A distinguished panel of aluminum-industry experts will survey the state of the art in aluminum welding technology and practice.
The 16th Aluminum Welding Conference will also provide several opportunities for you to network informally with speakers and other participants, and to visit an exhibition showcasing products and services available to the aluminum welding industry.
Aluminum lends itself to a wide variety of industrial applications because of its light weight, high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and other attributes. However, because its chemical and physical properties are different from those of steel, welding of aluminum requires special processes, techniques and expertise.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 |
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. |
Welcome and Overview
Tony Anderson, Conference Committee Chair
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Welcome, introduction, and overview of the conference program. |
8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. |
Aluminum Welding Metallurgy and Properties of Aluminum Welds
Patrick Berube, Hobart/Maxal
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Attendees will gain an understanding of the "WHYs" concerning aluminum weld characteristics and metal properties. Introduction to aluminum alloy metallurgy, physical properties and applications. Properties and performance considerations are also discussed. |
10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. |
Filler Alloy Selection Primary Characteristics
Rob Krause, AlcoTec
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Attendees will gain an understanding of the various filler alloy selection variables, including welded component service requirements and the characteristics of the base alloy being welded. The understanding of these variables is essential when designing a successful welding procedure specification. |
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 p.m. |
New Development in Aluminum Filler Metal
Patrick Berube, Hobart/Maxal
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There have been few advances in aluminum filler metals the last 50 years. Today, new advances in filler alloy have been designed to provide a consistently high-strength alternative and also provide higher post weld heat treated strength. The speaker will discuss the history associated with aluminum filler metals, how base metal and filler metal combine and influence weld strength, the metallurgy of aluminum-silicon filler metal, and why we should be excited about future advances. |
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. |
LUNCH |
1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. |
Aluminum Weld Discontinuities: Causes and Cures
Tony Anderson, ITW Welding North America
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The speaker will discuss discontinuities normally encountered in aluminum arc welds, methods to detect them, the possible causes, and the means to avoid them. |
1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. |
Metal Preparation for Aluminum Welding
Frank Armao, Lincoln Electric
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Metal Preparation is one of the key steps in producing good quality welded joints. Understanding the relationship between weld preparations and avoiding weld discontinuities is one of the most important aspects of aluminum welding. |
2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. |
The Fundamentals of GTAW Welding of Aluminum
Andrew Pfaller, Miller Electric
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This presentation will cover a basic history and various deviations of the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process used for fusion welding of aluminum base materials. As the technology evolved, so have the adjustable parameters. A section will be dedicated to discussing new technology and the benefits that it has to offer. |
3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
Welding Aluminum for Marine Applications
Jerry Mirgain, Retired Global Aluminium Product Line Manager
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This presentation covers some industry background and history then describes and discusses observed shipyard Aluminium welding fabrications practices around the world which may be suited for other region and conditions, and/or which might be considered for a set of shipyard Aluminium welding or other Aluminium welding fabrication practices. |
4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. |
New Process Technologies to Improve Welding of Aluminum Alloys
Philip Miller, Praxair, Inc.
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Some inherent problems associated with welding of aluminum alloys include wire feedability, arc instability, and incomplete fusion due to the high thermal conductivity of aluminum. New process technologies have been identified to address some of these issues. |
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Thursday, September 5, 2013 |
8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. |
Gas Metal Arc Welding of Aluminum Alloys
Frank Armao, Lincoln Electric
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Talk considers metal transfer modes, shielding gas types, wire feed systems, and power source selection - constant voltage, constant current, pulse or variable polarity. |
9:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. |
Application of the AWS D1.2 Structural Welding Code -Aluminum
Thom Burns, AlcoTec Wire Corp.
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The speaker is Chair of the D1.2 Committee and will reveal the extent of the Code's latest revision: when, where and how to apply the D1.2 for qualification, provisions to help ensure quality workmanship and structural integrity. |
10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. |
Friction Stir Welding Equipment Solutions and Processing of Aluminum Alloys
Chris Smith, Wolf Robotics
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Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a viable solid state technology for joining aluminum alloys. Various FSW equipment solutions will be reviewed and discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of each type will be reviewed with an emphasis of applications where they are most appropriate. |
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. |
Technology Advancements and Automation in the Aluminum Welding Industry
Remington Walk, Miller Welding Automation
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Some of the challenges associated with robotic aluminum welding are wire feed ability, material thickness, inconsistent parts, variable heat sinks due to part and fixture, and programming issues. The speaker will discuss the challenges in robotically welding with aluminum and how an advance in welding technology helps address them. |
11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
Increasing Performance & Production in Aluminum GMAW Welding
Thom Burns, AlcoTec Wire Corp.
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As the demands for higher productivity and improved quality drive business to be more cost effective, advanced techniques offer cost saving measures and competitive edges. This is a look at the effects of wire diameter changes versus travel speeds and distortion as well as other techniques that can increase travel speeds and reduce strength reduction by through optional base alloys. Other challenges to increase performance of aluminum welding using advances in technology will be discussed. |
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. |
LUNCH |
1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. |
Underwater Dry Chamber Aluminum Welding in Support of U.S. Navy Ship Repair Operations (Hyperbaric Aluminum Welding)
Ken Elliott, Phoenix International Holdings, Inc.
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Underwater welding and nondestructive testing (NDT) have been a NAVSEA approved ship repair capability for the past 28 years. Through the leadership of the Naval Sea Systems Command's Office of Supervisor of Salvage and Diving - Underwater Ship Husbandry Division (NAVSEA 00C5), underwater welding has moved beyond steel hull repairs. Aluminum welding techniques have advanced into a ship repair method that will prove reliable, technically sound, cost effective, and "low impact" to ship operational schedules just as has already been proven in the case of steel hull ships. This paper provides a review of the brief history behind this capability, a spotlight on the steps taken to achieve sound welds repeatedly, a review of current underwater aluminum welding techniques and new procedures, and a glimpse into future hyperbaric aluminum welding. |
2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. |
Real Welds, Real Problems, Real Solutions
Rob Krause, AlcoTec Wire Corp.
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This presentation will look at real weld photos with discussion on the discontinuities/failures, the root cause(s) and the solutions developed. The discussions will also incorporate aspects from earlier presentations in an effort to help the attendees recognize problems and associate possible causes. |
3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. |
AFTERNOON BREAK |
3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
The benefits of using CMT (Cold Metal Transfer)
Shaun Relyea, Fronius USA
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The benefits of using CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) have long been known for welding thin materials. Fronius has now combined CMT in a twin wire process for high speed welding applications for any material thickness. This presentation will discuss the theory behind the process and how it can benefit fabricators on aluminum applications. |
4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. |
Aluminum Trends in Trailer Manufacturing
Elliott Ash, The Lincoln Electric Company
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Aluminum is used heavily in the trailer manufacturing industry in North America and globally. Reduced material weight translates into improved fuel economy and increased load capacity bringing in more revenue for carriers. In 2012, the top 15 trailer manufacturers in the U.S. produced over 215,000 units, a large portion of these being all-welded aluminum trailers. The focus of this presentation will be on the types of aluminum-intensive truck/trailers manufactured in North America and applications, typical base-materials used common joint configurations, common challenges and solutions, industry best-practices, filler-metal selection and potential welding process improvements. |
4:45 p.m. |
ADJOURNMENT |
