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Aluminum or stainless steel in public transportation?
- Thread starter vicbee
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From memory, i think its mainly Aluminium, We used to recieve scrap tubing from large bus fitters, and it was generally aluminium with approx 0.5%mg and pretty pure otherwise typically HE30 grade. I am sure it will have some protective coating on it, the material we recieved either had a plastic coating or was coated.
It just depends on what part of the vehicle you're looking at. Most of the painted surfaces can and are readily built from aluminum.
Unpainted metal tends to be mostly stainless, from both an esthetic and practical perspective. Aluminum handrails just wouldn't have that nice smoooooth feel. Likewise for nice shiiiiny kick panels.
The only place I've seen bare aluminum is around moldings and windowframes.
TTFN
Unpainted metal tends to be mostly stainless, from both an esthetic and practical perspective. Aluminum handrails just wouldn't have that nice smoooooth feel. Likewise for nice shiiiiny kick panels.
The only place I've seen bare aluminum is around moldings and windowframes.
TTFN
- Thread starter
- #6
I see... so what will it be? I live in Hong Kong where the subway is quite modern. Brushed whatever it is is used for hand rail and panels wherever there is lots of contact with people. It's the same in the Singapore subway, or in the San Francisco's Bay Area BART system. I thought it might be stainless steel because, as TTFN says, of its smooth feel and platinum like appearance... then again if I ask it is because I have no idea...
vicbee...one easy way to tell is to scratch it with a knife (in an inconspicuous location and manner!). Stainless steel will scratch but will not gouge under moderate pressure. Aluminum will gouge under a steel knife.
Further, the stainless steel might be slightly magnetic, though not likely. You can try checking with a magnet, but the scratch test certainly works.
I would bet that it is stainless steel.
Further, the stainless steel might be slightly magnetic, though not likely. You can try checking with a magnet, but the scratch test certainly works.
I would bet that it is stainless steel.
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