Aluminium Unistrut in the UK/Europe?

[sako243]

I've got a project I've been thinking about for the 6x6 in which one of the designs I'm considering uses unistrut to form a structure (allows bolting of things to it as a bonus as well) and then has some sheet to clad over the sides. To keep the weight down (and for other reasons) I'd rather do the whole thing in aluminium rather than steel.

Such a thing seems to be readily available in Australia (e.g. from Dunn and Watson amongst a whole lot of other sellers) but I've so far been unsuccessful in finding any I can source in this neck of the woods. I'm not the only person to have asked about it but those links no longer show anything:

B

Thread 'Aluminium Unistrut?'

Aug 29, 2021

The internet tells me that there is such a thing as Aluminium Unistrut (or equivalent). But that was only in an American video. I cant find a British supplier. Does any one know of a source?

• Brainsparks30
• Replies: 2
• forum: Tools, Materials and Techniques

So anyone know where some can be sourced? 40x40 T-slot extrusion is just plain overkill for this, unistrut suits the application very well but if it's not available I'll weigh up the pros/cons of doing the structure in steel unistrut and then clad over in ali or just thinner steel to keep it the same material.

 

[Dapph2]

Can you use counter sunk pop rivets counter sunk both sides and pressed in flat to the internal faces using these channels as back to back to get the uni-strut style using a simple drill drill press & separate riveting jig with a swing over the hole off centre roller pressure arm and over centre riveting device ?
If you have a CNC mill drilling precise spaced holes would be a doddle using a home made drop in the hole jig ???

https://www.metals4u.co.uk/materials/aluminium/aluminium-channel/att155x75x1-p

 

[sako243]

They're a bit smaller than the standard 41mm uni strut and probably not strong enough on their own.

I think I'd rather just use standard box over fabricating something with that. Or just use the steel ones. The box has benefit of being all Ali so can tig the sides to it. Steel unistrut has the benefit of being unistrut but then it's a toss up of Ali sheets and glued / riveted to it or just use thinner steel sheets to weld it onto the structure.

 

[Agroshield]

It does not help a lot, but the channel in this type of air conditioner foot is 40 x 20 aluminium.

Maybe you can find someone who manufactures the feet and see where the inserted channel comes from:

Large Rubber Support Foot 600mm (24")

www.greenmillac.com

 

[Dapph2]

Besca Aluminum Strut C Channel Galvanized Outdoor Building Supplies Strut Channel - Buy Strut Channel,Galvanized Bracket,Channel Support Product on Alibaba.com

Besca Aluminum Strut C Channel Galvanized Outdoor Building Supplies Strut Channel - Buy Strut Channel,Galvanized Bracket,Channel Support Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

Depends on how many your need . the aluminium channel ..looks interesting at first glance

 

[sako243]

Should clarify I'd rather have the deep (41x41 stuff). It's just a little annoying the aussies can walk into "Home Depot" and pick it up.

 

[Dapph2]

Ask Fizzy about his trailer strengthening struts he had bespoke made by an acquaintance for not a lot of money . Two back to back channels tigged every 400 mm or so might be the way forward.


I've just asked for the end dimensions of 3m of solar panel mounting extrusions from ScrewFix , two length for £79

 

[GRW]

Have you considered 45 x 45mm Aluminium Extrusions?

 

[sako243]

I did, massive overkill for what's needed and not as an elegant solution. The fixings also tend to be a bit dearer not that that's of major consequence but significantly more weight.

Not discounted though. The Ali unistrut would be the best if it's available. I think about 24m needed, potentially up to 100m if I make more.

 

[Shedendman]

Check out solar panel roof rails

Solar Panel Rails PV module mounting | Solar roof | 2.5m & 3.65m

Solar panel rails roof mounting attach in portrait or landscape orientations, these are easy to handle 2.5m & 3.65m lengths.

www.dragonsbreathsolar.co.uk

 

[sako243]

Check out solar panel roof rails

Solar Panel Rails PV module mounting | Solar roof | 2.5m & 3.65m

Solar panel rails roof mounting attach in portrait or landscape orientations, these are easy to handle 2.5m & 3.65m lengths.

www.dragonsbreathsolar.co.uk

Getting much closer, I had considered them but not been successful like that link. They're local to me to which is a big bonus!

 

[Shedendman]

Getting much closer, I had considered them but not been successful like that link. They're local to me to which is a big bonus!

I'm considering the same stuff myself for a roof rack for the van,i did make some roof rails out of similar stuff few years back that was 45x45 with slots on all 4 faces ali to very light but bloody strong

 

[Agroshield]

Getting much closer

If you did not want the parts projecting from the underside, to make it look like normal unistrut, running through a table saw would trim it.

 

[sako243]

I had considered it, for this project it possibly doesn't matter, I'd need a proper CAD drawing to make sure. For the most part they're irrelevant (particularly the speedy one which is just a big flange on the back) but it's just where it joins to the roof.

Since we haven't gone off topic the project is for what the Aussies call a dog box / ute canopy for the 6x6 to gain some useful storage that's easily removable.

There's an engineer on YouTube who's done a very well thought out canopy for his 40 series which is where the inspiration came from.

The unistrut formed the structure and then then some folded ali sheets covered it over. He orientated the unistrut cleverly so that it provided fixings to the bed as well as internal fixings within the structure without having to sacrifice any height or space. It's also the first box I've seen built where the door seals are on the door not the main box meaning you're not dragging stuff over them the whole time.

With a 1m wide canopy I still have about 5ft of useful bed storage (more than most pickups). The idea for this one would probably just be some drawers down the bottom and then adjustable shelves higher up. That's where the uni strut comes into it's own.

I think of the alternatives I'd probably use some 40x40x2 box or similar and plasma out a channel so that perhaps unistrut fixings can drop into place. Keeping it all the same material allows me to glue and weld the covers to the frame rather than glue and rivets.

Steel makes things a bit heavier (but I could drop the gauge of the sheets) and would also want galving ideally although pregalved unistrut and zintec sheet with zinc spray would probably get most of it covered. Although the steel vs. Ali unistrut is the same thickness so the frame would simply be 65% heavier. I doubt dropping from 2mm to 1.5 sheets would save enough to compensate.

Now hopefully it can be seen that the ali unistrut is an ideal part all things considered. Others are all possibilities but need compromise in one way or another. I think as it stands the frame, skin, floor and doors come in under 80kg for a 1m wide box. All steel would be over double that.

 

[sako243]

And then messing about last night for our camping trips...

We have a big yellow box but it sticks quite a long way above the cab and the engineer in me wants a more elegant solution.

Uploading the DXFs to Fractory last night for the sheet material to be laser cut, deburred and cnc folded totalled about £560 out of 2mm 1050 which is a pretty damn good price (although just realised I forgot the doors).

 

[GRW]

I like the idea of a kind of "Transformer" interchangeable body for different tasks.
To me it suits the overall utilitarian, functional, practical workhouse nature of the vehicle.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Have you thought about "light duty" 1.5mm channel ? This is what I intend using to make a back body for my Transcat

 

[Milkybars]

Australia are seriously into Aluminium. I had to purchase some architectural aluminium material, the only supplier was Australia (with uk distributor) or risk china with no come back.

 

[Robotstar5]

I thought this was a neat storage solution I saw a few years ago, can be pulled out from either side.