# Aluminum 7075-T6

> Aircraft-grade aluminum: steel-level strength at a third of the weight.

- Category: Aluminum Alloys → wrought-7xxx
- HTML page: https://fabvector.com/materials/aluminum-7075 (Portuguese: https://fabvector.com/pt/materials/aluminum-7075)
- Price index: $$ (1–5, 6061-T6 = $)

## Mechanical properties (typical values, not certified minimums)

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 572 MPa |
| Yield strength | 503 MPa |
| Hardness | 150 HB |
| Density | 2.81 g/cm³ |
| Machinability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Corrosion resistance | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |

## When to choose it

Pick 7075 when the part is strength- or fatigue-limited: 82% higher yield than 6061 lets you thin walls and recover the cost premium in weight savings.

## When to look elsewhere

Skip it for welded assemblies (crack-prone) and stiffness-limited parts — the elastic modulus equals 6061, so it will not deflect less. Anodize any exposed surface.

## Typical applications

- Highly loaded robot joints and frames
- Drone racing frames and gimbal cores
- Aircraft fittings and brackets
- High-performance vehicle components

## Compatible surface finishes

- [As-Machined](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/as-machined)
- [Anodizing Type II (Clear)](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/anodizing-type-ii)
- [Anodizing Type II (Dyed)](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/anodizing-type-ii-color)
- [Hardcoat Anodizing Type III](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/hardcoat-anodizing-type-iii)
- [Chromate Conversion (Alodine / Chem Film)](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/chromate-conversion)
- [Electroless Nickel Plating (ENP)](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/electroless-nickel-plating)
- [Bead Blasting](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/bead-blasting)
- [Brushed Finish](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/brushed-finish)
- [Powder Coating](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/powder-coating)
- [Wet Painting](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/wet-painting)
- [Vibratory Tumbling](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/vibratory-tumbling)
- [Laser Marking](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/laser-marking)
- [Silk Screening](https://fabvector.com/md/finishes/silk-screening)

## Buyer questions, answered

### 7075-T6 or 6061-T6 for a machined part — how do I decide?

Decide on what limits the part. If it is strength- or fatigue-limited, 7075-T6 wins clearly: roughly 500 MPa yield against about 275 MPa for 6061-T6, which is what lets you thin a wall or shrink a section. If it is stiffness-limited, 7075 buys nothing — both alloys have essentially the same elastic modulus (about 70 GPa), so a bracket that deflects too much in 6061 will deflect the same in 7075 at higher cost. If the assembly will be welded, use 6061. Put the temper on the drawing in both cases; "7075" alone is not a specification.

### Can 7075 be welded?

Not by conventional fusion welding. 7075 is prone to hot cracking, and the heat-affected zone loses the T6 properties the alloy was chosen for. Design the joint mechanically instead — fasteners, press fits, threaded inserts, dowels — or move the welded members to 6061 and keep 7075 for the machined, loaded parts. Friction stir welding of 7075 exists, but it is a specialist process, not a machine-shop operation.

### Does 7075 anodize as well as 6061?

It anodizes, but not identically. Type II and Type III hardcoat both work on 7075; the zinc and copper in the alloy make the anodic layer duller and a little darker than on 6061, and colour anodizing comes out less vivid and can vary between heats. Treat anodizing on 7075 as a functional finish — corrosion and wear protection — and put cosmetic colour on 6061 parts where you can. Specify masking for threads and datum faces, and state which dimensions apply after coating. Unlike 6061, bare 7075 should not be left exposed: anodize or chromate any surface that will see moisture.

### T6, T651 or T73 — which temper should the drawing call out?

T651 is T6 plate that has been stress-relieved by stretching. Specify it for anything thin-walled or asymmetric machined from plate: removing material from ordinary T6 stock releases residual stress and the part moves. T73 (T7351 for plate) is over-aged to resist stress-corrosion cracking at a cost of roughly 10–15% strength; call it where the part carries sustained tensile stress in a humid or marine environment, especially across the short-transverse grain direction. Plain T6 is fine for compact, symmetric parts in benign service. Whatever you choose, write it on the drawing next to the alloy.

### What is the real limit when machining thin walls in 7075?

Distortion, not cutting. 7075 machines cleanly and holds dimension well; the difficulty with thin walls is residual stress in the stock releasing as material comes off, plus cutting pressure flexing the wall. The practical answers are stress-relieved T651 stock, symmetric roughing from both sides, a finishing pass with light engagement, and — for the thinnest sections — a stress-relief step between roughing and finishing. On the drawing, identify which wall thicknesses and flatness callouts are functional so inspection is planned in the intended restraint condition rather than free-state everywhere.

### 7075 vs 6061 machinability — which one is actually harder to machine?

Harder to cut, easier to finish. 7075-T6 runs around 150 HB against roughly 95 HB for 6061-T6, so it takes more spindle power and wears tooling faster — that is the sense in which it is the harder material, and the reason it rates lower for machinability and costs more per part. But it is far less gummy: 6061 tends to build up on the cutting edge and produce stringy chips, while 7075 breaks chips cleanly and holds a finer surface finish, which is why a finishing pass is often more predictable in 7075. The real machining risk on 7075 is neither hardness nor chips — it is distortion as residual stress leaves the plate, and the answers to that are stress-relieved T651 stock, symmetric roughing from both sides and a light finishing pass. Choose the alloy on the load case first; machinability changes the price, not the engineering.


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