Aluminum baseball bats are not allowed in Major League Baseball but have been legal in NCAA competition since 1974. Aluminum bats are typically made from an alloy consisting of different elements. Although the alloy does not undergo major changes as new bat technology is developed, a new way to extrude the alloy may be employed to help make the bat more durable.
Background
The metal bat made its first appearance in a baseball game in 1970. This bat was made of aluminum. A few years later, Easton entered the aluminum bat market and made its bats with a stronger aluminum that increased the bats' popularity. Easton created the lightest bat it ever developed in 1995.
Alloys
The 7050 alloy was the most widely used alloy to produce aluminum bats before 1996. This alloy consists of aluminum, zinc, magnesium and copper. ALCOA, which produced 7050, also developed an alloy called C405 Ultra. This alloy is more than 35 percent stronger than 7046, the name given to standard aircraft aluminum. Kaiser is another company that supplies aluminum for baseball bats. It makes an alloy called Sc777 that is supposedly 50 percent stronger than the C405.
Production
H & B Co. makes many high-end aluminum bats. The company's bat-making process is highly sophisticated. It buys tube-shaped aluminum with a 2- to 3-inch diameter. The tubing goes through a process called ironing where it is put through a die using hydraulic pressure. Then, it goes through swaging. This process involves two dies rotating around the tube at over 800 RPM to cut down its diameter. After this, the lubricants used during swaging are removed in order to heat the tube. The tube is heated to 900 degrees Fahrenheit to help the solubility of the elements within the alloy. Next, the tube is placed in water and is once again heated to help the elements become harder. After this, the bat has a cap placed on the end and is polished. Lastly, the bat undergoes a silk-screening to mark the bat.
Trampoline Effect
A ball strikes a wooden bat differently from an aluminum bat. When a ball hits a wooden bat, it actually compresses and loses energy because of the materials inside the wood. When a ball hits an aluminum bat, which is hollow, the bat's barrel compresses and stores energy. This energy is then transferred to the ball.
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