Aluminum TIG welding in Vista, CA
Aluminum moves when it’s welded, and a frame that comes back out of square won’t bolt up. We TIG weld aluminum in a fixture built for your part, check the first one against your drawing, and give you a ship date you can plan around.
What we weld in aluminum.
Parts built to your drawing, from a single prototype to a production run.
Brackets and mounts
Plate and formed brackets with long fillet welds, built to your drawing and checked against it.
Frames
Tube and plate frames welded in a fixture, so the last frame is as square as the first.
Tube assemblies and nodes
Tube-to-tube and tube-to-plate joints, including multi-member nodes, TIG welded in a fixture.
Posts and base plates
Tube welded to base and cap plates, in runs like the 25 aluminum post assemblies shown below.
Welding aluminum: what to put on the drawing.
- The alloy and temper.
- Welding lowers the strength of heat-treated aluminum next to the weld. AWS D1.2 accounts for that, and the design should too. Call out the alloy and temper so the procedure matches.
- The dimensions that matter.
- Aluminum expands more than steel as it heats, so it moves while it’s welded. Tell us which dimensions are critical and the fixture is built to hold them.
- The finish.
- Anodized welds can come out a different shade than the parent metal. Call out anodize or powder coat before we quote. Both are handled in-house or through our finishing partners.
- The code, if there is one.
- If your job calls for AWS D1.2, say so up front. We develop and qualify the WPS/PQR and keep the welder qualification records.
Capabilities
Aluminum welding capabilities.
What we weld, the code we work to, and what ships with your parts.
| Material | AluminumPut the alloy and temper on your drawing. |
|---|---|
| Process | TIG (GTAW) |
| Code | AWS D1.2 (structural welding, aluminum)Other codes on request. We qualify to what your job calls for. |
| Procedures | WPS/PQR developed and qualified · welder qualification records |
| Fixtures | Welded steel, 3D-printed or hybrid, built before welding so every part sets up the same |
| Inspection | First part checked against your drawing before the run · visual weld inspection |
| Testing | In-house: visual (VT), bend tests, dye penetrant (PT)X-ray (RT) and ultrasonic (UT) through an independent lab when the job calls for it. |
| Paperwork | Material certs (MTRs) · weld inspection reports · test results |
| Finishing | Anodize · powder coat · post-weld machiningIn-house or through our finishing partners. |
| Runs | Single prototypes through productionExample: 25 aluminum post assemblies. |
| Quoting | Send the drawing (PDF, STEP or DXF), quantity and need-by date. Get a written price and a ship date.NDA on request. Expedited runs when you need them. One point of contact from quote to delivery. |
How an aluminum job runs.
From your drawing to packed, documented parts.
- 01
Send the drawing
PDF, STEP or DXF, plus the quantity and the date you need the parts. NDA on request.
- 02
Get a price and a ship date
In writing. If material pricing holds up the quote, we tell you right away. Expedited runs when you need them.
- 03
First part checked to print
Part one is welded in its fixture and checked against your drawing before the run starts. If aluminum is going to move, it shows up here, not on part 25.
- 04
The run
Every part sets up in the same fixture, so the last part matches the first.
- 05
Inspected, packed, documented
Visual weld inspection, then packed and shipped with material certs, weld inspection reports and test results when your job needs them.
Aluminum parts from our shop.
Every part shown was welded by Jones.
Aluminum welding questions.
Do you weld aluminum to AWS D1.2?
Yes. AWS D1.2 is the structural welding code for aluminum, and it’s one of the codes we work to. When your job calls for it, we develop and qualify the WPS/PQR and keep welder qualification records. Other codes on request.
Can you build one prototype, then a production run?
Yes. We build single prototypes through production runs. The fixture is built before welding, so parts in the run set up the same way as the first one. One documented run: 25 aluminum post assemblies.
How do you keep aluminum parts from distorting?
A fixture built before the first weld, in welded steel, 3D-printed or a hybrid of both, holds the geometry while the part is welded. Part one is checked against your drawing before the run starts.
Can you anodize or powder coat the parts?
Yes. Anodize, powder coat and post-weld machining are handled in-house or through our finishing partners, so the parts come back finished, as one job.
What do you need for a quote?
Your drawing as a PDF, STEP or DXF, the quantity and the date you need the parts. You get a written price and a ship date. If material pricing holds up the quote, we tell you right away. NDA on request.
What paperwork ships with the parts?
When your job needs it: material certs (MTRs), weld inspection reports and test results. In-house testing covers visual, bend and dye penetrant (PT). X-ray and ultrasonic testing go through an independent lab.
Related
- Stainless steel welding316 TIG welding, heat tint and passivation. AWS D1.6.
- Prototype to productionFirst part checked to print, then the run.
- Weld fixtures and jigsWelded steel, 3D-printed or hybrid, built before welding.
- Weld procedures and testingWPS/PQR, welder qualification, VT, bend and PT testing.
- Weld in-houseJones Welding Systems, our newest service: cell, fixtures, procedure and operator training.
- Jones Welding & ManufacturingHomepage: parts built in our shop, or welding set up in yours.
Start here
Send us a drawing.
Send the drawing, the quantity and the date you need the parts. You’ll get a written price and a ship date.
Call(760) 532-8731
Shop
1485 Poinsettia Ave, Suite 106
Vista, CA 92081
Shop visits and supplier audits by appointment