Welding Aluminium - A Different Technique

Aluminium has become so common place in our society that we forget that

, not long ago, it was considered to be a wonder metal. Light, flexible and corrosion resistant, it was welcomed into a market ripe for the creation of new products. This was not without its challenges, however, as it required a range of new skills different from traditional welding, and also new welding equipment and consumables. Initially, only small numbers of specialised welders had the skills to weld and shape aluminium but as its popularity and reliability grew, more and more tradespeople used welding standards to update their skills so that now, most fabrication shops can undertake aluminium work.

Aluminium can be a difficult metal to work with, especially for those experienced only in steel welding, and care must be taken to get the best result. Aluminium Fabrication welders are aware that what works for steel may not work for aluminium. There are three areas in particular that need to be addressed:

1. The set-up and associated techniques.

2. Power sources.

3. Three ways to feed the aluminium wire.

Because of the sheer size of this particular topic, we will discuss set-up within this article, and subsequent areas will be covered in future articles.

The Set-up and associated techniques.

The following changes to steel settings and equipment are required:

=> Liner and Wire Guides: a helically wound steel liner is not suitable as it would scratch the soft aluminium wire creating shavings. Use a Teflon or nylon liner and wire guides to reduce friction and eliminate shavings.

=> Drive Rolls: Use a U-shaped groove in the drive rolls to eliminate sharp edges that will shave off the aluminium wire. Reduce the tension on the drive roll to stop the wire from crushing during feeding.

=> Contact Tips: A bigger hole is needed for aluminium than for steel, as the aluminium expands further than steel when heated. Purchase contact tips designed especially for aluminium to prevent poor electrical contact.

=> Brake Tension: The brake tension on the wire spindle should be set more loosely than you would for steel in order to reduce the force necessary to pull the wire from the spool.

=> Gun Cables: Keep the gun as straight as possible to minimize tangling. The column strength of aluminium makes it much more difficult to feed.

The softness of the metal is the most difficult thing that people new to welding aluminium must consider. There is always the possibility of scratching of the soft wire and the creation of shavings which cause other problems to surface, so individual welders who are used to fabrication work must make recommendations for changes in the initial setup stages.

Copyright (c) 2010 Nadine Davis

by: Nadine Davis

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