Weldability of 3000 series aluminium

Technical Sheet Weldability of 3000 series Aluminium
Introduction
The 3XXX series of alloys have various levels of manganese (Mn) added to strengthen them and improve their response to cold work. These series are strain-hardenable, have excellent corrosion resistance, and are readily welded, brazed and soldered.

Manual TIG Welding of Aluminium
Alternating current, AC, where oxide film removal takes place on the electrode positive half cycle and electrode cooling and weld bead penetration on the electrode negative halfFigura - 2 - Manual TIG side of the AC sine Welding wave. To achieve instant arc reignition on a high-frequency (HF) and high voltage (915000V) current is applied to the arc, bridging the arc gap with a continuous discharge. This ionizes the gas in the arc gap enabling the welding arc to reignite with a minimum delay.

Product Form
   Rolled plate and sheet; Extrusions; Forgings.
Figura - 3 - Rolled Plate

Alloys
The 3103 (AlMn1)alloy is more hot short than pure aluminium, despite having a similar freezing range. In practice, however, hot cracking is rarely encountered. Those alloys containing copper (alloy 3003) or magnesium (alloys 3004, 3005 and 3105) are more sensitive to hot cracking. The pure metal has a melting point less than 648ºC and does not exhibit the change in color before melting.

Shielding Gas
Preferred gas for the AC-TIG welding of aluminium is argon, although helium and argon-helium mixtures can be used. Argon gives a wide shallow penetration weld bright and silvery in appearance and a the easiest arc ignition and most stable arc.

Main Applications
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Filling the Gap
The metal produced in the weld pool is a combination of filler and parent metals that must have the strength, ductility, freedom from cracking, and the corrosion resistance required by the application. Recommended Filler Metals For Various Aluminum Alloys Base Metal 3003 3004 3103 Maximum AsWelded Strenght 5183,5356 5554,5356 4043(2)