3 Tips To Prevent Contamination Between Steel And Aluminum In Your Welding Shop

In your welding shop, you might get all sorts of requests about welding steel, aluminum and other metals. As you might already know, however, steel shavings can actually cause aluminum to corrode very quickly. Since you probably want to do everything that you can to ensure quality for your customers, it is important to prevent contamination between steel and aluminum in your welding shop. Luckily, following these simple tips can help.

1. Use Separate Welding Machines and Equipment

First of all, you will probably want to invest in separate welding machines for steel and aluminum. For best results, it is generally best to use a welding machine that is designed specifically for use on aluminum, since aluminum typically does not need to get as hot for proper welding. Plus, having two separate machines helps greatly cut down on contamination between the two types of metals. You may also want to use other separate equipment whenever possible to help prevent contamination.

2. Keep Areas Well-Separated

It is also generally best to keep work areas separated when you weld both steel and aluminum. Putting up a wall between the two work areas can be a smart idea, since it allows you to prevent shards and shavings from crossing into the other work area. If you are unable to put up a wall right now, hanging up a thick, industrial curtain can be a good temporary option.

3. Clean Up Regularly

It's important to keep your welding shop neat and clean anyway, since doing so can help prevent injuries and can make your business look a whole lot better to the general public, too. However, there is one more reason to consider spending a little more time cleaning up throughout the day -- it can help prevent contamination between different types of metals. Use separate brooms, and sweep up each work area to get rid of shavings and other debris. Also, even though it is best to use separate tools whenever possible, ensuring that tools are thoroughly cleaned before being used for other purposes can also help prevent contamination, particularly when it comes to tools that you can't easily buy multiples of.

One thing that you do have to worry about in a welding shop is the contamination of various metals with one another, such as aluminum being affected by steel. However, if you follow these three tips, you should be able to cut down on and prevent contamination as much as possible. Contact a business, such as Jackson-Cook Cranes, for more information.