How do aluminum alloys compare to stainless steel in terms of strength and price?

How Do Aluminum Alloys Compare to Stainless Steel in Terms of Strength and Price?

Mechanical Strength Comparison

Stainless steel generally outperforms aluminum alloys in terms of tensile strength and yield strength. For example, Stainless Steel SUS304 has a tensile strength of approximately 520–750 MPa, while Aluminum 6061-T6 typically offers 310 MPa. High-strength stainless variants like SUS630 (17-4PH) can exceed 1,000 MPa, suitable for structural and load-bearing applications. In contrast, high-strength aluminum such as 7075-T6 can reach 570 MPa, but is still less resistant to wear and fatigue over time than stainless steel.

Weight and Strength-to-Weight Ratio

Despite lower absolute strength, aluminum alloys are roughly one-third the density of stainless steel. This gives aluminum a higher strength-to-weight ratio, making it ideal for weight-sensitive applications in aerospace, automotive, and robotics.

Price Comparison

Aluminum is generally more cost-effective both in raw material and machining. As of 2024 data:

• Aluminum 6061-T6: ~$2.5–3.0/kg

• Aluminum 7075-T6: ~$4.0–4.5/kg

• Stainless Steel 304: ~$5.0–6.0/kg

• Stainless Steel 17-4PH: ~$7.5–9.0/kg

Aluminum’s lower density also means less weight per part, reducing shipping costs and machining time due to easier material removal. It’s particularly economical for large-volume or high-speed CNC machining projects.

Application-Based Material Selection at Neway

Neway provides expert guidance on material selection for your application—balancing strength, corrosion resistance, and cost-efficiency. Whether you need lightweight aluminum components or high-strength stainless parts, we deliver custom CNC solutions with ±0.01mm precision across prototyping and full-scale production.

Explore related services:

• Aluminum CNC Machining Service

• Stainless Steel CNC Machining Service

• CNC Prototyping Service

• Precision Machining Service