A rainwater goods manufacturer in the United Kingdom placed a 25 ton order for 3105 aluminium strip in two profiles, 0.40 x 200 mm and 0.69 x 300 mm, to feed its downpipe and gutter forming lines. The material was supplied as precision slit coil, ready for roll forming without further processing at the customer's plant.
The buyer produces gutter, downpipe, fascia and rainwater accessories for roofing merchants and contractors across the United Kingdom. Its lines run continuously, so any variation in strip width or temper shows up immediately as edge cracking, die wear or rejected profile.
- Alloy 3105, the standard choice for British rainwater systems where the manganese addition gives better corrosion resistance and forming behaviour than 1050 or 1100.
- Two fixed profiles: 0.40 mm x 200 mm for downpipe sections and 0.69 mm x 300 mm for gutter body.
- Width tolerance tight enough for roll forming without edge trim, and no burr that could mark the forming rolls.
- Single shipment of 25 tons, mixed in one consignment to avoid a second customs entry into the UK.
| Alloy | 3105 |
| Temper | H24 |
| Profile 1 | 0.40 mm x 200 mm |
| Profile 2 | 0.69 mm x 300 mm |
| Total Quantity | 25 tons, mixed profiles |
| Width Tolerance | +/-0.10 mm, burr under 0.05 mm |
| Coil Inner Diameter | 508 mm |
| Coil Weight | 2.0 - 3.5 tons |
| Surface | Mill finish, both faces |
| Standards | ASTM B209, EN 573-1 |
The strip was cast on a continuous caster, cold rolled on a four-high mill and tension levelled before slitting, which keeps flatness within the tolerance the customer's roll former needs at line speed. Each coil was checked for thickness profile across the width, camber, edge burr and mechanical properties.
- Tensile strength 150-205 MPa with yield at 125 MPa minimum, giving the stiffness the gutter profile needs without cracking at the bend.
- Elongation controlled so that the strip forms cleanly through the first and second passes where the profile radius is tightest.
- Mill Test Certificate issued for every coil, with the heat number traceable to the casting batch.
The two profiles were eye-to-wall coiled on ISPM 15 heat-treated wooden pallets, wrapped in moisture-barrier film with edge protectors and steel banding, and loaded as one 40HQ shipment carrying 25 tons to a UK port. Production lead time was 21 days from order confirmation, with loading photographs and container and seal numbers sent before departure so the buyer could book inland haulage in advance.
- 25 tons delivered in a single shipment, both profiles in one container, one customs entry.
- No edge trim required at the customer's plant, because slit width held within +/-0.10 mm.
- Roll forming ran without a coil change for tooling adjustment, lowering line downtime in the first production run.
- The customer has since moved a second profile, fascia strip, onto the same supply arrangement.
3105 combines around 0.5 percent manganese with a controlled magnesium level, which lifts corrosion resistance and strength above commercially pure grades while keeping formability for roll forming. For gutter and downpipe exposed to British weather, that balance matters more than a marginal price difference on the coil: the profile has to hold its shape and resist atmospheric corrosion for the life of the building.
If you are forming gutter, downpipe, fascia or rainwater accessories, send us your profile drawing, alloy, thickness and monthly tonnage. We will return a specification and a quotation, and a free sample strip in your exact width so you can run it on your own line before committing to an order.