Aluminum sheet metal gauge

How can you gauge aluminum thickness? Which gauge is used to measure the thickness of an aluminum sheet?

Gauge is an oft-used measurement for sheet metals, including aluminium. Industries from construction to fabrication prefer this standard measurement to check the thickness of the metallic sheet. The aluminum sheet metal gauge also corresponds to the strength of the material. The gauge system originated in the 19th century when measuring wires by weight led to problems. Depending on the material, different products could be the same weight, even with variable thicknesses. The gauge method denoted wire measurements based on the number of draws needed to create it. Aluminum uses the Brown and Sharpe system. Other nonferrous metals also use this system, which is furthermore called the American Wire Gauge. The thickness of an aluminium sheet decreases with increasing gauge numbers.

Aluminium sheet gauge thickness in mm

Gauge/ Ga	Thickness in mm
000000	14.732
00000	13.119
0000	11.684
000	10.404
00	9.266
0	8.252
1	7.348
2	6.543
3	5.827
4	5.189
5	4.620
6	4.115
7	3.665
8	3.264
9	2.906
10	2.588
11	2.304
12	2.052
13	1.829
14	1.628
15	1.450
16	1.290
17	1.151
18	1.024
19	0.912
20	0.813
21	0.724
22	0.643
23	0.574
24	0.511
25	0.455
26	0.404
27	0.361
28	0.320
29	0.287
30	0.254
31	0.226
32	0.203
33	0.180
34	0.160
35	0.142
36	0.127
37	0.114
38	0.102
39	0.089
40	0.079

Aluminum gauge thickness in inches

Gauge/ Ga	Thickness in inch
000000	0.5800
00000	0.5165
0000	0.4600
000	0.4096
00	0.3648
0	0.3249
1	0.2893
2	0.2576
3	0.2294
4	0.2043
5	0.1819
6	0.1620
7	0.1443
8	0.1285
9	0.1144
10	0.1019
11	0.0907
12	0.0808
13	0.0720
14	0.0641
15	0.0571
16	0.0508
17	0.0453
18	0.0403
19	0.0359
20	0.0320
21	0.0285
22	0.0253
23	0.0226
24	0.0201
25	0.0179
26	0.0159
27	0.0142
28	0.0126
29	0.0113
30	0.0100
31	0.0089
32	0.0080
33	0.0071
34	0.0063
35	0.0056
36	0.0050
37	0.0045
38	0.0040
39	0.0035
40	0.0031

Aluminum gauge weight chart

	Weight Per Area
Gauge/ Ga	lb/ft²	kg/m²
000000	8.185	39.962
00000	7.289	35.587
0000	6.492	31.694
000	5.780	28.222
00	5.148	25.135
0	4.585	22.386
1	4.083	19.933
2	3.635	17.749
3	3.237	15.806
4	2.883	14.076
5	2.567	12.533
6	2.286	11.162
7	2.036	9.942
8	1.813	8.854
9	1.614	7.882
10	1.438	7.021
11	1.280	6.249
12	1.140	5.567
13	1.016	4.961
14	0.905	4.417
15	0.806	3.934
16	0.717	3.500
17	0.639	3.121
18	0.569	2.777
19	0.507	2.474
20	0.452	2.205
21	0.402	1.964
22	0.357	1.743
23	0.319	1.557
24	0.284	1.385
25	0.253	1.233
26	0.224	1.096
27	0.200	0.978
28	0.178	0.868
29	0.159	0.779
30	0.141	0.689
31	0.126	0.613
32	0.113	0.551
33	0.100	0.489
34	0.089	0.434
35	0.079	0.386
36	0.071	0.345
37	0.064	0.310
38	0.056	0.276
39	0.049	0.241
40	0.044	0.214

Thickness tolerance

Aluminum gauge thickness tolerance (36″)

Nominal Thickness	7075 2024	6061 5052 3003 1100
0.190	± 0.0055	± 0.007
0.160	± 0.0055	± 0.007
0.125	± 0.0035	± 0.0045
0.100	± 0.0035	± 0.0045
0.090	± 0.0025	± 0.0035
0.080	± 0.0025	± 0.0035
0.063	± 0.002	± 0.003
0.050	± 0.002	± 0.003
0.040	± 0.002	± 0.0025
0.032	± 0.0015	± 0.002
0.025	± 0.0015	± 0.0015

Aluminum gauge thickness tolerance (48″)

Nominal Thickness	7075 2024 ±	6061 5052 3003 1100 ±
0.190	0.007	0.009
0.160	0.007	0.009
0.125	0.0035	0.0055
0.100	0.0035	0.0055
0.090	0.0035	0.0045
0.080	0.0035	0.0045
0.063	0.003	0.0035
0.050	0.003	0.0035
0.040	0.002	0.0035
0.032	0.002	0.0025
0.025	0.0025	0.002

Aluminum gauge thickness tolerance (60″)

Nominal Thickness	7075 2024 ±	6061 5052 3003 1100 ±
0.190	0.009	0.011
0.160	0.009	0.011
0.125	0.0045	0.007
0.100	0.0045	0.007
0.090	0.004	0.006
0.080	0.004	0.006
0.063	0.003	0.005
0.050	0.003	0.005
0.040	0.003	0.0045
0.032	0.003	0.0035
0.025	0.003	0.003

How accurate is the aluminum sheet gauge thickness?

As a rule of thumb, aluminium gets measured in inches due to the lack of a globally accepted aluminum sheet metal gauge standard. However, it can also utilize the gauge system if the figures are accurate. Buyers should check the exact measurement on the charts shared by the manufacturer. You can measure the thickness with a calliper. Note that the number on the gauge (for instance, 10 or 16) has no bearing on the absolute measurement. Gauge values are in decimals and are approximate. Manufacturers also consider measurements for the coating weight and the non-contact thickness to ensure profitability.

How do you maintain an aluminum gauge thickness?

Accurate gauge measurements ascertain consistent product quality and compliance with regulatory standards. Maintaining aluminum gauge thickness will let you extend the useful service life and ensure precise measurements for your projects.

• Set a proper calibration interval using measuring shims. The results should be within tolerances.
• These intervals will depend on the frequency and type of use.
• Be careful to limit exposure to hot surfaces and magnetic fluxes.
• Lower, higher, or inconsistent readings signal defects that must get resolved to ensure correctness.
• Store the gauge in a cool, dry place.

What are the characteristics of an aluminum thickness gauge?

This silvery-white metal has multiple benefits because of its high strength-to-weight ratio. It can absorb more crash energy than steel, making it indispensable in the automotive and aviation sectors. Aluminum sheet gauge thickness can get measured by gauges of different types. The usual ones are ultrasonic, magnetic, and eddy current based. You can also use a coating thickness gauge.

• These gauges are portable and straightforward to use.
• They often have a digital display for the thickness values.
• The gauge type depends on the accuracy required. For example, ultrasonic ones offer long operational life and excellent correctness.

Aluminum sheet resistance vs thickness

The sheet resistance measures the opposition posed by the material to the flow of electricity. It has an inversely proportional relationship to the thickness. So, a thinner wire will have more resistance as it has fewer electrons to carry the current. A thinner wire also means a higher aluminum sheet gauge number.

Aluminum typically offers high resistance to electric current: 0.03 ohms/square. You can calculate the resistance (R) using this formula:

R = (Bulk resistivity x Length) / (Thickness x Width)
The beneficial properties of aluminium, like corrosion resistance and good thermal conductivity, lend it multifarious utilities: from building materials and household appliances to solar reflective films and smartphones.

What is the thickness tolerance on aluminum sheets?

Adhering to tight tolerances is crucial for critical industrial sectors, and manufacturers pride themselves in adhering to these specifications. The tolerances vary by the thickness of the sheet and the alloy. An aluminum sheet metal gauge chart will show you these figures categorized by alloy group. For 5052, an aluminium-magnesium alloy, the standard tolerance can be as tight as +/- 0.0030″ for Gauge 20 to +/- 0.007 mm for Gauge 8. For Alloy 6061, which contains magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si), the tolerance is slightly more lenient, allowing deviations of 0.023 inches. For Alloy Group 1, the aluminum sheet gauge chart shows tolerances from 0.02 to 0.46 mm.