PG45 180 x 90 mm Twelve Slot Aluminium Strut Profile Heavy Duty Column

OEM / ODM Available Free Sample Available ISO 9001:2015, EN 755-9, RoHS and REACH declarations

A 180 x 90 mm twelve slot PG45 aluminium strut profile at about 9.50 kg/m with M10 hardware. As a column it is limited by buckling about the weak axis; as a beam it bends about the strong axis.

Wholesale Price Quoted per metre against section, finish and quantity per per metre

Material	Aluminium
Alloy Grade	6063-T5
Temper	T5
Section Size	180 x 90 mm
Slot	12 x 10 mm groove (45 series), M10 hardware
Length	6 m stock, cut to drawing to +/-0.5 mm
Tolerance	EN 755-9 / GB/T 6892, wall +/-0.15 mm
Surface	Mill finish / clear anodised / black anodised
MOQ	150 m
Lead Time	Typically 22 to 32 days after deposit for mill finish
Loading Port	Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao
Supply Ability	Extrusion, cutting, machining and anodising in house
Payment Terms	T/T 30 per cent deposit, balance against copy of bill of lading; L/C at sight for larger orders
Trade Terms	FOB, CIF, CFR, EXW
Certifications	ISO 9001:2015, EN 755-9, RoHS and REACH declarations

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The 180 x 90 mm twelve slot section. Twelve 10 mm grooves on the 45 mm module, taking M10 hardware rather than the M8 of the 40 series.

01What is the 180 x 90 mm twelve slot profile?

What is it for?

The heavy end of the 45 series: machine gantry uprights and beams, press columns, large enclosure posts, and structures that need both a heavy section and M10 hardware. At about 9.50 kg/m a 6 m bar weighs roughly 57 kg, so it is a lifting job, not a carrying job.

Why does it take M10?

Because the 45 series groove is 10 mm against the 8 mm of the 40 series, and the section is big enough that M8 would be the limiting part. M10 gives a meaningfully higher clamping force and a bigger bolt shank in shear, which is what a joint on a 9.50 kg/m member needs.

What decides how it should be oriented?

Whether it is a column or a beam. As a beam it goes on edge, 180 mm deep, and bends about its strong axis. As a column it stands upright and is limited by buckling about its weak axis. Those two numbers are very different, and they are the whole design decision.

02Section data

Item	Value	Note
Envelope	180 x 90 mm	heavy rectangular section
Slots	12	10 mm groove, 45 series
Slot pitch	45 mm	the 45 series module
Fastener	M10	45 series slot nuts
Second moment, strong axis	approx. 1,477 cm4	180 mm deep
Second moment, weak axis	approx. 486 cm4	90 mm deep
Section modulus, strong axis	approx. 164 cm3	governs beam capacity
Section modulus, weak axis	approx. 108 cm3	governs column eccentricity
Cross-section area	approx. 3,519 mm2	from the published weight
Weight	approx. 9.50 kg/m	a 6 m bar is about 57 kg
Alloy	6063-T5	EN AW-6063
Length	6 m stock	cut to drawing to +/-0.5 mm

The two second moments differ by a factor of about three, but the two section moduli differ by only about 1.5. That is because rotating the section changes the depth as well as the distribution, and the modulus is measured against the depth. Keep the two straight: stiffness is one number, strength is another.

03As a beam: on edge, 180 mm deep

Used as a beam the member goes on edge so the 180 mm dimension is vertical. The strong axis second moment is around 1,477 cm4 and the section modulus about 164 cm3.

Against a conservative allowable stress for 6063-T5 with a safety factor of three, that gives a working bending moment in the region of 5,400 N.m. On a simply supported member carrying a uniform load, the working figures below follow.

Span	Working uniform load	Comment
1.5 m	about 1,960 kg/m	well inside the section’s capability
2.0 m	about 1,100 kg/m	a normal working span for a gantry beam
3.0 m	about 490 kg/m	usable, deflection becomes the check
4.0 m	about 275 kg/m	deflection governs, check it against your limit
5.0 m and above	not recommended as a beam	step up or add a stay

Those figures are approximate and are for bending about the strong axis with the load on the centreline. An off-centre load on a beam this wide also twists it, and twist is usually the governing case before bending is. Send the span, the load and its offset and we will run it against the die drawing.

04As a column: upright, and limited by the weak axis

Used as a column the calculation changes completely. A column does not fail by yielding; it fails by buckling, and it buckles about its weakest axis regardless of which way you face the wide side.

The weak axis second moment here is about 486 cm4. The Euler buckling load falls with the square of the length, so a short column is limited by the material and a long column is limited by its own slenderness.

For this section the crossover sits at roughly 5 m. Below that, the working axial load is governed by the material, at around 129 kN with a safety factor of three on yield. Above it, buckling takes over and the capacity falls away quickly.

Column length	Governing case	Working axial load
2 m	material, yield	about 129 kN
3 m	material, yield	about 129 kN
4 m	material, yield	about 129 kN
5 m	crossover	about 130 kN, buckling now governs
6 m	buckling about the weak axis	about 93 kN
Above 6 m	buckling	falls with the square of the length

Two things follow. Short columns are enormously strong and a 180 x 90 member used as a 2 m upright has far more capacity than most frames will ever ask of it. And length is what kills a column: doubling the length quarters the buckling capacity, which is why a tall gantry upright needs a mid-height brace far more than it needs a bigger section.

The practical rule: if the upright is over about 4 m, plan a mid-height restraint tied back to the frame. It is cheaper than stepping up a section and it raises the capacity by roughly four times.

05Column or beam: settling it

Use it as a column

The member stands upright and carries compression
It is part of a portal or gantry upright
It is restrained at the top and bottom by the frame
Length is under about 4 m, or there is a mid-height restraint
The load is axial, or close to it
Buckling about the weak axis is the check to do

Use it as a beam

The member runs horizontally and carries bending
It is a gantry cross beam or a press beam
It is simply supported at both ends
The span is under about 3 m
The load is on or near the centreline
Bending about the strong axis, plus a twist check

The awkward case is a member that does both: a gantry upright that also carries a bracket, or a beam with an axial load from a brace. Then you check both and the combination usually governs. Send the arrangement and we will run it.

06Why M10 matters on a section this size

Aspect	M8, 40 series	M10, 45 series
Nominal diameter	8 mm	10 mm
Typical working torque	about 15 to 20 N.m	about 30 to 40 N.m
Relative clamping force	1x	roughly 1.8x
Shank area in shear	50 mm2	78 mm2
Where it is used	40 series frames up to 80 x 80	45 series heavy members like this one

The point of the table is not that M10 is bigger. It is that a joint on a 9.50 kg/m member is carrying real load, and the fixing has to be sized for the member rather than for the convenience of a shared accessory bin. Mixing 40 series brackets onto a 45 series heavy member is the classic way a gantry joint gets under-built.

Torque figures are approximate and are for a steel nut against clean aluminium lips. Take the final figure from the nut supplier and verify it on a sample joint.

07Failure modes to design out

What goes wrong	Why it happens	Design it out by
Tall upright bows sideways	buckling about the weak axis, not lack of strength	add a mid-height restraint tied back to the frame
Beam twists under an off-centre load	the load sits outside the outermost groove	keep loads inboard, or add a stay
Joint works loose	40 series M8 brackets were used on a 45 series heavy member	use M10 45 series hardware throughout
Bar arrives with a set in it	it was lifted at one point: a 6 m bar is about 57 kg	lift at two points, store flat on continuous bearers
Slot lips deform	an M10 was tightened to a steel figure in aluminium lips	torque to the aluminium figure and verify on a sample joint

08What to check before you order

Procurement checklist for the 180 x 90 mm twelve slot section

Confirm the series: 45 series is a 10 mm groove on a 45 mm pitch with M10 hardware.
Confirm whether the member is a column or a beam, and its length or span.
Confirm whether a mid-height restraint is needed for an upright over about 4 m.
Confirm the handling plan: a 6 m bar is about 57 kg and needs lifting gear.
Confirm the hardware is 45 series M10, not 40 series M8.
Confirm the cut list with end machining and any hole pattern.
Confirm the finish and the quantity in metres.

09Terms used on this page

Buckling: The sudden sideways failure of a slender member in compression. It is governed by stiffness and length, not by strength.
Slenderness: Effective length divided by the radius of gyration. It sets how close a column is to its Euler buckling load.
Mid-height restraint: A brace partway up a column that halves its effective length and roughly quadruples its buckling capacity.
Strong axis: The axis about which a section has its larger second moment of area. Beams bend about it.
Weak axis: The axis about which a section has its smaller second moment. Columns buckle about it.
Clamping force: The compressive force a tightened bolt puts across a joint. It sets how much load the joint can transfer by friction.

10Questions buyers ask

Can it be used both as a column and as a beam?

Yes, and that is what makes it useful, but the capacities are very different. As a 2 m beam on edge the working uniform load is around 1,100 kg per metre; as a 2 m column the working axial load is about 129 kN.

What is the weight per metre?

Approximately 9.50 kg/m, so a 6 m stock length is about 57 kg and needs lifting gear.

Why M10 and not M8?

The 45 series groove is 10 mm and the section is heavy. M10 gives roughly 1.8 times the clamping force of M8 and a larger shank in shear, which is what a joint on this member needs.

How tall can an upright be?

Up to about 4 m without a mid-height restraint. Above that, plan a restraint: buckling capacity falls with the square of the length.

Is 45 series compatible with 40 series?

No. The mouth is 10 mm against 8 mm and the pitch is 45 mm against 40 mm, so the slot nuts and brackets do not interchange.

Can it be supplied cut and machined?

Yes. Send the cut list with the end machining and any hole pattern and the lengths arrive ready to assemble.

What we need to quote this section

The section reference and the series, stated explicitly.
Whether the member is a column or a beam.
The length or span, and whether a mid-height restraint is part of the design.
The load, and where it sits relative to the centreline.
The cut list with end machining and any hole pattern.
The finish and the quantity in metres.

Quotations are broken out into extrusion, cutting, machining, finish and hardware, so you can see which step is driving the cost on a heavy member. Browse the full aluminium profile catalogue and the 45 series aluminium profiles range for related sections.

Designing a gantry with 45 series heavy members?

Send the arrangement, the loads and the lengths. We will confirm column against beam capacity and whether a restraint is needed.

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