Welding aluminum (Al) and aluminum alloys using gas welding technique is a common procedure in the industry. In this technique ACA filler rod and acetylene (C2H2) fuel gas is used. The size of the torch tip and the total amount of acetylene used for welding aluminum and its alloys is dependent on several variables. The most important factor influencing the size of the torch tip and the amount of acetylene used is the thickness of the aluminum workpiece that is being welded.
This paper will specifically explore the relationship between the thickness of the aluminum workpiece and the acetylene consumption rate. The objective is to identify the impact of the aluminum thickness on the acetylene consumption rate and how it is related to the size of the torch tip.
To begin with, when welding aluminum and its alloys, the thickness of the workpiece affects the welding parameters significantly. A thinner workpiece requires less heat input to be welded. Therefore, the size of the torch tip and the acetylene consumption rate may be decreased. On the other hand, for thicker workpieces, more heat input is required to weld them, resulting in increased acetylene consumption rate and the need to use a larger torch tip.
The relationship between the thickness of the aluminum workpiece and the acetylene consumption rate may be further understood through the analysis of laboratory tests carried out with different thicknesses of aluminum plate. In these tests, a certain size of the torch tip was used and the time taken to weld the different pieces of aluminum plates was measured. Based on the time taken to weld the plates, the rate of acetylene consumption was calculated. The results were then used to understand the effect of aluminum thickness on the acetylene consumption rate.
From the tests, it was found that in general, the thicker the aluminum workpiece, the greater the acetylene consumption rate. This can be attributed to the fact that thicker aluminum plates require more heat input to be welded, and thus, more acetylene is consumed. The size of the torch tip used in the test was also found to have an influence on the acetylene consumption rate. A large torch tip results in a higher acetylene consumption rate as it is able to deliver more heat to the workpiece.
Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that there is a direct relationship between the thickness of the aluminum workpiece and the acetylene consumption rate. As the workpiece gets thicker, the acetylene consumption rate increases and the size of the torch tip used for welding should be increased as well. Thus, in order to ensure good weld quality with less consumption of acetylene, the thickness of the workpiece should be taken into consideration while selecting the size of the torch tip.
In conclusion, this paper has explored the relationship between the thickness of aluminum workpiece and the acetylene consumption rate. The laboratory tests conducted showed that there is a direct relationship between the two variables: as the workpiece gets thicker, more acetylene is consumed, and the size of the torch tip to be used should be increased. Therefore, when welding aluminum and its alloys, it should be kept in mind that the thickness of the workpiece should be taken into consideration when selecting the correct size of torch tip and determining the total amount of acetylene to be consumed for welding.
