Page 10 - HIWT Fall 2011 World of Welding

THE WORLD OF WELDING http://www.welding.org

does YoUr sUrfaCe PreParatioin
WeldinG traininG for 6061-t6 alUMinUM
MeasUre UP to

indUstrY standards?
By Elmer Swank, Jr.
AWS CWI/CWE/CWS
Technical Instructor
Hobart Institute

QUestion:

We are welding 6061-T6 aluminum ampules, 10" outside
diameter x 1/4" wall tube to a machined 10" outside diameter
x 3/8" thick round flange. The question I have pertains to
Put 80 years of world-class welding training surface preparation prior to welding.
experience from the Hobart Institute of Welding
Technology to work for you. Should the tube be glass beaded to remove the slag, or
machined prior to welding?
• Complete curriculum on all major processes
• Modular design resPonse:
• Close-up shots of the welding arc highlighting
proper technique From your question I’m not sure if you are gas metal arc or gas
• Easy-to-follow “how-to” student workbook design tungsten arc welding.
• Comprehensive instructor guides
• Based on AWS S.E.N.S.E. objectives using To prepare 6061-T6 or any aluminum alloy for welding, the
standard AWS terms and definitions surface must be free from cutting fluids, oil and grease. The
• DVD technology for ease in locating daily lessons surfaces to be joined must also be dry.

For more information call The aluminum has an oxide coating, Al O that makes aluminum
3
2
800.332.9448 ext. 5433 more difficult to weld than other metals. The aluminum melts
or shop online at at 1200 degrees F. and the oxide melts at 3600 degrees F. The
www.welding.org aluminum and the oxide are not soluble, so the oxide must
be removed before or during welding. The cleaning action
produced by most gas metal arc welding machines today is
adequate. For gas tungsten arc welding with a square wave AC
power source, you can adjust the AC balance control for just
the right amount of cleaning action.

The aluminum oxide is very hard and I think bead blasting
would only clean the oxide surface instead of removing
the oxide from the aluminum. Wire brushing with a clean,
World-class training from a world-class institute. stainless steel wire brush would be more effective, but we still
need the cleaning action from the arc to remove the remaining
© 2011 Hobart Institute of Welding Technology oxide from the base metal and the filler wire.

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