Can anyone explain "U6 Aluminum" to me?

  • Thread starter Curt Wiederhoeft
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Curt Wiederhoeft

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There are plenty of new bikes out there (Leader, Redline, Haro, etc.),
all touting the fact that their frames are made of U6 aluminum, and
almost all using the magic catchphrase of "U6 aluminum alloy is 25%
stronger and 20% more fatigue resistant than traditional 6061-T6
aluminum alloy."

The problem? I can't seem to find an actual U6 standard. I'm not a
mechanical or materials engineer, so please forgive the ignorance. I
can go to the ASTM web site, and buy the specification for 6061-T6, but
ASTM appears not to have heard of U6. If I'm in the market for a new
aluminum bike, what assurance could I get that (1) U6 aluminum actually
*does* meet these strength and fatigue resistance parameters, and (2)
that any particular piece of tubing or a frame can be certified to be
called "U6?" Based on the definition of T6 (tempering or heat
treatment), is U6, whatever it may be, a property of the frame before
or after it's assembled?

So, what's up with U6? Is it more than just marketing hype? Why are
bike makers the only companies that seem to be using it? Enquiring
minds, and all that jazz.

Curt
 
"Curt Wiederhoeft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There are plenty of new bikes out there (Leader, Redline, Haro, etc.),
> all touting the fact that their frames are made of U6 aluminum, and
> almost all using the magic catchphrase of "U6 aluminum alloy is 25%
> stronger and 20% more fatigue resistant than traditional 6061-T6
> aluminum alloy."
>
> The problem? I can't seem to find an actual U6 standard. I'm not a
> mechanical or materials engineer, so please forgive the ignorance. I
> can go to the ASTM web site, and buy the specification for 6061-T6, but
> ASTM appears not to have heard of U6. If I'm in the market for a new
> aluminum bike, what assurance could I get that (1) U6 aluminum actually
> *does* meet these strength and fatigue resistance parameters, and (2)
> that any particular piece of tubing or a frame can be certified to be
> called "U6?" Based on the definition of T6 (tempering or heat
> treatment), is U6, whatever it may be, a property of the frame before
> or after it's assembled?
>
> So, what's up with U6? Is it more than just marketing hype? Why are
> bike makers the only companies that seem to be using it? Enquiring
> minds, and all that jazz.
>
> Curt
>


Try searching http://www.matweb.com if no one here can help.
 
Curt Wiederhoeft wrote:
> There are plenty of new bikes out there (Leader, Redline, Haro, etc.),
> all touting the fact that their frames are made of U6 aluminum, and
> almost all using the magic catchphrase of "U6 aluminum alloy is 25%
> stronger and 20% more fatigue resistant than traditional 6061-T6
> aluminum alloy."
>
> The problem? I can't seem to find an actual U6 standard. I'm not a
> mechanical or materials engineer, so please forgive the ignorance. I
> can go to the ASTM web site, and buy the specification for 6061-T6, but
> ASTM appears not to have heard of U6. If I'm in the market for a new
> aluminum bike, what assurance could I get that (1) U6 aluminum actually
> *does* meet these strength and fatigue resistance parameters, and (2)
> that any particular piece of tubing or a frame can be certified to be
> called "U6?" Based on the definition of T6 (tempering or heat
> treatment), is U6, whatever it may be, a property of the frame before
> or after it's assembled?
>
> So, what's up with U6? Is it more than just marketing hype? Why are
> bike makers the only companies that seem to be using it? Enquiring
> minds, and all that jazz.
>
> Curt
 
> There are plenty of new bikes out there (Leader, Redline, Haro, etc.),
> all touting the fact that their frames are made of U6 aluminum, and
> almost all using the magic catchphrase of "U6 aluminum alloy is 25%
> stronger and 20% more fatigue resistant than traditional 6061-T6
> aluminum alloy."



Could be the formerly-proprietary alloy that Klein has been using for a few
years. I know he had an exclusive on it for just two years. Its advantages
were greater ductility and fatigue resistance, two qualities that seem not
to go hand-in-hand. It's also fairly easy to work with (primarily a function
of its greater ductility, or so I've been told).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Curt Wiederhoeft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There are plenty of new bikes out there (Leader, Redline, Haro, etc.),
> all touting the fact that their frames are made of U6 aluminum, and
> almost all using the magic catchphrase of "U6 aluminum alloy is 25%
> stronger and 20% more fatigue resistant than traditional 6061-T6
> aluminum alloy."
>
> The problem? I can't seem to find an actual U6 standard. I'm not a
> mechanical or materials engineer, so please forgive the ignorance. I
> can go to the ASTM web site, and buy the specification for 6061-T6, but
> ASTM appears not to have heard of U6. If I'm in the market for a new
> aluminum bike, what assurance could I get that (1) U6 aluminum actually
> *does* meet these strength and fatigue resistance parameters, and (2)
> that any particular piece of tubing or a frame can be certified to be
> called "U6?" Based on the definition of T6 (tempering or heat
> treatment), is U6, whatever it may be, a property of the frame before
> or after it's assembled?
>
> So, what's up with U6? Is it more than just marketing hype? Why are
> bike makers the only companies that seem to be using it? Enquiring
> minds, and all that jazz.
>
> Curt
>
 
Curt Wiederhoeft wrote:
>
> There are plenty of new bikes out there (Leader, Redline, Haro, etc.),
> all touting the fact that their frames are made of U6 aluminum, and
> almost all using the magic catchphrase of "U6 aluminum alloy is 25%
> stronger and 20% more fatigue resistant than traditional 6061-T6
> aluminum alloy."
>
> The problem? I can't seem to find an actual U6 standard.


"U6" is a trade name. There's no telling what alloy it is unless the
manufacturer tells you. My best guess given the "25% stronger" claim
and the economics of bike manufacturing is that it's 6013 or something
very similar.

Chalo Colina