Lightweight aluminium for industrial applications
Lightweight aluminium offers a wide range of applications across numerous industries: wherever low weight, high strength and corrosion resistance are required. Thanks to its high recyclability, aluminium is also a material with great potential for use in resource-efficient cycles in the future.
At STEP-G, we develop innovative and sustainable lightweight aluminium solutions based on extruded and further processed profiles. Drawing on decades of expertise, we offer customer-specific extruded profiles across the entire added value supply chain: from casting and extrusion through to further processing and surface finishing.
Do you have a specific project? Get it touch with us. We support you throughout the process, from the technical concept and dimensioning to series production.
Our lightweight aluminium solutions at a glance
Here you will find an overview of our lightweight aluminium solutions. Select an application area to learn more about typical requirements, suitable profile concepts, as well as further processing and surface finishing.
Lightweight, safe aluminium solutions for various drive technologies.
Large profiles with impressive sustainability and light weight.
Innovative aluminium solutions for maximum efficiency and safety.
Extruded aluminium profiles in a wide range of varieties and sizes.
Innovative extruded aluminium system solutions.
A wide variety of aluminium solutions for construction components.
Cast Billets made of custom aluminium alloys for sustainable applications.
Customised product solutions with added value.
Application areas and uses of aluminium
Aluminium is used in numerous industrial application areas where low weight, high strength and corrosion resistance are required. Typical areas of application include automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, plant engineering, construction and the defence industry, as well as the aerospace sector.
In industrial environments, it is essential that profiles and components can be adapted precisely to functional requirements, such as load behaviour, interfaces, tolerances, and assembly concepts. The combination of material, profile geometry and further processing allows for the creation of durable, cost-efficient designs for a wide range of applications.
Technical implementation and aluminium profile machining
Precise coordination of profile geometries, alloys and machining processes is required for the technical implementation of aluminium applications. The following factors are particularly important when it comes to functional design and scalable production:
- Profile geometry, functional features and tolerances
- Alloys, mechanical properties and material characteristics (formability, corrosion resistance, physical/chemical properties, weldability)
- Scope of machining steps (e.g. joining, fastening, referencing)
- Surface requirements (functional/visual, corrosion protection)
- Assembly concept
In aluminium profile machining, extruded profiles undergo further processing to create assembly-ready, functionally optimised components in line with customer specifications. Typical processing steps include sawing, milling, drilling, welding and bending. These are complemented by defined connection surfaces and application-specific features, such as hole patterns, functional surfaces and fits.
Large aluminium profiles allow complex designs with integrated functions and fewer components to be implemented. The coordinated process chain of extrusion, further processing, and surface finishing produces profile-based solutions that meet technical and economic requirements.
Industrial requirements: cost-efficiency and process reliability
In addition to reducing weight, cost-efficiency and reproducible processes are also key factors in industrial aluminium applications. Profile-based aluminium solutions in lightweight construction can help with the following:
- Reduce material usage through function-oriented profile geometries
- Reduce the number of components and assembly effort by integrating functions
- Improve process reliability by establishing defined machining sequences and tolerance concepts
- Ensure quality requirements are met by verifying and documenting characteristics
- Support traceability throughout the process chain
This enables technical requirements and cost-related factors to be considered at an early stage in the design of profiles, alloys, machining processes and surface finishes.
We also provide support for documentation and certification in accordance with relevant quality and industry standards, such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, EN 15085-2 and EN 9100, upon request.
The download section contains relevant certificates, standards and further documentation.
Aluminium applications for sustainable lightweight construction solutions
Thanks to its material properties, aluminium is ideal for applications requiring resource efficiency and durable designs. Key aspects of the use of aluminium in lightweight construction include:
- Low weight with high strength (depending on alloy and design)
- Good corrosion resistance
- Recyclability and efficient material cycles
Using aluminium can also help to reduce the consumption of materials and the demand for energy across the entire lifecycle of components. This is particularly effective when lightweight aluminium solutions are designed holistically and components are consistently engineered with integrated functions.
A key advantage is its near-complete recyclability, which allows material cycles to be closed efficiently without significant loss of quality. Aluminium therefore meets the main requirements for cost-effective and resource-efficient solutions in industrial lightweight construction applications.
From concept to application: aluminium solutions from STEP-G
STEP-G supports aluminium applications from the initial concept to series production. Based on the technical requirements, we develop integrated solutions that cover everything from material selection and profile design to manufacturing, further processing and surface finishing.
Coordinating all process steps enables aluminium profiles and assemblies to be implemented for both series production and project-specific requirements.
Feel free to contact us if you would like to optimise profile geometry, alloy and machining scope for your aluminium lightweight application.
Frequently asked questions about lightweight aluminium and aluminium applications
We have compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions about lightweight aluminium.
Lightweight aluminium is used in industries where weight, strength and corrosion resistance are important considerations. These include the automotive, mechanical and plant engineering sectors, the construction industry, the rail vehicle construction sector and the aerospace industry.
The lightweight advantage results from the combination of aluminium as a material (approx. one-third the weight of steel) and the profile concept: integrating required component functions into the extruded profile design, optimised profile geometries, as well as reduced joints and contact points and fewer components. The key factor is optimised design across the entire process chain, from initial design to assembly-ready components.
Machining involves the further optimisation of extruded aluminium profiles for specific applications. This process allows application-specific details, such as connections, hole patterns, and functionally relevant reference and assembly surfaces, to be reliably implemented. Further processing includes surface treatments for corrosion protection, functional adaptation and aesthetic enhancement.
Large aluminium profiles are particularly suitable where the size of the profile itself plays a technical and economic role. In large-scale applications, using smaller cross-sections can result in more individual profiles, additional joints, and greater design, assembly, and logistics effort. Large profiles enable functions, load requirements and weight considerations to be incorporated into a single, larger cross-section.
STEP-G provides solutions throughout the entire added value supply chain, from casting and extrusion to further processing and surface finishing. Depending on the project, this can include designing profiles and components, and implementation through to the final component.
For specific requirements, STEP-G contacts support you in design and implementation. You can use the relevant application pages or contact us directly.