Full definition
A pulley manufactured from cast aluminum alloy (A356, 6061) or CNC-machined from aluminum bar stock, offering approximately one-third the weight of an equivalent cast iron pulley. Lower rotational inertia allows faster acceleration and deceleration, ideal for servo and stepper motor applications. Excellent thermal conductivity (150-200 W/m·K vs 50 W/m·K for iron) improves heat dissipation from belt friction. Suitable for high-speed applications where centrifugal stresses are a concern. Hard-anodizing (Type III, 50-75 μm) significantly improves groove wear resistance. Limitations: lower strength than steel (yield ~275 MPa for 6061-T6), not suitable for heavy shock loads or large diameters. Common in packaging machinery, printing, food processing (corrosion resistance), robotics, and timing belt drives. Max peripheral speed up to 40 m/s. CNC-machined timing pulleys in aluminum are the industry standard for profiles 3M through 14M.