O (annealed)
Softest and most conductive. Choose for edgewise bends, twisted bars, flexible laminated busbars and tight forming.
Electrical conductor guide
1060 Electrical Aluminium Busbar
1060 busbar is 99.6 % pure aluminium flat or shaped bar with a conductivity of about 61 – 62 % IACS. For the same resistance it needs about 1.6 times the cross-section of copper but weighs about half as much, which is why it is used in switchgear, panel boards, transformers, battery systems and rectifiers. This guide covers properties, tempers, sizes, tolerances and fabrication.
- Purity
- ≥ 99.60 % Al
- Conductivity
- ≈ 61 – 62 % IACS
- Tempers
- O · H112 · H14
- Sizes
- about 2 – 40 × 10 – 200 mm
Why choose 1060 aluminium for busbars?
A busbar is a rigid conductor that distributes current inside electrical equipment. Its two key properties are conductivity, which sets losses and temperature rise, and mechanical behaviour, which decides how easily it can be bent, punched and bolted.
1060 is one of the purest common wrought aluminium grades. With iron, silicon and other elements held to low limits, it reaches about 61 – 62 % of the conductivity of annealed copper. That is higher than the heat-treatable busbar alloys 6101 (about 55 – 57 % IACS) and 6063 (about 52 – 53 %), and roughly equal to the electrical-conductor grade 1350.
The comparison with copper drives most busbar decisions. Copper's resistivity is about 0.0172 Ω·mm²/m, and 1060's about 0.0282, so an aluminium bar needs about 1.64 times the cross-section for the same resistance. Because aluminium's density is less than a third of copper's (2.70 against 8.9 g/cm³), that larger aluminium bar still weighs only about half as much, and usually costs much less.
1060 chemical composition (wt %)
| Element | Maximum | Effect on conductivity |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon (Si) | 0.25 | Moderate reduction in solid solution |
| Iron (Fe) | 0.35 | Small effect; mostly present as particles |
| Copper (Cu) | 0.05 | Reduces conductivity |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.03 | Strong reduction, so held very low |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 0.03 | Reduces conductivity |
| Zinc (Zn) | 0.05 | Small effect |
| Titanium (Ti) | 0.03 | Strong reduction |
| Vanadium (V) | 0.05 | Strong reduction |
| Others, each | 0.03 | |
| Aluminium (Al) | ≥ 99.60 |
Aluminum Association registered limits; EN AW-1060 in EN 573-3 is equivalent.
Physical, electrical and mechanical properties
Physical and electrical (typical)
- Density
- 2.705 g/cm³
- Melting range
- 646 – 657 °C
- Electrical conductivity
- ≈ 62 % IACS (O), ≈ 61 % (H14)
- Resistivity at 20 °C
- ≈ 0.0278 – 0.0283 Ω·mm²/m
- Temperature coefficient of resistance
- ≈ 0.0040 /°C
- Thermal conductivity
- ≈ 234 W/m·K
- Specific heat
- ≈ 0.90 J/g·°C
- Thermal expansion
- 23.6 × 10⁻⁶ /°C
- Elastic modulus
- 69 GPa
| Temper | Tensile | Yield | Elongation |
|---|---|---|---|
| O | ≈ 60 – 95 MPa | ≈ 20 – 30 MPa | ≈ 25 – 40 % |
| H112 | ≈ 70 – 100 MPa | ≈ 35 MPa | ≈ 20 % |
| H14 | ≈ 95 – 130 MPa | ≈ 75 – 90 MPa | ≈ 5 – 10 % |
| H18 | ≈ 125 – 140 MPa | ≈ 110 – 125 MPa | ≈ 3 – 6 % |
Typical values compiled from Aluminum Association and ASM data and EN 755-2 / EN 485-2 ranges. 1060 is not heat-treatable, so T-tempers do not apply; strength comes only from cold work.
Choosing a temper
H112
As-extruded or as-rolled with slight cold work. The common general-purpose busbar condition: bends flatwise easily, punches cleanly.
H14 / H18
Cold-worked for stiffness. Use for long straight runs, bars that must resist short-circuit forces and parts that should not deform when bolted.
Bend radii depend on temper and thickness. As a starting point, flatwise bends of about 1 × thickness work for O and H112 bars up to roughly 12 mm thick, and about 2 × thickness for thicker bars; edgewise bends and hard tempers need larger radii. Always trial-bend the first bars.
Sizes, weight and resistance
Typical supply range
- Thickness
- About 2 – 40 mm (thin strip down to 0.15 mm for windings and laminated bars)
- Width
- About 10 – 200 mm
- Length
- Standard lengths up to about 6 m; coils for thin strip
- Edges
- Square, radiused or fully rounded edges to reduce field stress
- Forms
- Extruded flat bar, rolled-and-slit bar, round and square bar, profiles
- Standards
- IEC 60105, EN 755-2 / EN 755-5 or national equivalents
| Thickness × width (mm) | Area (mm²) | Weight (kg/m) | DC resistance at 20 °C (µΩ/m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 30 | 90 | 0.24 | 313.3 |
| 5 × 50 | 250 | 0.68 | 112.8 |
| 6 × 60 | 360 | 0.97 | 78.3 |
| 8 × 80 | 640 | 1.73 | 44.1 |
| 10 × 100 | 1000 | 2.71 | 28.2 |
| 10 × 120 | 1200 | 3.25 | 23.5 |
| 12 × 120 | 1440 | 3.90 | 19.6 |
| 15 × 150 | 2250 | 6.09 | 12.5 |
| 20 × 120 | 2400 | 6.49 | 11.8 |
Calculated for square-edged bars with ρ = 0.0282 Ω·mm²/m. Radiused edges reduce area slightly. Current rating depends on arrangement, ventilation, permitted temperature rise and frequency; use your switchgear standard or bus design method, not resistance alone.
Dimensional tolerances
Extruded busbar is normally supplied to EN 755-5 (tolerances for rectangular bar) or the equivalent ANSI H35.2 tables. Typical values for flat bar are:
| Dimension | Range | Typical tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| Width | up to 35 mm | ± 0.4 mm |
| Width | 35 – 100 mm | ± 0.6 – 0.8 mm |
| Width | over 100 mm | ± 1.0 – 1.2 mm |
| Thickness | up to 6 mm | ± 0.15 mm |
| Thickness | 6 – 12.5 mm | ± 0.20 mm |
| Thickness | over 12.5 mm | ± 0.30 mm |
Indicative values; the exact tolerance depends on the standard, the width-to-thickness ratio and whether the bar is extruded or rolled and slit.
Fabrication, plating and joints
Punching and drilling
Pure aluminium punches cleanly; keep tools sharp to avoid burrs that raise contact resistance.
Bolted joints
Use Belleville washers or other spring washers to keep pressure as aluminium creeps and expands. Clean the contact faces and apply a jointing compound.
Plating
Tin is the common choice for contact areas; silver for high-performance joints; nickel for heat and corrosion resistance.
Copper connections
Use bimetallic plates or tin plating where aluminium meets copper to prevent galvanic corrosion.
Insulation
Epoxy powder coating, heat-shrink sleeving or PVC tubing along the bar, leaving joint areas bare.
Welding
TIG or MIG with 1100 or 4043 filler for permanent joints, or friction stir and ultrasonic welding for battery connections.
Applications of 1060 busbar
- Power distribution: switchgear, panel boards, bus ducts and motor control centres
- Energy storage and renewables: battery energy storage systems, UPS, solar inverters and wind converters
- Transport: EV battery packs, charging equipment, rail traction and metro substations
- Industrial DC: rectifiers, electrolysis and electroplating lines
- Transformers and reactors: leads, connections and strip windings
References and standards
- IEC 60105 – Recommendation for commercial-purity aluminium busbar material
- EN 755-2 – Extruded rod/bar, tube and profiles: mechanical properties
- EN 755-5 – Extruded rectangular bars: tolerances on dimensions and form
- EN 573-3 – Chemical composition and form of wrought products
- The Aluminum Association – Aluminum Electrical Conductor Handbook
1060 aluminium (aluminum) busbar: FAQ
What is the conductivity of 1060 aluminium busbar?
About 62 % IACS when annealed and about 61 % in H14, a resistivity of roughly 0.028 Ω·mm²/m at 20 °C.
How much bigger must an aluminium busbar be than a copper one?
About 1.6 times the cross-section for the same DC resistance. In practice ratings also depend on surface area and cooling, so aluminium bars are often made wider rather than thicker.
Is 1060 or 6101 better for busbars?
1060 conducts better (about 61 – 62 % against 55 – 57 % IACS) and bends more easily. 6101-T6 is much stronger, so it is chosen for long unsupported runs and where short-circuit forces are high.
Can 1060 busbar be heat-treated to T6?
No. 1060 is not heat-treatable; it is supplied annealed (O), as-fabricated (H112) or cold-worked (H14, H18).
Do you supply plated or insulated busbars?
Yes. Metline can supply 1060 busbar cut, punched, bent, tin-, silver- or nickel-plated and insulated to your drawing, with mill test certificates.
Need 1060 busbar for your equipment?
Send the section, temper, length, quantity and processing. We will confirm availability and a delivered price.
