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Aluminum welding is little different from other types of welding simply because of the different materials involved. As the properties of aluminum differ from those of other metals such as iron, you will need to make extra preparation for the material and apply a slightly different technique in order to get a solid weld. You will need more time to prepare the material. In some instances, you will be required to pre-heat the aluminum and alter your welding approach.

Before starting aluminum welding you will need to take some precautions to insure your safety. It is important that you wear all the necessary and needed personal protective equipment (PPE). The protective gear includes proper welding gloves, hearing protection, heavy apron to protect your body and welding goggles worn under the helmet to protect eyes. You should also make sure that the area where you are going to work is properly ventilated for the welding fumes to disperse easily. You should also try to keep your head away from the fumes while welding in order to avoid inhaling the harmful gases.

The next thing to do is to correctly prepare the materials. Most surfaces of materials made from aluminum are covered with a thin lubricant layer. This layer needs to be removed by cleaning the surface where you need to perform the weld. The next thing you need to do is to take out any aluminum oxide from the surface of the material. You can use brush made of steel bristles to clean the area required to be welded only. Don’t use the brush that has been already used to clean other materials like stainless steel. Brush gently in one direction only in order to remove aluminum oxide. You need to do this because of the difference between the melting points of aluminum and aluminum oxide. The aluminum melts at 1,200 degrees F while the aluminum oxide will melt at 3,700 degrees F. This huge difference between their melting temperatures can cause problems when trying to get a neat and solid weld. In some instances, you may also require to pre-heat the materials before welding. If you do pre-heat the aluminum, don’t go above 230 degrees F.

The welding techniques used while performing aluminum welding are somewhat different than the ones commonly used on other materials. Weld needs to be pushed forward rather than pulling it backward or toward you while doing aluminum welding. Doing so will give you clean and solid weld. You should also weld the aluminum at a quicker pace. You need to weld aluminum fast because its thermal conductivity is quite high, and if you go slowly you may burn through the material.

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