Aluminum Welding Guide

Weld Wire Purchasing Weld Wire Manufacturing Welding Aluminum Structures

The American Welding Society has three specifications that work hand-in-hand to insure the correct materials are purchased, manufactured, tested, qualified, and welded into structures that meet the requirements of the consumer.

AWS A5.01 Procurement Guidelines for Consumables

The requirements for each welded structure must be fully determined by the purchaser. The AWS A5.01 specification allows manufacturers to purchase aluminum electrode and rods to four lot classifications (S1 through S4). Each classification ensures that the producer of the consumable meets specific requirements. Classification S1 is the lot requirement as specified in the electrode manufacturer’s quality assurance manual. S2 through S4 specifies items such as production sequences and heat or controlled chemistry reporting of alloy composition analysis, etc. The specification specifies various levels of testing for the consumable. The levels of testing vary from Schedule F through K. Schedule F is the consumable manufacturer’s base standard. Levels G through K give other specific requirements. One of the most frequently used schedules for critical, dynamically loaded weldments is schedule J. Schedule J requires that each lot of material shipped per the requirements of this specification be tested to the usability test found in AWS A5.10 (weld test and x-ray for MIG electrode or bead on plate test for TIG rods).

AWS A5.10 Specification for Bare Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Electrodes and Rods

This specification provides requirements governing the manufacture, alloy classification, identification, testing procedures and requirements, and packaging of aluminum electrodes and rods. The customer specifies the product requirements in AWS A5.01. The consumable manufacturer produces the product to the order requirements ensuring conformance to AWS A5.10 and identifies the product classification on the product label. Key elements of the A5.10 specification are the product quality test procedures and quality requirements. For example, the test procedures for 1/16 inch diameter and smaller electrodes state that they are to be welded in the overhead weld position to maximize the capture of porosity generated by the welding electrode. This ensures a very thorough testing of the electrode’s quality when radiographically tested.

AWS D1.2 Structural Welding Code – Aluminum

All manufacturers of aluminum structures should consider using this code for the control of their welding operations. D1.2 provides the manufacturer with three fundamental requirements for establishing a quality control system. The three fundamentals are qualified welding procedures, requirements for qualifying welders, and acceptance criteria for the production and inspection of weld quality. Quality and inspection standards are provided for statically and cyclically loaded structures. It is critical that the manufacturer understand the customer’s purchase order requirements for the welded structures he is producing and establish the required quality control system for his welding operation to meet those requirements.

Quality Assurance Through AWS Specifications Conformance

The AWS specifications establish a complete system from order requirements to final fabricated product to ensure that the critical characteristics of the end product are met. The AWS specifications play a fundamental role in this supply chain process to assure consistent quality performance on everyone’s part. Purchase of high quality Hobart aluminum welding consumables plays a major part in meeting the requirements of any aluminum welding fabricators quality assurance system.