Is the term "billet" incorrectly used to sell products?
12-15-2004, 05:57 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Is the term "billet" incorrectly used to sell products?
My understanding of billet is a sqaure block of metal that may be machined or rolled etc to form a desired shape. So this way avoids welding. Meaning a potentially stronger product.
Is this wrong?
Have I been tricked by vendors into thinking its something else?
Is this wrong?
Have I been tricked by vendors into thinking its something else?
12-15-2004, 06:38 PM
#5
Three Wheelin'
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It is all marketing....most people don't have a clue what an aluminum ingot or billet is. What people refer to as billet is bar stock aluminum, pure and simple. It is a buzz word in the automotive aftermarket. Most Billet aluminum starts life as a molten cast product...it is then further worked to desired shapes. Aluminum ingot and billet is typically cast through continuous casting tables. Here is a link: http://www.wagstaff.com Look under the advertising section and you can see some shots of the casting tables they use. I learned a lot about this process, my father was a metallurgist and was employed with this company for 10 years.
Yes, the word "Billet" is WAY overused to sell parts.
Yes, the word "Billet" is WAY overused to sell parts.
12-15-2004, 06:42 PM
#6
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http://www.lindseyracing.com/Merchan...OLINGSYSBILLET
So this sparked the thought about the use of the word because I thought a welded box could not really be "billet", so are they correct?
So this sparked the thought about the use of the word because I thought a welded box could not really be "billet", so are they correct?
12-15-2004, 06:46 PM
#7
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You're correct, that's not billet by the manufacturing usage of the word. By the marketing use it is, as it can be argued that the sides were made from a billet of material and then welded together. Marketing has improperly used the word for so long almost anything goes these days regarding "billet."
Lou, one clarification, extruded objects are still considered a billet of material, as a hot extrusion process is the same as the continuous casting process making all billets.
Sam
Lou, one clarification, extruded objects are still considered a billet of material, as a hot extrusion process is the same as the continuous casting process making all billets.
Sam
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12-15-2004, 06:53 PM
#8
Race Director
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So in that way, every piece of metal construction can be called billet if the metal at one stage in its life was a billet, regardless of the subsequent processes.
12-15-2004, 08:44 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
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The reason that a piece made out of "billet" is more desireable because you are assured that the piece has the exact elemental composition and heat treatment that the original billet had. IIRC, billets are sold like 6061-T6, where the first numbers explain the composition and the T6 indicates the heat treatment. You can really f%^& up an objects strength by welding it and thus totally changing the properties of the nearby metal. That's why places like cannondale weld the bike frames and then heat treat the whole thing in order to obtain the appropriate mechanical properties. I realize it doesn't really matter for an expansion tank, but this is just some information for you.
