Blog · Specification
Aluminum coil widths: how to get your final width from 36 or 48 in
An aluminum coil is bought at mill width (36 or 48 in at Almexa, depending on the series) and is almost always slit afterward into strips of the final width. For a final width of 12 in, a 36 in coil gives 3 strips with 0 in scrap and a 48 in coil gives 4 strips with 0 in scrap: the yield is the same. Almexa makes up to 48 in in the 1000 and 3000 series and up to 36 in in the 5000 series, and delivers coil already slit to your width. Source: Almexa, September 2026.
"I need 5052 at 48 in" is the specification that has most often left a buyer without a nearby supplier, and it is almost never a need: it is a habit inherited from the previous supplier. This guide explains when width matters and when it doesn't.
Where coil width comes from
Maximum width is set by the mill stand: each mill has a table width. Almexa rolls up to 48 in (1,220 mm) in soft 1000 and 3000 series alloys, and up to 36 in (914 mm) in hard 5000 series alloys, with 5052 in development in 2026. Asian suppliers offer 48 in in 5052 because their mills are different, and the market got used to it.
What the buyer does with the coil
Almost no part uses 48 in of width. The stamper slits the coil into strips the width of its die; the profile maker slits it to the profile's flat width; the circle maker, to a multiple of the diameter. Coil width is a logistics figure; strip width is the production figure.
Strips and scrap: an example
| Final width | 36 in coil | 48 in coil |
|---|---|---|
| 11.8 in | 3 strips, scrap 0.55 in (1.5%) | 4 strips, scrap 0.8 in (1.6%) |
| 17.7 in | 2 strips, scrap 0.55 in (1.5%) | 2 strips, scrap 12.6 in (26%) |
| 23.6 in | 1 strip, scrap 12.4 in (34%) | 2 strips, scrap 0.8 in (1.6%) |
| 39.4 in | Doesn't fit | 1 strip, scrap 8.7 in (18%) |
Yield depends on the combination, not on the wider width. Sometimes the 36 in coil leaves less scrap than the 48 in coil for the same part. The site's slitting calculator builds this table with your numbers.
When width does matter
- When the part is wider than 36 in on its short side and is 5000 series: today Almexa doesn't make it, and says so.
- When your line only accepts one coil width by uncoiler design: coil can be delivered slit to that width.
- When the scrap of the best combination exceeds what you accept: the alloy is reviewed (sometimes a 3105 at 48 in meets the part).
Ordering coil already slit
Almexa delivers coil slit to your final width in strips, with a 16 or 20 in core. You save the slitting step and scrap stops being your problem: the quote is on the material you use.
How to specify
- Final strip width and tolerance.
- Thickness and tolerance.
- Alloy and temper, or the part.
- Core, maximum outside diameter and maximum coil weight your uncoiler accepts.
- Tons per month.
With that, the sales executive proposes the slitting plan with real scrap, and mill width stops being a barrier.
Frequently asked questions
Does Almexa make 5052 aluminum in 48 in width?
Today the 5000 series is made up to 36 in. For narrower final widths, the 36 in coil is slit into strips with a yield comparable to 48 in.
What is slitting scrap on an aluminum coil?
The leftover strip when coil width is not an exact multiple of strip width, plus the trimmed edges. Expressed in inches or as a percentage of width.
Does Almexa deliver coils slit to size?
Yes, in strips of your final width, with a 16 or 20 in core.
Leads Almexa Aluminio, Mexico's integrated flat-rolled aluminum mill. Writes about alloys, process, pricing and supply for industrial buyers in North America. LinkedIn