{"id":136,"date":"2007-10-23T16:47:22","date_gmt":"2007-10-23T09:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/?p=136"},"modified":"2011-12-29T12:17:43","modified_gmt":"2011-12-29T19:17:43","slug":"guide-for-aluminum-welding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide for Aluminum Welding"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mr_social_sharing_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Social Sharing Toolkit v2.2 --><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fguide-for-aluminum-welding%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.lincolnelectric.com%2Fgraphics%2Fglobal%2Fspacer.gif&amp;description=Guide+for+Aluminum+Welding\" class=\"pin-it-button\" count-layout=\"none\" rel=\"lightbox[136]\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/PinExt.png\" title=\"Pin It\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><fb:share-button type=\"button_count\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\"><\/fb:share-button><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"horizontal\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\" data-via=\"myrideisme\" data-text=\"Guide for Aluminum Welding\"><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-size=\"medium\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\"><\/div><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a class=\"mr_social_share_email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Guide for Aluminum Welding&amp;body=https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-sharing-toolkit\/images\/icons_small\/email.png\" class=\"nopin\" alt=\"Email\" title=\"Email\"\/><span class=\"mr_small_icon\">Email<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"linksalpha_button linksalpha_link\" href=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/social\/mobile\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\" data-text=\"Guide for Aluminum Welding\" data-desc=\"From Lincoln Electric A Guide to Aluminum Welding Reprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine. Equipment Selection, Material Prep, Welding Technique... A Guide to Aluminum Welding Reprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine. Follow the rules of thumb offered here\" data-image=\"http:\/\/content.lincolnelectric.com\/graphics\/global\/spacer.gif\" data-button=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/images\/social_share_button.png\" alt=\"Share\" class=\"linksalpha_image\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/scripts\/loader_iconbox.js?v=2.4\"><\/script><\/span><\/div><p>From <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lincolnelectric.com\" target=\"_blank\">Lincoln Electric<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"header\">A Guide to Aluminum Welding<\/span><br \/>\nReprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\">\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#990000\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/content.lincolnelectric.com\/graphics\/global\/spacer.gif\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Equipment                            Selection, Material Prep, Welding Technique&#8230;<br \/>\nA Guide to Aluminum Welding<\/strong><br \/>\nReprinted courtesy of <em>Welding Design                            and Fabrication<\/em> magazine.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/content.lincolnelectric.com\/graphics\/knowledge\/articles\/content\/alumman.gif\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\" height=\"224\" hspace=\"0\" width=\"151\" \/> Follow the rules of thumb offered                              here for selecting welding equipment, preparing base                              materials, applying proper technique, and visually                              inspecting weldments to ensure high-quality gas-metal-and                              gas tungsten-arc welds on aluminum alloys.<br \/>\nEven for those experienced in welding steels, welding                              aluminum alloys can present quite a challenge. Higher                              thermal conductivity and low melting point of aluminum                              alloys can easily lead to burnthrough unless welders                              follow prescribed procedures. Also, feeding aluminum                              welding wire during gas-metal-arc-welding (GMAW) presents                              a challenge because the wire is softer than steel,                              has a lower column strength, and tends to tangle at                              the drive roll.<\/p>\n<p>To overcome these challenges, operators                              need to follow the rules of thumb and equipment-selection                              guidelines offered here&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><u><strong>Gas-metal-arc-welding:<\/strong><\/u><br \/>\n<strong>Base-metal preparation<\/strong>: To weld aluminum, operators                              must take care to clean the base material and remove                              any aluminum oxide and hydrocarbon contamination from                              oils or cutting solvents. Aluminum oxide on the surface                              of the material melts at 3,700 F while the base-material                              aluminum underneath will melt at 1,200 F. Therefore,                              leaving any oxide on the surface of the base material                              will inhibit penetration of the filler metal into                              the workpiece.<br \/>\nTo remove aluminum oxides, use a stainless-steel bristle                              wire brush or solvents and etching solutions. When                              using a stainless-steel brush, brush only in one direction.                              Take care to not brush too roughly: rough brushing                              can further imbed the oxides in the work piece. Also,                              use the brush only on aluminum work-don&#8217;t clean aluminum                              with a brush that&#8217;s been used on stainless or carbon                              steel. When using chemical etching solutions, make                              sure to remove them from the work before welding.<br \/>\nTo minimize the risk of hydrocarbons from oils or                              cutting solvents entering the weld, remove them with                              a degreaser. Check that the degreaser does not contain                              any hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preheating<\/strong>: Preheating the                              aluminum workpiece can help avoid weld cracking. Preheating                              temperature should not exceed 230 F-use a temperature                              indicator to prevent overheating. In addition, placing                              tack welds at the beginning and end of the area to                              be welded will aid in the preheating effort. Welders                              should also preheat a thick piece of aluminum when                              welding it to a thin piece; if cold lapping occurs,                              try using run-on and run-off tabs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The push technique<\/strong>: With aluminum,                              pushing the gun away from the weld puddle rather than                              pulling it will result in better cleaning action,                              reduced weld contamination, and improved shielding-gas                              coverage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Travel speed<\/strong>: Aluminum welding                              needs to be performed &#8220;hot and fast.&#8221; Unlike steel,                              the high thermal conductivity of aluminum dictates                              use of hotter amperage and voltage settings and higher                              weld-travel speeds. If travel speed is too slow, the                              welder risks excessive burnthrough, particularly on                              thin-gage aluminum sheet.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shielding Gas<\/strong>: Argon, due                              to its good cleaning action and penetration profile,                              is the most common shielding gas used when welding                              aluminum. Welding 5XXX-series aluminum alloys, a shielding-gas                              mixture combining argon with helium &#8211; 75 percent helium                              maximum &#8211; will minimize the formation of magnesium                              oxide.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Welding wire<\/strong>: Select an aluminum                              filler wire that has a melting temperature similar                              to the base material. The more the operator can narrow-down                              the melting range of the metal, the easier it will                              be to weld the alloy. Obtain wire that is 3\/64- or                              1\/16- inch diameter. The larger the wire diameter,                              the easier it feeds. To weld thin-gage material, an                              0.035-inch diameter wire combined with a pulsed-welding                              procedure at a low wire-feed speed &#8211; 100 to 300 in.\/min                              &#8211; works well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Convex-shaped welds<\/strong>: In aluminum                              welding, crater cracking causes most failures. Cracking                              results from the high rate of thermal expansion of                              aluminum and the considerable contractions that occur                              as welds cool. The risk of cracking is greatest with                              concave craters, since the surface of the crater contracts                              and tears as it cools. Therefore, welders should build-up                              craters to form a convex or mound shape. As the weld                              cools, the convex shape of the crater will compensate                              for contraction forces.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Power-source selection<\/strong>: When                              selecting a power source for GMAW of aluminum, first                              consider the method of transfer -spray-arc or pulse.<br \/>\nConstant-current (cc) and constant-voltage (cv) machines                              can be used for spray-arc welding. Spray-arc takes                              a tiny stream of molten metal and sprays it across                              the arc from the electrode wire to the base material.                              For thick aluminum that requires welding current in                              excess of 350 A, cc produces optimum results.<br \/>\nPulse transfer is usually performed with an inverter                              power supply. Newer power supplies contain built-in                              pulsing procedures based on and filler-wire type and                              diameter. During pulsed GMAW, a droplet of filler                              metal transfers from the electrode to the workpiece                              during each pulse of current. This process produces                              positive droplet transfer and results in less spatter                              and faster follow speeds than does spray-transfer                              welding. Using the pulsed GMAW process on aluminum                              also better-controls heat input, easing out-of-position                              welding and allowing the operator to weld on thin-gage                              material at low wire-feed speeds and currents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wire feeder<\/strong>: The preferred                              method for feeding soft aluminum wire long distances                              is the push-pull method, which employs an enclosed                              wire-feed cabinet to protect the wire from the environment.                              A constant-torque variable-speed motor in the wire-feed                              cabinet helps push and guide the wire through the                              gun at a constant force and speed. A high-torque motor                              in the welding gun pulls the wire through and keeps                              wire-feed speed and arc length consistent.<br \/>\nIn some shops, welders use the same wire feeders to                              deliver steel and aluminum wire. In this case, the                              use of plastic or Teflon liners will help ensure smooth,                              consistent aluminum-wire feeding. For guide tubes,                              use chisel-type outgoing and plastic incoming tubes                              to support the wire as close to the drive rolls as                              possible to prevent the wire from tangling. When welding,                              keep the gun cable as straight as possible to minimize                              wire-feed resistance. Check for proper alignment between                              drive rolls and guide tubes to prevent aluminum shaving.<br \/>\nUse drive rolls designed for aluminum. Set drive-roll                              tension to deliver an even wire-feed rate. Excessive                              tension will deform the wire and cause rough and erratic                              feeding; too-little tension results in uneven feeding.                              Both conditions can lead to an unstable arc and weld                              porosity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Welding guns<\/strong>: Use a separate                              gun liner for welding aluminum. To prevent wire chaffing,                              try to restrain both ends of the liner to eliminate                              gaps between the liner and the gas diffuser on the                              gun.<br \/>\nChange liners often to minimize the potential for                              the abrasive aluminum oxide to cause wire-feeding                              problems.<br \/>\nUse a contact tip approximately 0.015 inch larger                              than the diameter of the filler metal being used &#8211;                              as the tip heats, it will expand into an oval shape                              and possibly restrict wire feeding. Generally, when                              a welding current exceeds 200 A use a water-cooled                              gun to minimize heat buildup and reduce wire-feeding                              difficulties.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/content.lincolnelectric.com\/graphics\/knowledge\/articles\/content\/seealso.gif\" alt=\"See Also\" border=\"0\" height=\"23\" width=\"140\" \/><\/td>\n<td>Cobramatic\u00ae Wire Feeder<br \/>\nSuperGlaze\u00ae Aluminum MIG Wire<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>Be sure to check out our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/ShowPage\/18\/\">membership drive<\/a> for a chance to win a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mylincolnelectric.com\/Catalog\/equipmentdatasheet.aspx?p=9774\" target=\"_blank\">Lincoln Electric welding helmet<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mr_social_sharing_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Social Sharing Toolkit v2.2 --><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fguide-for-aluminum-welding%2F&amp;media=&amp;description=Guide+for+Aluminum+Welding\" class=\"pin-it-button\" count-layout=\"none\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/PinExt.png\" title=\"Pin It\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><fb:share-button type=\"button_count\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\"><\/fb:share-button><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"horizontal\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\" data-via=\"myrideisme\" data-text=\"Guide for Aluminum Welding\"><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-size=\"medium\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\"><\/div><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a class=\"mr_social_share_email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Guide for Aluminum Welding&amp;body=https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-sharing-toolkit\/images\/icons_small\/email.png\" class=\"nopin\" alt=\"Email\" title=\"Email\"\/><span class=\"mr_small_icon\">Email<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"linksalpha_button linksalpha_link\" href=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/social\/mobile\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/guide-for-aluminum-welding\/\" data-text=\"Guide for Aluminum Welding\" data-desc=\"From Lincoln Electric A Guide to Aluminum Welding Reprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine. Equipment Selection, Material Prep, Welding Technique... A Guide to Aluminum Welding Reprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine. Follow the rules of thumb offered here\" data-image=\"\" data-button=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/images\/social_share_button.png\" alt=\"Share\" class=\"linksalpha_image\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/scripts\/loader_iconbox.js?v=2.4\"><\/script><\/span><\/div><p>Email From Lincoln Electric A Guide to Aluminum Welding Reprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine. Equipment Selection, Material Prep, Welding Technique&#8230; A Guide to Aluminum Welding Reprinted courtesy of Welding Design and Fabrication magazine. Follow the rules of thumb offered here for selecting welding equipment, preparing base materials, applying proper technique, and visually [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1815],"tags":[50,2510],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18636,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions\/18636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}