Aluminium Fabrication Perth
Industrial and architectural aluminium fabrication: marine and structural grades laser cut to 16 mm, folded, punched, welded and machined in one Bassendean workshop, with a metallurgist to get the grade and temper right.
Aluminium is light, corrosion-resistant and easy to get wrong. It springs back further than steel, cracks if folded tight across the grain, loses strength at the weld in some tempers, and corrodes where it touches steel. Pressform has fabricated aluminium for Western Australian industry, builders and manufacturers for almost fifty years, making enclosures, frames, panels, screens, transport and machinery components, with every process on site and an estimating team that checks the temper before it checks the price.
Industrial and architectural aluminium fabrication in Perth
We fabricate aluminium for industry, buildings and manufacturers, not canopies, ute trays or boats. Perth has good specialists for those. If you need an enclosure, a frame, a screen, a machine component or a batch of welded aluminium parts made to a drawing, that is this workshop.
Aluminium is chosen for weight, corrosion resistance or appearance, and each brings its own fabrication rules. A 5083 frame for a marine environment, a 6061 machined mounting plate and a 5005 anodised architectural panel are all "aluminium fabrication", but the grade, the temper, the bend radius, the weld process and the finish are different for each. Pressform's metallurgist sets those parameters, which is why the workshop takes on the aluminium jobs that come back from elsewhere cracked or corroded.
Typical aluminium work: electrical and instrument enclosures; frames, skids and lightweight structures; panels, cladding support and feature screens; guards, covers and trays; transport, vehicle and machinery components; brackets, mounts and formed sections; pressed and punched aluminium parts in volume; and machined aluminium plates, blocks and fittings.
Part of our complete metal fabrication capability →
Aluminium grades we work in
| Grade | Typically used for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 5005 | Architectural panels, anodised finishes | Good anodising response; sheet work |
| 5052 | General sheet fabrication, enclosures, tanks | Formable, weldable, good corrosion resistance |
| 5083 | Marine and structural welded fabrication | Highest-strength weldable 5000-series; retains strength after welding |
| 6061 / 6082 | Machined parts, plates, extrusions, structural | Heat-treatable; loses strength in the weld zone, so design accordingly |
Tempers (O, H32, H116, T6 and so on) change how each grade bends, welds and machines; specify the temper with the grade or tell us the job and we will select it. Material is sourced to specification with certificates where required.
Send your drawing and gradeEvery aluminium process under one roof
Laser cutting
6 kW fibre laser cuts aluminium to 16 mm on a 3,000 × 1,500 mm table; fibre handles the reflectivity that CO₂ lasers cannot, and nitrogen assist gives a weld-ready edge. Laser cutting →
Punching and perforating
CNC turret press for aluminium screens, louvres, panels and enclosure blanks. CNC punching →
Pressing and stamping
Aluminium brackets, clips, cups and formed components on the 630-tonne press, with tooling clearances set for aluminium. Metal pressing →
Bending and rolling
Press brakes to 400 tonnes × 4,000 mm and CNC plate rolling; bend radius and grain direction checked on every drawing, spring-back allowed for in the program. Bending and plate rolling →
Welding
MIG for structural and thicker sections, TIG for thin, cosmetic and precision work, robotic MIG/TIG for repeat components; oxide removal and cleanliness controlled before every joint. Welding → Robotic welding →
Machining
CNC milling and turning of aluminium plates, blocks, housings and fittings; fast, clean and dimensionally stable. CNC machining →
Finishing
Mill, linished or brushed; anodising and powder coating arranged; painting on site.
Fibre laser cutting
Frame welding
Getting aluminium right
Most aluminium failures come from four things: a bend that cracked, a weld that is weaker than the drawing assumed, a temper that does not suit the process, or a steel bolt in an aluminium frame near the coast. Pressform's approach:
Grade and temper first
The metallurgist checks grade and temper against the process and the service on every aluminium quote. 6061-T6 specified for a welded frame is the mistake we see most. It welds, but the heat-affected zone drops to roughly half strength.
Forming allowances
Inside radius, grain direction and spring-back are checked before the blank is cut; hard tempers are annealed or re-specified where a tight bend is unavoidable.
Weld preparation
Oxide is removed and joints kept clean and dry; MIG or TIG chosen for the section; fixturing and sequence control distortion, and the robotic cell keeps repeat parts identical.
Galvanic isolation
Where aluminium meets steel or stainless, we specify isolation with coated fasteners, washers or barrier tape, so the joint does not corrode in service.
Finish protection
Anodised and powder-coated work is handled to avoid scratches and fingerprints that show after finishing.
Aluminium fabrication for industry, builders and manufacturers
Mining, industrial and process
Lightweight guards, covers, walkway components, instrument and electrical enclosures, corrosion-resistant frames.
Building and architectural
Feature screens, sunscreens, cladding support, balustrade infill, signage structures, anodised panels for architects and builders.
Transport and vehicles
Brackets, mounts, body hardware, machinery covers and formed sections.
Electrical and instrumentation
Enclosures, panels, chassis and heat-sink plates in 5052 and 6061.
Water, marine and coastal
5083 frames, supports and fittings for salt environments.
OEMs and manufacturers
Pressed, punched and robot-welded aluminium components on standing orders.
Aluminium fabrication for your project
One-off components
A machined 6061 plate, a folded 5052 cover, a modified bracket.
Fabricated assemblies
Enclosures, frames, screens and covers, welded, finished and inspected.
Production components
Pressed, punched and robot-welded aluminium parts in volume, on tooling and jigs built here.
Architectural work
Screens and panels laser cut and folded to the architect's drawing, anodised or powder coated.
Machined aluminium
Plates, blocks, housings and fittings from plate and bar.
How to get aluminium fabricated at Pressform
Send the drawing
DXF, DWG, STEP or PDF, with grade and temper, finish, quantity, and the service environment if the grade is not fixed.
We check the grade, temper and design
Weldability, bend radii, grain direction, finish and any isolation from other metals, all flagged before quoting.
We quote in writing
Material, every process, finishing and inspection. One price, one lead time.
We fabricate and finish
In Bassendean, inspect against the drawing, and deliver or hold for collection.
Why choose Pressform for aluminium fabrication in Perth
Fibre laser to 16 mm
Clean, weld-ready aluminium edges that CO₂ lasers cannot produce.
A metallurgist on staff
Grade, temper and weld-zone strength checked by someone who understands the alloy.
Every process on site
Laser, turret punching, 630-tonne pressing, 4,000 mm press brake, plate rolling, MIG, TIG and robotic welding, machining and finishing.
Production capability
Tooling and jigs built in-house for aluminium components in volume.
Industrial and architectural, not automotive accessories
Enclosures, frames, screens and components to drawing.
Almost 50 years in Perth
Established 1976, still in Bassendean.
Inspected before dispatch
Every job passes our quality management system.
Aluminium work from the shop floor
Folded aluminium enclosure
Laser-cut components, nested for production
Machined plate, turned to drawing
Frame welding
Faced and drilled on the lathe
Fibre laser cutting
Aluminium fabrication FAQs
Which aluminium grade should I specify?
For welded structural and marine work, 5083. For general sheet fabrication and enclosures, 5052. For machined parts and extrusions, 6061 or 6082, but note they lose strength where welded. For anodised architectural panels, 5005. If you are unsure, tell us the job and our metallurgist will recommend a grade and temper.
Do you make ute trays, canopies or boats?
No. Those are specialist products and Perth has good makers of them. We fabricate industrial, architectural and manufacturing aluminium: enclosures, frames, screens, panels, machinery and transport components, and production parts.
How thick can you laser cut aluminium?
Up to 16 mm on our 6 kW fibre laser, on a 3,000 × 1,500 mm table. Thicker sections are sawn or machined.
Can you weld aluminium?
Yes. MIG for structural and thicker work, TIG for thin and cosmetic work, and robotic MIG/TIG for repeat components. Joints are cleaned and de-oxidised before welding, and we will tell you if the grade you have specified will lose strength at the weld.
Why did my aluminium part crack when it was bent?
Usually a tight inside radius in a hard temper, or a bend across the grain. Aluminium needs a larger radius than steel, more again for 5083 and T6 tempers, and we check both on every drawing before cutting the blank.
Can you anodise or powder coat?
Anodising and powder coating are arranged through our finishing partners and included in the one quote; painting is done on site.
Can aluminium be bolted to steel?
Not directly in a corrosive environment, because the two metals form a galvanic couple and the aluminium corrodes. We specify isolation (coated fasteners, isolating washers or barrier tape) wherever aluminium meets steel or stainless.
Can you press or punch aluminium components?
Yes. Aluminium brackets, clips, cups and panels are pressed on the 630-tonne press and punched on the CNC turret with clearances set for aluminium.
Do you take small aluminium jobs?
Yes. A single folded cover or machined plate is quoted the same way as a batch.
What is the lead time?
Depends on grade availability, quantity, finishing and workload; confirmed in writing with every quote.
Where are you, and do you deliver?
23 Jackson Street, Bassendean WA 6054. Perth metro delivery on our own truck; freight arranged for regional WA and interstate.