How to weld aluminium?
Energas, a leader in industrial gases, provides key answers to your everyday questions, whether you're a professional welder, a craftsman, or a manufacturer. In this article, we shed light on the assembly of aluminium and aluminium alloy parts.
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What type of process should you choose for welding aluminum and its alloys?
A number of processes allow you to weld aluminum and its alloys. Industrial TIG (alternating current), MIG, as well as plasma and laser welding processes are suitable for most needs for parts ranging from 0.8 to 10 mm thick.
Achieving the required quality is a real challenge in electric arc welding of aluminum, particularly due to the presence of porosity. Pure gases such as argon or an argon/helium mixture will allow you to achieve good quality welds.
It is advisable to refer to the current standard for the most demanding assemblies (radio inspection, for example). Porosity is mainly created by hydrogen—insoluble in solids—from humidity. Obviously, the shielding gas must be appropriate.
The gases in the ARCAL™ range, for example, have specifications that may exceed the standards. However, the humidity often does not come from the ambient atmosphere, and therefore the shielding gas may not be able to eliminate it: The humidity may be contained in the alumina layer on the surface of aluminum parts.
It is therefore important to pay particular attention to surface preparation when using MIG or TIG electric arc welding.
Did you know? The term MAG welding is not used for aluminum. Indeed, the gas used is inert: the process is therefore called MIG welding, which stands for "Metal Inert Gas." Conversely, welding steels uses a slightly oxidizing gas and is therefore called MAG for “Metal Active Gas”.
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What type of filler metal should you choose?
There are different types of filler metal (aluminum silicon, manganese, etc.), in the form of rods or welding wire, which should be chosen depending on the desired result.
Don't hesitate to contact our experts for more information on aluminum welding. They can provide personalised solutions regarding part assembly, the choice of your welding station, gas, or filler metal (in the form of rods or wire).
Are you a welder and experiencing a specific problem? If necessary, our experts can also come to your site to help you resolve your technical questions.
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ISO14175 compliant welding gases
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