What are the advantages and disadvantages of aluminium reflectors?
Aluminium reflectors are lightweight and therefore advantageous in installation and handling. In daily operation the gearing and the mechanics are prevented from damages by the low weight. Aluminium reflectors are considerably less sensitive to impact as glass mirrors are. Severe shocks may cause bumps or dents but there will be no cracks or even broken fragments. The reflexion efficiency is high: more than 90 %! It is of some disadvantage that the cutting edges of the aluminium can subsequently corrode. We must point out that this corrosion appears only temporarily. This aluminium corrosion is some kind of ‘natural anodising’. As soon as the anodic coating is thick enough (1 to 2 mm) the process dies down and the anodic coating builds a natural protective layer. You may recognize this anodic coating from a light grey area, which starts from the cutting edge and which forms a small frame around the mirror.
