Daily Archives: February 18, 2014

Aluminium Welding Techniques – Working with a MIG welder

Aluminium welding can be a lot easier when compared with steel welding, however one needs to be aware of the welding techniques and consult the documentation before proceeding with aluminium welding with equipments calibrated for use on steel. There are myriad basic techniques used for aluminium welding which includes MIG welding, TIG welding and with the use of stick electrodes.

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding requires post-weld retouches to ensure a flawless look. Using a wire feed for aluminium welding, the MIG welder forms the base of the welds which is guarded by an inert gas. The spray transfer method is used for aluminium welding with a MIG welder which creates tiny metal beads and presents a messed up look. The surface of the aluminium should be properly cleaned with a stainless steel brush.
The gas tungsten arc or the TIG welding method doesn’t require much cleaning and finishing after the welding process because the job done is considerably cleaner when compared with MIG welding. For quick and easy aluminium welding, this type of welder is considered highly effective. The TIG welder uses a permanent tungsten electrode which is not consumed by the aluminium welding process.

Aluminium welding which involves a stick electrode is considered as one of the least expensive methods of aluminium welding. The shielding is provided by the coating provided around the electrode. The welding process however requires considerable cleaning at the end of the welding. In case of stick welding, the electrode rod is entirely consumed.

However, use of MIG welder in case of aluminium welding is considered relatively tough because of the softness of aluminium which makes it difficult for the wire feed to be pushed through. There are many factors that make aluminium welding to work differently when compared with other metals.