Electrical Aluminum Bus Bars

Electrical grade aluminum busbar material also known as EC grade aluminum busbar. Compared to copper busbars aluminum offers a weight and cost save.

electrical aluminum bus bar

Chalco Aluminum common grades of aluminum for electrical busbars

Electrical aluminum busbars 1060

Good corrosion resistance.
High electrical conductivity.
Typically formed by extrusion or rolling.
Good workability.
Disadvantage: low strength.

Electrical aluminum busbars 1100

Minimum of 99.0% aluminum.
Highest mechanical strength of 1000 series.
Excellent forming properties, especially in the fully soft, annealed temper.
Good thermal conductivity, hence often used in heat exchangers and heat sinks.

Electrical aluminum busbars 1350

Advantage:

Used as a battery busbar material.
Nearly pure aluminum with minimum weight percentage of 99.5% of aluminum.
Very good electrical conductivity.
Very good thermal conductivity.
Excellent corrosion resistance.
Tight controls are used on certain impurities that could adversely affect conductivity.

Disadvantage:

Low mechanical strength.
Non-heat treatable.

Electrical aluminum busbars 6063

Magnesium and silicon as the alloying elements.
Good mechanical properties.
Heat treatable.
Weldable.
Good electrical conductivity.
Good bending properties.

Electrical aluminum busbars 6101

Contains magnesium and silicon for high mechanical strength without significant reduction in conductivity.
Higher yield strength than 1350.
Better creep resistance than 1350.

Common size of Chalco Aluminum electrical busbar

Size in(mm)	Area(mm²)	Weight(kg/m)
12×2	24	0, 0633
15×2	30	0, 0795
15×3	45	0, 12
20×2	40	0, 107
20×3	60	0, 161
20×5	100	0, 268
25×3	75	0, 201
25×5	125	0, 335
30×3	90	0, 242
30×5	150	0, 403
40×3	120	0, 323
40×5	200	0, 538
40×10	400	1, 08
50×5	250	3, 637
50×10	500	1, 35
60×5	300	0, 808
60×10	600	1, 62
80×5	400	1, 08
80×10	800	2, 16
100×5	500	1, 35
100×10	1000	2, 7
100×15	1500	4, 04
120×10	1200	3, 24
120×15	1800	4, 86
160×10	1600	4, 32
160×15	2400	6, 47
200×10	2000	5, 4
200×15	3000	8, 09

Process of Chalco aluminum electrical aluminum busbar

Plating

These are often plated or selectively plated at joint locations to reduce corrosion. Typically aluminum is plated with:

Silver
Tin
Nickel

Electrical insulation

Insulation is normally applied as:

Dipped
Heat Shrink
Powder Coat
Wrapped

Advantage of Chalco electrical aluminum busbar

Bus bar ampacity

Contingent on bus bar size, aluminum bus bar can handle currents up to 4000A, which is more than sufficient for many applications.

Bus bar conductivity

Aluminum bus bar conductivity is dependent on the alloy and temper. Pure aluminum conductivity is approximately 61.0% of IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard). In fact, when comparing the two materials, aluminum bus bar is twice as conductive as copper.

electric conductivity of aluminum busbar

Aluminum bus bar conductivity can be reduced depending on its alloying agents. There are several alloying agents in aluminum bus bar that affect its conductivity in varying ways.

Minor Reduction: Nickel, Iron, Zinc

Greater Reduction: Copper, Magnesium, Silicon, Vanadium

Greatest Reduction: Titanium, Chromium, Manganese

Bus bar plating like tin and silver, on the other hand, can enhance conductivity.

Bus bar resistance

High quality, high strength aluminum can have mechanical resistance up to 530 Newton/mm². Aluminum is fatigue resistant and corrosion resistant. Aluminum also offers easy corrosion removal with simple stripping.

Bus bar weight

Aluminum can be as much as 70% lighter than copper. The lightweight properties make aluminum bus bar installation so fast and easy that a single operator can do it. Aluminum bus bar weight properties not only allow for ease and convenience, but cost-savings as well.

Bus bar cost

Aluminum bus bar cost can be drastically lower than that of copper bus bar. Its lightweight properties can provide significant cost-savings in handling costs alone. Aluminum also offers high recyclability, which makes it far less likely to experience market fluctuations or supply scarcity.

When comparing copper bus bar vs aluminum, it's important to remember that aluminum bus bar may provide a better, more cost-effective solution depending on application requirements.

Chalco is a top aluminum bus bar manufacturer and a leader in the design and manufacture of fabricated aluminum bus bars and aluminum bus bar systems for high current secondary AC and DC applications.

Chalco offers complete design capabilities that include machining, forming, brazing & welding processes plus plating & powder coating services. We produce innovative designs for high performing aluminum bus bars that weigh less, resulting in reduced labor cost due for installation and support.

production of Chalco aluminum busbar