55HX is an anodizing quality aluminium sheet made for architectural work. It is based on EN AW-5005A and normally supplied in H14 temper. We stock it in the UAE both ready anodized and in mill finish, in our warehouses in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
Anodizing hides nothing. Whatever is in the metal comes through in the finish, and by the time you can see it the panel has been cut, folded and delivered. 55HX is rolled to anodize cleanly, without the streaking that shows up on ordinary sheet, and the mill guarantees colour and gloss uniformity from one production batch to the next. Panels rolled months apart still match on the wall.
Flatness is good and the sheet bends and forms well, which matters when the same material has to go through a press brake before it is finished. Once anodized, the surface stands up to weather, corrosion, UV and scratching, and it still reads as metal rather than paint. The colour is created inside the anodic layer during the process, so there is no coating to peel or chip off later.
Almost any aluminium alloy will take an anodic coating, and plenty of mills sell sheet described as AQ. Most of it is intended for technical anodizing, where the layer is there for corrosion resistance and hardness and nobody is judging the colour. That is a different job from the one a facade has to do. For decorative and architectural anodizing, where surface finish and colour uniformity are what the client is actually paying for, 55HX is best in class.
Alloy 5005 is the usual choice for anodized architectural work, flashings and curtain walls. The alloy number on its own tells you very little about how a sheet will look coming out of the bath. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the surface of the metal into a decorative, durable, corrosion resistant anodic oxide finish, and the result depends on how the sheet was made in the first place.
Run a not fit for purpose alloy through it, 3003 or 3105, or even a non-AQ 5005, and the finish comes back with structural streaks, cloudiness, blemishes and obvious colour variation between sheets. The photograph at the top of this page shows both: the same alloy, 5005, anodizing quality on one side and ordinary on the other. None of it can be corrected afterwards.
We stock 55HX both ways, because projects buy it both ways.
Ready anodized sheets arrive finished from the factory. Factory anodizing holds extremely low delta E values, which is what keeps a large elevation looking like one material instead of several separate deliveries. On colour critical work this is the safer route.
Mill finish sheets suit customers who want the material batch anodized locally, often because the parts are being fabricated first or a particular colour is being matched. If you buy in mill finish, we strongly recommend having the work done by a Qualanod certified batch anodizer. The sheet only does half the job. The rest of it is the bath the sheet goes into, and a good alloy will not rescue a poor anodizing line.
We hold 55HX ex-stock in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Every anodizing quality 5005 sheet we stock is 55HX, so the sizes below are the same stock as the anodizing quality table on our alloy 5005 page. That page also lists standard non AQ 5005-H14, which is a different product and is not 55HX.
We provide mill test certificates as per EN standards with all our deliveries if requested.
| Aluminium Sheet Thickness (mm) | Size 1250mm x 2500mm | Size 1500mm x 3000mm | Size 1500mm x 4000mm | Size 2000mm x 4000mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | ✓ | |||
| 2.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 3.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 4.0 | ✓ |
Cutting, punching, perforating and folding can be done either before anodizing or after it. We have supplied projects with both sequences, and which one suits comes down to the requirements of the job, so tell us what you are planning and we will supply to match. Our laser cutting and sheet metal bending services fit either route.
55HX sits in the 5005 family, our usual architectural and decorative alloy for anodized work. See plain aluminium sheets and plates for the full range of alloys, sizes and tempers we hold in the UAE.
Tell us the size, thickness and quantity you need, and whether you want the sheets ready anodized or in mill finish, and we will quote you.
With multiple warehouse locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Sharjah, we ensure speedy deliveries to our customers all across the uae
