunning and transformative implementations of stainless steel…

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Stainless Steel Uses In Bridges

Stainless steel is a revolutionary material that has produced countless advances in all manner of industries. But perhaps no arena has been more transformed by the many benefits of stainless steel than architecture and engineering. Because of its tremendous strength, corrosion resistance properties, and aesthetic appeal, stainless steel can be found in modern bridges around…

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