Aluminum GMAW Welding Guide - Chudov
Aluminum GMAW Welding GuideGas Metal Arc Welding for Aluminum
About The LincolnElectric Company Lincoln Electric is the world’s leadingmanufacturer of welding equipment andconsumables. Our focus is on helpingcompanies make their weldingoperations more effective, moreefficient, more profitable.We are dedicated to two equallyimportant goals: exceptional quality andexceptional service. Our field supportteam –– with hundreds of field salesengineers and thousands ofknowledgeable and responsive Lincoln distributors in countries all over theworld –– is the largest in the industry.Innovative thinking.A quality, service-first attitude.Fresh approaches to design,manufacturing, and packaging.Worldwide strength.That’s Lincoln Electric .L i n c o l n ’s Super Glaze Te c h n o l o g yFor superior welding performance, turn to Super Glaze aluminumMIG wire from Lincoln Electric . Super Glaze prevents the problemsusually associated with aluminum wire feeding such as birdnesting,tangling and burnback to provide a stable arc, great feedability andexceptional control –– every time you weld! The keys are SuperGlaze’s smooth surface finish and consistent chemical composition.What this means for you is quality wire that produces a quality weld.Let Us Put Our Experience to Work for YouAs a major supplier of welding wire, Lincoln Electric is the leader inMIG wire manufacturing technology. We carry that same technologyand expertise to our aluminum MIG wire manufacturing. Our fullyintegrated aluminum MIG wire facility uses state-of-the-art equipmentto produce a complete range of aluminum alloys including 1100, 40434047, 5183, 5356, 5554 and 5556.What Makes Our Super Glaze Stand Out From the Rest?Three unique features:1. A proprietary process which gives Super Glaze a superior surfacefinish for optimum surface integrity.2. A manufacturing process that precisely controls the alloy chemicalcomposition to produce consistent physicalcharacteristics.3. State-of-the-art testing equipment to evaluate thesurface condition and feedability of the wire to ensureproblem-free welding.What all this means to you is outstanding welding characteristics, spoolto spool, time after time. Lincoln’s aluminum MIG wire coupled with ouradvanced MIG welding equipment makes aluminum as easy to weld asany other material. and makes Lincoln the one source for all youraluminum welding needs.Important Information on our WebsiteConsumable AWS ificates/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS):www.lincolnelectric.com/products/msds/ANSI Z49.1 Safety in Welding and Cutting and Arc WeldingSafety /Request E205 Safety rature/e205.pdfAluminum2www.lincolnelectric.com
Here’s How Our Process Works:Controlling AlloysThe process of making aluminum MIG wires is a complex one,but one in which Lincoln has a clear and distinct advantage.First, we utilize automated titling furnaces to efficiently producethe proper aluminum alloys. With this equipment, we are able tohold tight tolerances in the composition. The alloy is carefullyrefined prior to casting to minimize hydrogen, alkaline metals,and inclusions.With our MIG welding process knowledge, we understand thatwelding performance is one of the most important criteria usedwhen selecting a wire. Aluminum MIG wire tends to produce awelding arc that is less stable than other materials becausealuminum conducts electricity better. Small changes in wirediameter, wire feed speed, and current produce dramaticchanges in weld bead profile, arc length and can even causeequipment downtime due to wire burnback and fusing to tip.Our continuous evaluation of finished product ensuresconsistency in manufacturing. You can count on Lincoln Continuous CastingSecond, we use a continuous casting process speciallyconfigured to high alloy materials. This process keeps thesurface free from imperfections and impurities.aluminum MIG wire for superior arc stability, weld appearance,integrity and productivity.ExcellentLincolnSuperGlaze ProductFeedabilityDrawing the WireIn the last manufacturing step of the process, we use advancedwire drawing technology to preserve both surface integrity andinternal soundness.Testing the WireTo ensure superior quality of welding wire, continuous finishedproduct inspection is done. Surface quality is evaluated alongwith feedability and welding performance. This guarantees everyspool of wire is problem-free.TypicalCompetitiveProductPoorWire Jams and Stops FeedingWelding PerformanceMost aluminum MIG welding problems are caused by poorfeeding. Since aluminum is relatively soft, it is important that thewire surface be as smooth aspossible for best feedability.The SuperGlaze AdvantageSuper Glaze products provide5356 Wire Surfaces Magnified 60xeasier feeding than competitiveproducts because they havefewer surface imperfections asshown at the right.Super Glaze wire also feedswith less force than typicalcompetitive products as thefeedability test graph shows.SuperGlazeWhat this means is better“Best in Class”control of the weld puddle forthe operator. t also means longerTypical Competitivegun liner and contact tip life asProductburnbacks do not occur.TimeAluminum3www.lincolnelectric.com
ContentsPageEffects of Alloying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Welding Aluminum vs. Welding Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Metallurgy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Wrought Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Alloying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7Temper Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8Effects of Welding on Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Nonheat-treatable Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Heat-treatable Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Filler Metal Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12Aluminum Filler Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11Aluminum Filler Metal Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Welding Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14Storage and Handling of Aluminum Prior to Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Forming the Weld Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Pre-weld Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14GMAW of Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-18Properties of Aluminum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Modes of Metal Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15GMAW Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16GMAW-P Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Wire Drives and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Push and Push-Pull Type Feeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Push-Pull GMAW Torches and Spool Guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Aluminum Feeding Enhancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Shielding Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Welding Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Welding Defects — Causes and Cures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20Solving Problems in Qualifying Weld Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Meeting Tensile Test Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22Meeting Bend Test Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22General Welding Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-26Typical Melting Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Current vs. Wire Feed Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Welding Joint Design for Groove Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25Welding Guidelines for Fillet and Lap Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Safety Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-30Aluminum4www.lincolnelectric.com
Effects of Alloying ElementsThe balance of this guide will discuss these differences and howto overcome them. They can all be summed up in threestatements:IntroductionThe use of aluminum as a structural material is fairly recent. Infact, when the Washington Monument was completed inDecember, 1884, it was capped with a 100-ounce pyramid ofpure aluminum, because aluminum was considered to be aprecious metal at that time. The problem that impeded the useof aluminum is that it is a reactive metal. It is never found in itselemental state in nature, but is always tightly bound withoxygen as aluminum oxide, Al2O3. Although aluminum oxide,found as bauxite ore, is plentiful, no direct reduction method,such as they used to make steel, has ever been found to producealuminum from bauxite.I. If you take enough care almost all steels are weldable.There are some aluminum alloys that just are not arc weldable.Fabricators fall into this trap regularly. We’ll discuss theweldability of the various alloy families in detail. At this point, let’sjust say that many aluminum alloys, and especially the strongerones, are not weldable.2. All steels are heat-treatable. Some aluminum alloys areheat-treatable, but some are not.It was only after the American Charles M. Hall and theFrenchman Paul Heroult almost simultaneously, but independently, discovered electrolytic processes for obtaining purealuminum from aluminum oxide (in 1886) that aluminum becameavailable in commercial quantities. These processes, with somemodifications, are still used today. In large part, it is the extremelylarge amount of electrical power required to produce aluminumthat accounts for its higher cost relative to steel.Even for the heat-treatable aluminum alloys, the heat treatmentsare totally different from those used for steel. In fact, if you heatup some alloys and quench them, they will become softer, notharder. Be aware of the differences and act accordingly.Since that time, aluminum has found wide use in numerousapplications: It conducts electricity and heat almost as well as copper.This is usually true for welds in both heat treatable and nonheattreatable alloys. The strength difference between the weld orheat affected zone (HAZ) and the parent material is oftensignificant, often 30% or more.3. When welding steels, you can almost always make a weldthat is as strong as the parent material. In aluminum alloys,the weld will rarely be as strong as the parent material. It is widely used in electrical bus bars and other conductors,heat exchangers of all kinds, and cookware.Metallurgy It does not become brittle with decreasing temperature, butdoes become stronger, so it has found wide application incryogenic equipment at temperatures as low as –452 F(-269 C).To understand aluminum, we must first understand some basicsabout aluminum metallurgy. Aluminum can be alloyed with anumber of different elements, both primary and secondary, toprovide improved strength, corrosion resistance, and generalweldability. It is very corrosion resistant in most environments, so it hasfound wide applications in marine and chemical environments.The primary elements that alloy with aluminum are copper, silicon,manganese, magnesium and zinc. It is important to note thataluminum alloys fall into two classes: heat-treatable ornonheat-treatable.The characteristics of aluminum alloys which make themattractive as structural materials are their light weight (one thirdthe weight of steel for equal volumes) and their relatively highstrength (equal in many cases to that of construction steelgrades). This combination has resulted in increased use ofaluminum alloys in applications such as passenger automobiles,trucks, over-the-road trailers, and railroad cars. Additionally, thestructure of most aircraft is fabricated mainly from aluminumalloys, although in these applications, pieces are most oftenjoined by riveting.Heat-treatable alloys are those that are heat-treated to increasetheir mechanical properties. To heat treat an alloy means heatingit at a high temperature, putting the alloying elements into solidsolution and then cooling it at a rate which will produce a supersaturated solution. The next step in the process is to maintain itat a lower temperature long enough to allow a controlledamount of precipitation of the alloying elements.Welding Aluminum vs. Welding SteelWith the nonheat-treatable alloys it is possible to increasestrength only through cold working or strain hardening. To dothis, a mechanical deformation must occur in the metalstructure, resulting in increased resistance to strain, producinghigher strength and lower ductility.Most welders start out by learning how to weld steel. Some latermove over to welding aluminum. Most welding equipment isdesigned to weld steel, with welding of aluminum alloys oftenbeing an afterthought, although this is changing. Very often weapproach welding of aluminum as if it was just shiny steel.However, there are differences between steel and aluminum thatusually make this approach doomed to failure.Aluminum5www.lincolnelectric.com
Aluminum AlloysTable 2 — Cast Alloy DestinationsMuch in the same manner that the American Iron and SteelInstitute (AISI) registers steel chemistries and grades, theAluminum Association (AA) registers alloy designations,chemistries, and mechanical properties for aluminum alloys.However, the alloy designation system is totally different thanthat used for steels. Additionally, different designation systemsare used for wrought and cast alloys.AlloyFamilyWrought AlloysWrought alloy designations use a four digit number, plus atemper designation, discussed later. Aluminum alloys arebroken up into eight "families" depending on the main alloyingelements. The aluminum alloy families are shown in Table 1,along with their heat treatability.Main Alloying ElementsHeatTreatable1XX.XPure AluminumNo2XX.XCopperYes3XX.XSilicon plus t UsedNA7XX.XZincYes8XX.XTinNo9XX.XOtherTable 1: Wrought Alloy DestinationsAlloyFamilyMain Alloying Elements1XXXPure AluminumNo2XXXCopper (sometimes with magnesium)Yes3XXXManganese (sometimes with ium plus siliconYes7XXXZinc (sometimes with magnesium and copper)8XXXAll othersAlloying ElementsHeatTreatablePure Aluminum (1XXX series) Contains no alloying elements,and is not heat-treatable. It is used primarily in chemical tanksand pipe because of its superior corrosion resistance. This seriesis also used in electrical bus conductors because of its excellentelectrical conductivity. It is welded easily with 1100 and 4043 fillerwires.Copper (2XXX series) Provides high strength to aluminum. Thisseries is heat-treatable and mainly used in aircraft parts, rivetsand screw products. Most 2XXX series alloys are consideredpoor for arc welding because of their sensitivity to hot cracking.Most of these alloys should not be welded, however, alloys2014, 2219 and 2519 are easily welded with 4043 or 2319 fillerwire. These three alloys are widely used in welded fabrication.YesNormallyYesNOTE: The designation 2XXX, etc. is an industry standard abbreviationused to mean “all the alloys in the 2000 series”.Manganese (3XXX series) Yields a nonheat-treatable seriesused for general-purpose fabrication and build-up. Moderate instrength, the 3XXX series is used for forming applicationsincluding utility and van trailer sheet. It is improved through strainhardening to provide good ductility and improved corrosionproperties. Typically welded with 4043 or 5356 filler wire, the3XXX series is excellent for welding and not prone to hot cracking.Its moderate strengths prevent this series from being used instructural applications.For example, if you have a piece of 6061, it’s clear that it is awrought alloy (4 digits), it’s heat treatable, and it containsmagnesium and silicon. The second digit of the four showswhether the alloy is the first such alloy registered, in which casethe second digit will be "0", as in 5054. Digits other than "0"indicate that the alloy is a modification of a registered alloy. 5154would be the first modification of 5054. Alloy 5754 is theseventh modification. The last two digits are assigned arbitrarilyby the Aluminum Association when the alloy is registered. Notethere is no indication of alloy or weld strength given by thematerial designation.Silicon (4XXX series) Silicon reduces the melting point of thealuminum and improves fluidity. Its principle use is as filler metal.The 4XXX series has good weldability and is considered anonheat-treatable al
Metallurgy To understand aluminum, we must first understand some basics about aluminum metallurgy. Aluminum can be alloyed with a number of different elements, both primary and secondary, to provide improved strength, corrosion resistance, and general weldability. The prima
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the welding processes most often used in today's industry including plasma arc cutting, oxyfuel gas cutting and welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). Flat welding positions and basic joints will be practiced. Pipe and tube welding
MIG (GMAW) Welding File: MIG (GMAW) Miller Electric manufactures a full line of welders and welding related equipment. For information on other quality Miller products, contact your local Miller distributor to receive the lat
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The application of GMAW generally requires DC (reverse) polarity to the electrode. In non-standard terminology, GMAW is commonly known as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding and it is less commonly known as MAG (Metal Active Gas) welding. In either case, the GMAW process lends itself to weld a wide range of both solid carbon steel and tubular metal-cored electrodes. The alloy material range for .
Study on underwater hyperbaric dry GMAW welding De-Yu TANG1, a, Hu-Li NIU1, Long XUE2, Bo SUN1, Tao LV2, Zong-Tao FANG1 1 Resea r chI nt iu of E ng Tl gy f CNPC, 40 J ad gu anji 3 0451, P. R. China 2 BeijingI ns t iu of Pr c hm alT noogy , D x g, 1026 7 . R. C a ata ngdy@ cp .om cn Keyword: Underwater welding, Hyperbaric dry method, GMAW, Arc characteristic, Droplet
and measured pile capacities. API-1993 provides potentially non-conservative results for shaft capacity in loose sands, and in loose-to-medium sands with high length (L) to diameter (D) ratios. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate these skewed trends, reproducing the database comparisons given by Jardine et al (2005) between calculated (Q c) and measured (Q m) shaft capacities. 2.2.2 Non-conservative .
