MODERN USES OF THE METAL ALUMINIUM 621 



collectors on electric railways, fuses, lamp fittings, meter cases, 

 lightning interrupters, etc., for all of which purposes aluminium 

 is now in use to some extent. 



In conclusion, it may be said that the very large develop- 

 ment which is taking place in the introduction of aluminium 

 for electrical work represents no mean achievement. Unlike 

 some of the industries which will be considered later, the 

 electrical industry was quite satisfied with copper and did not 

 realise that the advantages which have been enumerated were 

 attainable. It has been led to appreciate them by enlightened 

 propaganda which benefited both the industries concerned. 



Transport Vehicles 



The rapidly growing use of aluminium in the construction of 

 vehicles is based on several distinctive properties of the metal 

 and its alloys. Before dwelling on these, it will be well to 

 enumerate the actual uses to which the metal is being put. 

 The principal users are the motor-car builders, who have 

 applied the metal to making panels and mouldings of carriage 

 work, in the construction of the jackets and crank cases of the 

 engine and for the gear-box and other casings of the trans- 

 mission mechanism. Far less general at present is the use of 

 aluminium in railway coach building, in which it is only used 

 for panelling and in still rarer cases for door handles and 

 similar minor fittings. In the case of aerial vehicles, aluminium 

 is used in constructing seats, shields, instrument cases and, 

 in fact, wherever lightness without strength is required. For- 

 merly, aluminium was used in making the joints between 

 members of the frame but this use of aluminium seems to be 

 dying out ; the classic cases of the Zeppelin airships and the 

 Barrow airship represent isolated instances of abortive attempts 

 to use aluminium and its alloys for constructional purposes in 

 aerial work. 



From the above it will be seen that aluminium is used either 

 as sheet metal or in the form of castings. 



Aluminium sheet was originally used for panels on account 

 of its lightness. To-day a more important property of the 

 metal is its extraordinary malleability, by reason of which 

 panels of complicated shapes may be beaten out from it more 

 cheaply than from thin sheet steel, unless a large number of 



