Removing Warping In Aluminum Sheet Metal

An ounce of prevention the battle between hot cold.

Removing warping in aluminum sheet metal.

Long story short the sides have to be welded together to make a full side. The weld wants to shrink as it cools to room temperature but is restrained from doing so by the adjacent cold base metal. The warping of metal during the welding process is due to the high levels of heat involved. Then as the bead cools and solidifies it contracts but by this time the metal pieces are fused together.

In the process heat is applied to certain spots on the convex side of the warped metals. That heat spreads out making the metal expand. And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel. A 5356 filler metal also works for 5052 materials specifically.

Sheet metal warping because of heat peening of sandblast abrasive in my honest opinion sheet metal may warp when sandblasting due to a little bit of both reasons. Thermal correction of metal warping is premised on the idea of creating local stress that is high enough to pull back the metal warped back to shape during cooling. To prevent burn through and warping don t whip or weave the torch. When welding steel this weld bead is laid down at around 2 500 f 1 370c.

Spot heating is ideal for removing warping in your thin metal sheets. I started welding one side today a 15 piece to a 48 piece 77 5 long. Use anti warping devices and techniques. Techniques for welding sheet metal.

Filler metals for either of these would be 4043 or 4943. Arc welding mig and tig entails fusing a filler metal with the materials being joined. Wanted to build with sides made of full sheets of 1 4 6061 aluminum but the engineer had other plans. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it.

This restraint creates high residual tensile stress that causes the weld to act like a stretched rubber band with the workpiece holding the ends figure 1 for this reason when the clamps that hold the workpiece are removed the base metal is allowed to move or spring. Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. Typical aluminum alloys for sheet fabrication are 3003 and 5052.