×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

(OP)
Can anyone suggest a maximum recommended welding heat input, in terms of kiloJoules per inch (or per cm), for aluminum in 5000 and 6000 series alloys such that we will minimize changes in chemistry or increased susceptibility to cracking or potential for stress corrosion.  

Purpose is to back into welding variables (volts,amps, travel speed) from the recommended max heat input value and then proceed into a procedure qualification. Typical application will be for "as-welded" condition.

Thanks for any guidance offered.


 

RE: Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

tc7;
I would give these folks a call or email directly, they are most helpful.

http://www.alcotec.com/

RE: Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

American Welding Society, "D1.2 Structural Welding Code Aluminum"

RE: Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

I don't think you will see a recommended maximum heat input for particular types of aluminum, as the real variable that affects the strength is the cooling rate.  So that depends on other things besides the heat input, such as preheat, material thickness, welding process, etc.  Regardless of the heat input or cooling rate, it won't affect the chemistry.  The heat affects the cold working or heat treatment applied to the base metal before working, and anneals, or over-ages certain regions of the HAZ, but the chemistry will remain the same.  Also, cracking in Aluminum is normally related to the chemical composition of the weld (filler plus base metal dilution) or the HAZ in the base metal, so heat input won't affect it other than it can affect the dilution and bead shape, some of which are more susceptable than others.

Anyhow, if you have enough specifics for aluminum experts like Alcotec, they might be able to provide you with some general guidelines or good practices, but I think you would be hard pressed to find any "rules".

RE: Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

(OP)
I am not worried about strength - the underlying point of my question is that I can weld two aluminum plates together, pass all tensiles and bends and be fully qualified by the Code/specication that we may be working to. But is it also possible that in so joining these two plates that excessive heat may have been applied and increase the susceptability for interganular corrosion or stress corrosion?

I've posed my question to Alcotech before I posted here on Eng-Tips but have not heard back from them.

RE: Max Welding Heat Input For Aluminum

tc7,
The problem with your question is that it is somewhat vague.  In most cases, aluminum is pretty forgving, but, you don't specify grade, heat treated condition, thickness, etc.  I think you'd be best contacting the folks noted above.  Have you tried calling the toll free #?

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources