6061-T6, the default
Economical, weldable, good corrosion resistance, easy to anodize. Pick it for brackets, housings, plates, fixtures and most general machined parts.
Materials · Aluminium grade
6061 Aluminium CNC Machining
6061-T6 is the aluminium workhorse, and the grade we run most. Brackets, housings, plates and enclosures, milled and turned to your drawing on 3-, 4- and 5-axis equipment, inspected in-house, AS9100D certified.
Quote in 48h
Prototypes 10–15 business days
Production 15–30 business days
No minimum order
6061-T6 is the grade most parts default to, and for good reason. It is strong enough for the large majority of mechanical work, it welds, it anodizes cleanly in clear or colour, and it machines fast, so it is a very economical way to get a precise aluminium part. Send a drawing and you get a line-item quote in 48 hours, one prototype or a production batch, with no minimum order.
For the wider grade family, 7075, 7050, 6082 and 5052, see our Aluminium CNC Machining page. This page is about 6061-T6.
Properties
6061-T6 at a glance
| Property | What it means for your part |
|---|---|
| Strength | Strong enough for most brackets, housings and structural parts; not the highest, but balanced |
| Weldability | Welds well, good for fabricated and welded assemblies |
| Corrosion resistance | Good general corrosion resistance, holds up outdoors and in most environments |
| Anodizing | Anodizes cleanly in clear and colour (Type II) and accepts hard coat (Type III) |
| Machinability | Excellent, machines fast with good chip control and clean finishes |
| Cost | The economical choice, strong price-to-performance among the common grades |
Grade choice
6061 vs 7075, which one
7075-T6, the strength grade
Near steel strength-to-weight, used for aerospace structure and high-load fittings. It costs more, does not weld well, and is harder to anodize evenly. Pick it only when 6061 is not strong enough.
7075 details on the Aluminium pageCapability
What we can hold
- 3-, 4- and 5-axis milling plus CNC turning, so sculpted and multi-face 6061 parts finish in fewer setups.
- General tolerance ISO 2768-m as standard; down to ±0.01 mm on the features that need it.
- Surface finish to about Ra 1.6 off the machine, finer on request.
- Thin walls, deep pockets and tight bores, with DFM feedback before machining begins.
Finishes for 6061
As-machined, bead blast, brushed, clear and colour anodizing (Type II), and hard anodizing (Type III). 6061 takes anodizing well, which is one of the reasons it is so widely specified.
See the Finish Library6061 parts
Brackets, housings, plates, enclosures, fixtures and heat sinks, across commercial aerospace and UAV, robotics and automation, EV and automotive, components for medical and lab equipment, and consumer electronics.
Industries we serveWhy Fenva
Why Fenva for 6061
Triple-certified
AS9100D, ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, not just ISO 9001.
Prototype to production
No minimum order. The same drawing and the same inspection from one piece to a full batch.
Made to your drawing, fully accountable for the result
One accountable, English-speaking contact in your timezone, with China-factory pricing.
Mini-FAQ
6061 machining, answered
6061 or 7075?
Use 6061 by default; it is economical, weldable and anodizes cleanly. Move to 7075 only when you need maximum strength, for example aerospace structure or high-load fittings.
Can you anodize 6061?
Yes, Type II clear and colour and Type III hard, in-house-managed. 6061 anodizes cleanly and evenly.
T6 or T651?
T6 is the standard heat-treated and aged temper. T651 is the same temper after stress relief by stretching, used mainly for thick plate to keep it flat and stable during machining. For most parts T6 is what you want; we machine both.
Lead time?
Prototypes about 10 to 15 business days, production about 15 to 30, quote in 48 hours.
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Send your drawing for a 48-hour 6061 quote.
Upload your drawings for review and our engineering team will quote within 48 hours, no minimum order.
An NDA is available on request.