It is difficult and inadvisable to perform structural welding without the use of inert gas. But, cosmetic jobs of certain nature can sometimes be performed gasless. Is it possible to weld aluminum gasless?
Aluminum can be welded without gas when done in a vacuum chamber. Aluminum can be unsafe to weld without gas, as oxygen spreads in the environment when it is welded.
In this article, I’ll take you through the basic industrial applications involved in aluminum welding, what is required, as well as the good and bad involved in the welding process.
How Can You Weld Aluminum?
One way to weld aluminum is to do it without the use of inert gas. Argon and Helium are the common gases used in welding. They are transferred from a gas container through a hose under pressure. These gases are used in order to generate sufficient heat to dissolve the metal. This prevents the metal from cooling too fast and helps it to remain at the right temperature during welding.
Another method of welding aluminum is by making use of a plasma cutter. This kind of equipment uses a specific nozzle that blows out ripples of charged electrons or plasma. Using equipment of this nature makes it possible to cut through aluminum and many other metals like titanium and stainless steel.
You can as well order complete aluminum rods that have been pre-welded and use them to do your welding jobs. If you are a beginner, this is a great place to start. But I’ll advise that you purchase welding rods of higher quality if you are about to perform a large volume of work. This keeps you in a safe zone.
Can Aluminum Be Welded Without Gas?
It is possible to weld aluminum without gas. To achieve that, you will have to use the equipment right for the job: an arc welder. An arc welder is a technique that makes use of current in order to generate the right amount of l heat needed to melt aluminum.
The arc welder possesses a clamping system and its own power source, which connects to a high power vent and has an adaptive clamping system for aluminum of varying thickness.
The clamping system allows you to fasten to a variety of unique metals, and it is also adaptable to accommodate thickness of varying degrees. The arc welder steams the aluminum up to a high level and then transfers the molten metal through the aid of a welding rod. While welding, you will need to keep a consistent supply of gas.
Inert gases can be transferred either through a hose directly attached to the fire box at the bottom of your aluminum welder, or through a bottle connected under pressure. You can also purchase your welding gas source from any home improvement unit in your vicinity.
Remember that the bottle you purchase should have a calibrator that regulates pounds per square inch (PSI). If you are planning to get a welding job done soon, you may want to take a few extra bottles of inert gas. This is in case there is a need for more.
Are There Challenges Experienced With Welding Aluminum?
Whatever metal it is you’re welding, aluminum or steel, you should get yourself prepared to handle some of the defects that may show up. The challenge can be excess burn, substandard fusion, craters, and penetration. With aluminum, the job can get tricky as a result of special components of the metal at lower or higher levels, other than those of steel.
Also, heat conducts several times faster with a melting point that is roughly 50% lower than usual. The thermal conductivity is about four times higher as well. All these factors make aluminum prone to warping beyond what is considered normal and so its chemical configuration may result in hot cracking.
Furthermore, excess shrinking in the process of cooling and hardening of the weld leads to stress cracking most of the time. MIG aluminum welding demands the constant transfer of a cable electrode by a spool gun. So chances are that the delivery system/wire feed will not work as it should because of wrong machine settings, incorrect techniques, inadequate maintenance, or substandard wire.
Hey, I’m not trying to discourage you from welding or using aluminum okay? In my opinion, you should be aware of the problems encountered by most people during welding, which may render the entire weld useless.
Advantages of Gasless Aluminum Welding
- The first and obvious reason is that you can weld aluminum gasless. This has two advantages. The first is that it costs less than welding with gas and if you get a quality arc welder, it can last for years and even decades of welding.
The other benefit is that it is way more easy to use than a gas welder. This is because it requires little skill as there is no need for special equipment or accessories.
- You can weld aluminum with the cordless arc welder even without sufficient electrical vent to power it. The cordless arc welder is quite strong and can be used to weld many kinds of metal including steel. You can perform aluminum welding using your bare hands and a few simple tools you can easily get at home.
Disadvantages of Gasless Aluminum Welding
- Insufficient gas means you won’t be able to perform a large scale aluminum weld. You have to heat up the metal for a prolonged period in order to weld aluminum gasless.
- It is an inefficient method compared to using a gas welder. The arc welder on its own is expensive, and it will take a longer time to weld the same volume of metal with it. You also spend a lot of time dispensing the entire current in the arc welder than you do using has.
This means using more welding rod than you would with a gas welder, and this can be quite expensive when purchased in bulk.
- The welding rod can begin to crack if it is overheated. You have to ensure the welder isn’t left unattended while the welding process is ongoing.
