Method of making a rolled aluminum product

Abstract

A method of making a rolled aluminum product comprises sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into at least two separate aluminum slabs and rolling at least one of the slabs unclad and unbrazed. In some embodiments, the ingot is sawn horizontally, across its face, as so that, the slabs are equal in length to the ingot. In some embodiments, at least one of the slabs is rolled to form a one of a plate, sheet or foil. The rolling can be hot rolling or cold rolling. Some embodiments further comprise scalping the aluminum ingot. In some embodiments, the sawing of the ingot eliminates or reduces the need to scalp the aluminum ingot and scalping is not performed. Some embodiments further comprise sawing curved edges off the aluminum slabs.

1 . A method comprising:
 sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into at least two separate aluminum slabs; and   rolling at least one of the slabs unclad and unbrazed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the rolling is at least one of hot rolling and cold rolling. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising scalping the aluminum ingot. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the two separate aluminum slabs have thicknesses that are approximately equal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into at least two separate aluminum slabs comprises sawing an aluminum ingot so that the ingot is separated into more than two separate aluminum slabs. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sawing is done with a horizontal saw. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sawing curved edges off the aluminum slabs 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 8  wherein after sawing the curved edges off the aluminum slabs the aluminum slabs have a substantially rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sawing or machining the edges at an angle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 10  wherein after sawing or machining the edges off the aluminum slab, the aluminum slabs have a substantially angular cross-section. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the slabs is rolled to form a one of a plate, sheet or foil. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ingot is sawn horizontally.