Bar vs. Plate Stock: How to Make a Right Choice in Manufacturing

• 
  
  
  September 20, 2024

Bar and plate stock are two materials that can serve as a good foundation for modern manufacturing practices. They provide a unique range of versatility through their ability to conform to different shapes and forms.

Good knowledge of these materials would help in the successful execution of complex projects and employ advanced manufacturing techniques. This article will provide you great information about bar and plate stock, exploring their various types, different applications and necessary considerations when using them.

Contents
hide

I
What is Bar Stock?

II
Different Forms of Bars and Their Applications

III
Types of Bars You Should Know

IV
What is a Plate?

V
Processes of Manufacturing Plates

VI
Types of Metal Plates You Should Know

VII
Differences Between Plate and Bar Stock

VIII
How to Choose Between Aluminum Bar and Plate Stock for CNC Machining?

IX
Applications of Bar and Plate Stock for Various Industries

X
Expertise in Machining Customized Parts with Complex Geometries

XI
Conclusion

XII
FAQs

What is Bar Stock?

Bar stock is a kind of raw material used for several applications in diverse manufacturing and machining industries for the precise and versatile fabrication of components. It is used most often to create product components through machining procedures like drilling, shaping, and cutting. Bar stock is always in its raw form, usually long, round, or rectangular rods or plate shapes, and is mostly uniform in structure and composition, which helps their overall quality.

Different Forms of Bars and Their Applications

Bar stocks come in different forms and shapes depending on the project you intend to use them for. For instance, bar stock like rods in cylindrical shapes can serve in turning processes because of their round form. They are useful during lathe machining to manufacture round parts with precision.

Square-shaped bars are used to produce frames and brackets, which are essential components of several machining processes. This bar stock is also important in the precise manufacturing of structural components.

Flat bars usually come in a flat plate shape, hence the name. They are essential in making gaskets, seals, and flat components that need structural stability or broader surfaces. Moreover, hexagonal bars can be used in making fasteners, bolts, nuts, and screws.

Types of Bars You Should Know

There are different types of bar stock depending on the material used in producing it as well as the purpose it serves.

Steel Bar Stock (Carbon)

Known for its strength and flexibility in use for diverse machining processes and industrial applications, carbon steel bar stock comes with features that make it one of the most reliable materials offering precision and robustness in the production of structural components.

It is accurately machinable with levels of hardness and top-notch weldability. These characteristics make carbon steel bars a go-to option in the forging industry. Also, the automotive industry uses carbon bars for components that can take heavy loads without deformation like the crankshaft.

Stainless Steel Bar Stock

Stainless steel bar stock has excellent resistance to heat and corrosion, making it a reliable choice in industries needing such materials. It comes with desirable features such as high hygiene ability, astute tensile strength, and durability, making it good for medical components and food processing parts.

Food processing components need materials that are non-reactive to moisture to avoid corrosion and aid longevity. Also, stainless steel bar stock is used in the medical industry for surgical equipment because it doesn’t react with body fluids. Likewise, in the chemical industry, it is used for plant parts that require corrosion resistance to chemicals.

Aluminum Bar Stock

Aluminum bar stock is renowned for its lightweight feature and high corrosion resistance. Also, it maintains exceptional thermal conductivity, formability, and strength-to-weight ratio. These features make it the top choice for industries that need high-strength, fatigue-resistant but lightweight components.

The automotive sector also uses aluminum bar stock in the manufacturing of door and window rails that require corrosion resistance and strength. Also can be used to make engine, suspension, and brake parts.

Plastic Bar Stock

Plastic bar stock offers a lightweight substitute with a wide range of qualities that meet various needs across industries. Depending on its physical composition, its properties can include flexibility, resistance to corrosion, and varied degrees of thermal stability.

Because of its low coefficient of friction and self-lubricating qualities, plastic bar stock is essential in the production of machinery parts like gears and bushings. Moreover, this material distinguishes itself due to its inert character that guards against contamination in businesses that demand chemical-resistant materials, such as food processing or pharmaceuticals.

What is a Plate?

Plate stock is a form of flat metal or alloy that comes in a plate shape and is used in different applications and manufacturing processes. They can take different forms, which include flats, and sheets. Plate is a good raw material for sheet metal fabrication, machining parts, building materials, and floor fabrication.

Processes of Manufacturing Plates

The manufacturing of metal plates involves a series of processes. These procedures lead to the production of plate metal alloys used in making other components.

Casting Process

This process starts with putting the molten metal into a mold cavity. After it cools, the metal takes the shape of the mold. It can be used to get different plate shapes by using the required mold form. Metal casting helps to produce ingots that are used to make metal plates.

Joining and Assembly Process

During joining, plates are joined together to form a new shape permanently or semi-permanently by brazing, welding, fastening, or soldering.

Deformation Process

This is where the metal plate is turned into the desired shape by extrusion, metal forming, roll forming, and forging.

Removal of Material

This process involves the removal of the parts of the plate not needed to achieve the desired shape. It can be done through machining and the use of lasers or beams.

Heat Treatment

This process helps to enhance special features like ductility, hardness, machinability, and durability. It is done by annealing, tempering, aging, or solution treatment.

Finishing

Once the plate’s structure has been achieved, the finishing process helps to get the needed surface texture and glaze. It also helps to improve the corrosion, fatigue, and tensile resistance of the plate. Finishing processes for plate stock include burnishing, polishing, galvanizing, oiling, and painting.

Types of Metal Plates You Should Know

There are different types of metal plates used as raw materials for several industries and applications.

Galvanized Plates

Galvanized plates come with an added zinc layer, and due to this, they are more resistant to deterioration. These steel plates also can withstand a range of temperatures. Galvanized plates are a popular option for roofing materials like corrugated roofing sheets and sheds. Due to their longevity and robustness, they are frequently utilized in automobiles.

Checkered Plates

The raised angular patterns on the surface of the sheet define checkered plates. The entire surface of the plate has increased grip thanks to these raised patterns, making it simpler to move around when using this material. You can maintain checkered plates with ease due to their surfaces, which can withstand the effects of dirt, oils, and dust.

Mild Steel Plates

Mild steel plates are an extremely reliable type of carbon steel that comes in different thicknesses. Most construction companies use mild steel plates to form different shape of structure, as you can weld them with ease to create various equipment. Moreover, no special cutting tool is needed to remove sections of mild steel plates, as they can be cut with general cutting machines.

B.I. and G.I. Plates

B.I. (Black Iron) and G.I. (Galvanized Iron) plates are among the most used plates in the construction industry. Both plates are similar in that they are coated with zinc; however, while Black Iron (B.I.) plates have aluminum and copper composition, G.I. plates are made of different metals. G.I. plates are mainly used to make appliances due to their lightweight and durability. However, B.I. plates are used to make AC units and billboards.

Differences Between Plate and Bar Stock

Bar and plate stock differ in several ways, mostly in the manufacturing process and applications. Also, bar and plate metal alloys differ in shape and dimensions.

Applications

Bar stock is used in making components that require a specific shape like shafts, pistons, and other automotive and aeronautical parts. Plates, on the other hand, are used for construction purposes, such as building bridges, ships, frames, or anything that needs flat metal.

Manufacturing Process

Bar stock is produced by drawing, extrusion, and rolling techniques, which shape them by heat and pressure. Plate stock is made through a forging process that includes heating and hammering the metal into the desired form and dimension.

Shape and Dimensions

Plates are flat-shaped and 2-dimensional, having a fixed width and thickness. They normally come in standard sizes, for example, 4 by 8 feet or 5 by 10 feet. Bar stock dimensions are also in standard lengths like 20 feet or 10 feet, mostly in a specific shape—round, long, or rectangular with a cross-sectional area that is fixed.

Features

Plate stock undergoes a rolling process that gives it a grain structure that is less uniform. However, it still provides good corrosion resistance. Bars have a grain structure that is more uniform, which improves their durability and strength.

How to Choose Between Aluminum Bar and Plate Stock for CNC Machining?

When choosing between bar and plate stock for machining, there are things that you should consider to enable you to make the right choice. They include:

Size Range of the Product

You should take the size of the custom part you want to manufacture into account when choosing between bar and plate aluminum stock. While bar stock has a narrower aspect ratio due to a close width and thickness size formed through the extrusion process, plate stock generally has a broader aspect ratio with a varying height and width formed from continuous casting.

Aluminum square bars especially the square 6061-T6 are among the most used in CNC aluminum machining. It has good tensile metal strength, which makes it an advantageous material for a variety of structural components, including truck frames, airplane parts, and many more.

Furthermore, plate stock has a more flat and rectangular surface or shape in its native form and comes with a wider aspect ratio with variance in height, width and depth. They are formed using normal or continuous casting procedures and can produce big blanks with varying thicknesses called billet.

Pricing

The pricing of the material generally depends on the weight, especially when it comes to bar and plate stock. In this regard, bar stock is cheaper than plate stock on a per-pound basis.

Plate material of rings, rectangular, and flange forms that are custom-cut can help save time as against milling every feature from a billet. You should opt for a plate stock when an extruded rod or bar is not achievable for the component size.

Condition of the Edge

A band saw is used to cut bar material, especially on the ends. Naturally, the extrusion process leaves square bar corners with a tiny radius and linear grain on the sides perpendicular to the edges.

Using a band saw or waterjet, you can shape the plate stock along its vertical edges. While selecting a material, it is crucial to take stock tolerances of both cut and natural edges into account.

Applications of Bar and Plate Stock for Various Industries

Plate and bar stocks can be used conventionally for various purposes. The versatility and strength-to-weight ratio of materials make them suitable for various industries.

Aerospace

In the aerospace sector, bar stock is used in the fabrication of aircraft parts that need lightweight but robust materials. Different types of aluminum alloy plates are used in manufacturing components for aviation purposes. Examples include wing structures and landing gear assemblies for aircraft.

Construction

Bar and plate stock are used to make components for construction purposes and applications. They help to reinforce concrete structures to improve durability and strength. Also, using steel bar stock within beams and columns helps to ensure resistance to external forces as well as structural integrity.

Automotive

Plate and bar stock are widely used in the automotive industry to manufacture crucial parts like engine mounts and chassis pieces. Metal bar stock is a sturdy material that is perfect for building structural frameworks that give vehicles stability and support.

Engineering and Manufacturing

Bar stock is used in manufacturing as a starting point for a variety of machining processes, which makes it possible to create complex components precisely. Turning is one of the main machining methods used with bar stock. Plate stock comes in handy for construction and automotive purposes as it has a flat expansive surface.

Expertise in Machining Customized Parts with Complex Geometries

As a one-stop rapid prototyping and manufacturing company, WayKen can process customized prototypes and parts with different geometries to meet specific project requirements. Using advanced CNC machining services, WayKen offers high precision and flexibility in machining parts from metals and plastics.

Whether the parts need to be round, square, flat, or more complex shapes, we can tailor the production to the exact specifications of our customer. WayKen’s expertise in machining allows us for quick turnaround times, high-quality results, and the ability to handle both small and large production runs. Just contact us to get more information.

Conclusion

Bar and plate stock are two materials that can provide a solid basis for contemporary production techniques. Because of their capacity to take on many forms and shapes, they offer a distinct variety of versatility. Thus, having a solid understanding of these materials would be beneficial for implementing sophisticated manufacturing procedures and carrying out challenging projects.

FAQs

Can bar stock be customized for specific dimensions?

Yes, bar stock is produced by different machining processes, like cutting sawing grinding heat treatment, and welding.

What is the difference between an aluminum plate and a flat bar?

There is little structural difference between the two. If the product is more than 8 inches wide, then it’s a plate, but if less, then it is a flat bar.

What differences between sheets, plates, and bars？

A sheet is a thinner item that can be as thin as 1mm or as thick as 25mm, and it is sliced from a continuous large coiled coil. On the other hand, a plate is a single piece of metal that is manufactured or rolled and is slightly thicker. Bar stock dimensions are in standard lengths like 20 feet or 10 feet, mostly in a specific shape – round, long, or rectangular.