Mig Welding Aluminum To Steel

Challenges of welding aluminum.

Mig welding aluminum to steel. You can weld aluminum to most other metals relatively easily via adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening. Because when welding aluminum when it comes exposed to the air an oxide layer is created over aluminum leading to bad weld quality. The settings needed to mig weld aluminum are pretty much the same for all positions. You should be moving about twice the speed compared to welding mild steel to prevent.

In most cases it will take 21 23 volts to get the arc to spray transfer. However in order to weld aluminum to steel special techniques are required. Aluminum should be thoroughly cleaned prior to welding including the removal of any lubricants from the material. Aluminum is a tricky metal to weld with a mig welder because it takes more heat than mild steel usually in the range of 21 to 24 volts.

Many techniques that work well with steel however will not work with aluminum. Aluminum mig welding tips to prevent this. Use argon mixed with carbon dioxide for steel but for aluminum you need straight argon. To mig weld aluminum thinner than 14 gauge 074 inch it may be necessary to use specialized pulsed mig or ac tig welding equipment.

When metals such as steel copper magnesium or titanium are directly arc welded to aluminum very brittle intermetallic compounds start to form. Steel cannot be welded to aluminum by using conventional welding techniques like smaw arc welding gmaw mig or gtaw tig. Thermal conductivity and issues with porosity are the two biggest differences in welding aluminum compared to steel. Mig or metal inert gas welding is a common technique for both aluminum and steel.

Though to be honest compared to welding mild steel welding aluminum is going to feel like you are zipping through uncomfortably fast. If welding out of position you will want the wire feed speed fast enough to keep the weld full of metal at a fast crackle. Keep it clean. Mig welder settings for sheet metal when mig welding sheet metal it is important to set the proper parameters to prevent warping and burn through or else it will create excess heat and easily blowholes on the metal.

Hydrogen is very soluble in liquid aluminum. The different characteristics of aluminum become apparent during the welding process. Thicker sections of aluminum can be welded with a mixture of helium and argon if desired. The minimum aluminum thickness you should attempt is roughly 14 ga.

However there are some workarounds and alternatives that might provide acceptable results.