Aluminum TIG Welding
Aluminum TIG Welding
(OP)
Gentlemen,
Where I work we have a mechanical designer who often makes bold assertions to support his position that I believe are often specious. Having said that:
A weldment had to be made from 304 SS instead of Aluminum because it would be very difficult to weld Aluminum. The weldment is a 1/16 inch thick plate with a 2 inch diameter, 1/16 inch wall thickness tube welded to it.
I believe that with properly sized modern welding equipment, 6061-T6 Al can be welded just as easily as 304 SS.
Your comments and opinions please.
Where I work we have a mechanical designer who often makes bold assertions to support his position that I believe are often specious. Having said that:
A weldment had to be made from 304 SS instead of Aluminum because it would be very difficult to weld Aluminum. The weldment is a 1/16 inch thick plate with a 2 inch diameter, 1/16 inch wall thickness tube welded to it.
I believe that with properly sized modern welding equipment, 6061-T6 Al can be welded just as easily as 304 SS.
Your comments and opinions please.





RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
Probably need more detail design specifics to properly address the issue. Good luck.
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
Aluminium 1/16" probably is 14 gauge, .064" thick.
The welders I have talked to want to see aluminium at least .102" thick if you expect them to do a good job. I do not know about the stainless steel.
Anything can be done if you are willing to search for the guy who can do it, and if you are willing to pay for it.
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
The aluminum flange/tube parts can definitely be TIG fusion welded with either an inside fillet or external corner butt joint. But sadly for you, your "specious" coworker is likely correct. The 304 cres parts would be easier to weld than the 6061 alum pieces, especially with those thin sections. This is mostly due to the fact that controlling the heat at the weld zone in the 304 cres parts is much easier due to their much lower thermal conductivity/heat dissipation than the aluminum parts.
Another thing to consider is that the aluminum parts would probably also suffer from greater distortions in the finished weldment with those thin sections. So if weight and cost are not issues, the 304 cres is probably a better choice for this particular situation.
Good luck.
Terry
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
Tig welding coke cans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X6RgJoXfZQ
One way to limit heat distortion in the flat sheet would be to roll form a lip on the edge of the hole, the weld then being made on the end faces of the tube and lip...but that is tough to do without a punch tool, and tougher yet in aged 6061 (but if you annealed to to the O or T4 condition...?)
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
Im guessing you are concerned with corrosion wanting to use alum or stainless.. are you concerned about weight?
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding
Thanks to all who have replied. I'm going to put this in the "Possible but I Smell Livstock" category for future use.
RE: Aluminum TIG Welding