Why thin wall aluminum tubing?

At Testrite, everything we do we approach with a value orientation. We work hard to design value into everything we do.

So why thin wall tubing? When you’re buying aluminum tubing, you’re paying for metal (priced per pound), conversion, and packing/handling. The thinner the tube, the more feet of tubing you get for every pound you buy. Or said differently, the thinner the wall, the more feet you get per dollar. So if you're comparing .038" wall aluminum tubing with .125" wall tubing, you can get more than double as many feet of 0.038” tubing for the same amount of lbs of aluminum.

So let's talk about what we mean by thin wall aluminum tubing. At Testrite we consider our .038" Wall round tubing to be "thin wall.” Our .038” round tubing when marked as telescoping is drawn over a mandrel for tight tolerances on Outside Diameter, wall thickness, and ovality. We stock .038" wall round aluminum tubing in sizes including 3/8" OD, 1/2" OD, 5/8" OD, 3/4" OD. 7/8" OD, 1" OD, 1-1/8" OD, 1-1/4" OD, 1-3/8" OD, and 1-1/2" OD. 

We also offer 0.049" wall tubing in certain sizes, as well as thicker walls. Why? Well, certain applications require a heavier wall thickness. One example is that when an aluminum tube will be bent, the more wall thickness you have, the better. Certain applications also require machining of a tube, and the more wall the tube starts with, the more machining options you have.

Over decades of manufacturing, we have found that the vast majority of applications our customers encounter can be handled with .038" wall tubing. Not sure what wall thickness is right for you? Purchase some samples and try it out! There's no substitute for quickly getting some parts and seeing what works and what doesn't. Remember, always test the tubing and assembly in the environment where it will be used to ensure it's safe for your application. Only you know your application, and safety is your responsibility.