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What precautions should I take when welding aluminium and its alloys?

   

Many aluminium alloys in the 1xxx, 3xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx and 7xxx series can be welded with fusion welding processes such as TIG, MIG, EBW, LBW, etc. Good shielding practices and parent material/consumable cleanliness are paramount for production of sound weldments, but weldment strength, toughness or corrosion performance may be significantly lower than of the parent material.

Proper filler metal selection and carefully selected and controlled welding parameters and design are essential in order to minimise the risk of hot cracking. Solid state welding processes such as friction stir welding have also been successfully employed to join aluminium alloys, including those in the 2xxx series, which are considered very difficult to fusion weld.

Further information can be found in Welding of aluminium and aluminium alloys. Users should refer to this document and seek further advice where applicable.

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