Which welding machine for aluminium?
Welding aluminium requires the right tools, the necessary patience and caution and of course the right welding equipment. Aluminium is a very soft metal and due to its nature it is very suitable in many areas.
In contrast to very hard metals, aluminium can be welded and processed with relatively “weak” equipment. Even solid aluminium can already be processed at a welding temperature of approx. 660 degrees.
Aluminium welding with the right equipment
For alloys, the temperature can even be up to 90 degrees lower. The only factor that can make welding of aluminium difficult is the oxide layer, also commonly known as rust. Components that are coated with oxide have to be ground down first in order to weld them well. As aluminium has a much higher thermal conductivity than steel, care must always be taken when welding.
MIG, TIG and CMT welding equipment
The welding methods MIG, WIG and CMT can be used to weld aluminium. In so-called MIG welding, an arc burns between the workpiece and a melting electrode, which is both the current-carrying electrode and welding filler material. Shielding gas escapes from a nozzle that surrounds the electrode. This is usually helium, argon, nitrogen or a mixture of these. The shielding gas protects the arc and the welding point from the outside air, but does not react with the materials.
This makes the process suitable for joining aluminium alloys, aluminium and other non-ferrous metals. Aluminium can also be welded with TIG welding machines, whereby these machines weld with alternating current. In contrast to welding with MIG welding machines, here the electrode does not burn off and any welding filler material is fed in mechanically or manually.
Modern CMT welding equipment
The most modern method of welding aluminium is offered by CMT welding machines, the characteristics of which consist of MIG and MAG welding machines. The special feature of CMT welding machines is the gearless wire drive located on the welding torch, which is equipped with a wire buffer, which compensates for the high-frequency movement of the wire with a simultaneous superimposition by a sluggish reloading of the wire.