As we know, alloyed aluminum is widely used in manufacturing industries such as transportation, aerospace, automotive, power transmission, and construction. Because it is not only lightweight but strong, corrosion-resistant, can be machined easily, is a good conductor of electricity, and it has an aesthetically pleasing appearance. But aluminum is difficult to weld, especially using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). So well control the every parameter in GTAW is need for successful aluminum welding. You need to well understand metal’s unique properties and the welding preparation techniques and tools you’ll need to address those properties.

 

There are 5 tips for successful using GTAW for aluminum welding.

1. Remove the oxide layer of base aluminum before welding, which can be done either chemical method or physical method. 

2. Choose the right shielding gas. People usually choose argon as shielding gas in GTAW applications. But it is reported that helium is more suitable for GTAW welding, because helium provides you with a hotter arc that ionizes at a higher temperature, namely more power for your amperage setting and better control. 

3. Choose the right tungsten electrodes. In the past, pure tungsten (EWP) and thoriated tungsten (EWTh-2) were the preferred choices for aluminum GTAW. But today rare-earth tungsten electrode (EWG) is an excellent choice for welding aluminum or any other metal. Because rare-earth can provides good arc starting at low amperage and burnoff rates and without radioactive properties. Tungsten electrode has low burnoff rate means the tip geometry lasts longer and the tungsten won’t melt as easily, which not only can prolong electrode’ life, but can minimize weld zone contamination. 

4. Select AC for aluminum GTAW. This is because AC can provide cleaning property of the power source to remove oxide layer in the basic material. 

5. Invest in a High-quality Torch