What welder?

[Tim135]

At work we have some machines with some aluminum parts that occasionally crack and because they are slow in getting replacements, my bosses have decided to invest in equipment to weld aluminum. Here's where your expertise is needed: there are several of us who know how to stick weld and weld fcaw or mgaw but not tig. The parts are roughly 16 ga. aluminum so I figured they could be welded mgaw if you had a minimum amperage to work with, kept the gun and cable straight and maybe used a teflon liner for the aluminum wire. What would you guys suggest for a welder as far as amp range and other features? Any help will be passed along to my bosses so they don't buy something that won't do the job. Thanks, Tim.

[Hobart Expert Rock]

TIM135........Well I'm going to guess here.........These aluminum parts need built up and well as repaired.............Do we know what kind of aluminum it is..........Typical repairs would be done tig or mig on thin aluminum...................Let us know...........Rock....
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[Tim135]

aluminum parts

Scott, I don't know the composition of the parts other than they are aluminum. They are about 16 guage thickness. I am just looking for some advice on what would be the best route to go for purchasing a welder to do light guage aluminum parts, plus matching the welder to the skills of the employees without the need for additional training. For instance, would you need a certain minimum amp range such as 175 amps to do a satisfactory job? Is Tig more for heavier material? Stuff like that

[Roger]

Hobart Handler175 can weld 16 ga aluminum.
Hobart IronMan 210 or Millermatic 210 can also weld it with less feed problems using spool gun option.
If the parts are small or thinner then TIG or Pulse MIG might be better.

Aluminum welding has many problems. This Link might help.

http://www.alcotec.com/techpage.htm

[Roger]

Go to a good dealer and try welding aluminum with some of their machines before buying.

[Tim135]

welding aluminum

Thanks Roger, I need to go to my welding supplier anyway. I never thought to try some of his equipment but that's obviously a good idea. I kind of figured we'd need at least a 175 amp machine anyway, Tim.