What are the welding processes used for aluminium?
Welding Aluminium generally needs several welding processes, shielding gases, several pre-weld & post-weld processing, different specifications, etc. Aluminium always forms a layer of oxide having a high melting temperature. So, it's quite difficult to weld this material. Following processes are mainly used for aluminium.
GTAW or TIG welding
Gas tungsten arc welding or GTAW is the most recommended welding process that is widely used for aluminium. This process is also known as TIG or tungsten inert gas welding. TIG is very effective for aluminium because it never requires any kind of mechanical wire feeding. This is because it may build feed ability issues. Apart from that, GTAW or gas tungsten arc welding is a very neat & clean process that can prevent the metal from being atmospheric contamination.
GMAW or MIG welding
GMAW refers to the gas metal arc welding process which is recommended for aluminium. Gas metal arc welding is also known as metal inert gas or MIG welding. As compared to GTAW or TIG, the rate of higher deposition of GMAW is high. Moreover, GMAW has a fast travel speed. However, a mechanical wire feeding system is used in GMAW. As a result, a spool gun or push-pull gun is required to make the Aluminium feeding possible.
Laser beam & electron beam welding
Modern welding technology always prefers beam welding techniques for aluminium. There are two types of beam welding used including laser beam welding & electron beam welding process. Basically, the power density of these welding techniques is high. With the laser beam welding, the light reflectivity may be a big concern. Apart from that, optimisation of shielding gas can be a key for avoiding porosity. Whereas electron beam welding is mainly performed in the vacuum.
Resistance welding
Last but not the least, resistance welding is widely used to weld aluminium. However, issues can arise from the thermal & electrical conductivity of Aluminium. To fix these issues, advanced resistance welding equipment is generally required. Electric resistance welding is extensively used in aluminium & steel pipe manufacturing Industries, automobile industries, trailer welding and maintenance, etc.