One, It is highly recommended to purchase a special set of aluminum wire feeding tools. The set of tools will contain the following items:
1. Non-metallic liner - designed to minimize wire friction
2. U-groove drive roller - used to avoid breaking or deforming the soft aluminum wire. These drive rollers do not scratch the aluminum wire like a V-groove roller. If the V-groove roller is used, the wire scraping liner will be blocked and the wire feeding failure will occur.
3. Import and export guides - designed to avoid wire scratches.
4. Contact head - use a contact with a larger diameter for the contact head welded in aluminum because
Two. When the aluminum wire is heated, it produces more expansion than steel. Therefore, the size of the aluminum wire dedicated contact head is small enough to maintain electrical contact while being sufficiently flexible to allow expansion.
Loading wire to welder
There is a trick to properly insert the aluminum wire (also applicable to steel wire) which is very important for loading aluminum wire and avoiding failure during welding. Hold the wire shaft securely with one hand to ensure it does not loosen. Once you have removed the cellophane package, hold the loose one of the wire with the other hand - do not put it in the drive roller let go. People who are inexperienced usually do not grip the loose one, and the entire bundle of wires begins to loosen. If such a thing happens, it will not be remedied, and the welding operation will be greatly affected - you have to buy another bundle of welding wire.
Three. Set the tightness of the wire brake
The tightness only needs to ensure that the welding wire will not just loosen, but it should not be too tight, otherwise it will cause drag on the welding wire. To set it up correctly, first adjust the tightness to the minimum, then install the wire and let it pass the drive roller. If the roller is moving except the wire, and the other parts are stopped, it is not tight enough. Be careful when handling, as too much tension will cause too much force on the wire. In addition, do not be nervous when the last few turns of the wire are not fed; usually because the wire is too hard to be loose.
Four. Set the drive roller tightness
This is probably the most important step in the entire setup process. Experts recommend placing the wire at a slight angle 1 inch from the surface of the insulating material. Then, set the roller tightness to a minimum. Press the switch on the torch to observe its operation - it should slide when the wire touches the surface of the insulation. From that point on, tighten the tightness until the wire stops sliding. Again, be aware that too tight will cause the wire to break. This means that the wire stays in the welding torch, and the wire drive roller is still rotating. The final result is that the wire breaks after running out of the roller, or the back pressure causes the welding wire to become a mess, including the guiding liner, the welding gun liner and the like. Keep in mind that when you set the wheel tightness as described above, press the torch switch and the wire is hot, so always wear good quality welding gloves.
Fives. Ensure a good power connection
In the first step, the fixture for welding should be securely clamped in areas where the workpiece is not painted and contaminated. To clean the workpiece, use a degreasing solvent to remove all grease. Also ensure that the surface of the workpiece is dry before welding. Also, do not weld in the presence of flammable materials, such as solvents or paint containers. In the second step, the surface oxide of the aluminum is cleaned with a clean stainless steel wire brush.
Six. Positioning is very important
When welding, try to keep the welding gun cable straight to minimize the wire feeding constraint on the softer aluminum wire. Bending of the torch cable can cause the wire to knot, resulting in poor wire feed.
