AWS D3.

7:2004
An American National Standard

Guide for
Aluminum Hull
Welding
Key Words —Aluminum hull welding, ship welding, AWS D3.7:2004
hull welding, aluminum hulls, boats, An American National Standard
crafts, ships
Approved by
American National Standards Institute
December 17, 2003

Guide for
Aluminum Hull Welding

Supersedes ANSI/AWS D3.7-90

Prepared by
AWS D3 Committee on Welding in Marine Construction

Under the Direction of

AWS Technical Activities Committee

Approved by
AWS Board of Directors

Abstract
This guide provides information on the welding of sea going aluminum hulls and other structures in marine construction.
Included are sections on hull materials, construction preparation, welding equipment and processes, qualification
requirements, welding techniques, and safety precautions.

550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, Florida 33126

 Table of Contents
Page No.
Personnel.................................................................................................................................................................... iii
Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................................v
List of Tables ...............................................................................................................................................................ix
List of Figures...............................................................................................................................................................x
1. General ..................................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Scope............................................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Welding Processes .......................................................................................................................................1
1.3 Comparison of Welding Processes ..............................................................................................................1
1.4 Serviceability of Welded Aluminum Hulls .................................................................................................1
1.5 Workmanship...............................................................................................................................................2
1.6 Sources of Information ................................................................................................................................2
2. Aluminum Hull Materials .....................................................................................................................................2
2.1 General.........................................................................................................................................................2
2.2 Marine Aluminum Alloys............................................................................................................................2
2.3 Temper Designations ...................................................................................................................................3
2.4 Aluminum Product Forms ...........................................................................................................................4
2.5 Welding Filler Metals ..................................................................................................................................4
2.6 Filler Metal Selection ..................................................................................................................................8
3. Preparation for Construction .................................................................................................................................8
3.1 General.........................................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Handling and Storage ..................................................................................................................................8
3.3 Cutting and Edge Preparation....................................................................................................................12
3.4 Backgouging ..............................................................................................................................................14
3.5 Finishing and Contouring ..........................................................................................................................14
3.6 Cleaning for Welding ................................................................................................................................16
3.7 Forming and Bending ................................................................................................................................16
3.8 Preheat .......................................................................................................................................................16
4. Welding Processes and Equipment .....................................................................................................................17
4.1 General.......................................................................................................................................................17
4.2 Gas Metal Arc Welding .............................................................................................................................18
4.3 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding .......................................................................................................................20
4.4 Mechanized Welding .................................................................................................................................22
4.5 Stud Welding .............................................................................................................................................22
5. Qualification Procedures for Welding.................................................................................................................24
5.1 General.......................................................................................................................................................24
5.2 Procedure Qualification .............................................................................................................................24
5.3 Typical Test Coupon..................................................................................................................................26
5.4 Performance Qualification.........................................................................................................................26
5.5 Record Keeping .........................................................................................................................................26
6. Welding Procedure and Techniques....................................................................................................................26
6.1 General.......................................................................................................................................................26
6.2 Fitting, Aligning, and Assembling ............................................................................................................26

ix
 Page No.
6.3 Weld Backing ............................................................................................................................................27
6.4 Butt Joints ..................................................................................................................................................28
6.5 Fillet Welds................................................................................................................................................29
6.6 Plug and Slot Welds ..................................................................................................................................32
6.7 Inserts and Doublers ..................................................................................................................................32
6.8 Snipes and Scallops ...................................................................................................................................33
6.9 Oil and Water Stops...................................................................................................................................34
6.10 Coamings ...................................................................................................................................................34
6.11 Avoiding Joint Corrosion ..........................................................................................................................35
6.12 Strongbacks................................................................................................................................................37
6.13 Clamping ...................................................................................................................................................38
6.14 Tack Weld Placement and Size .................................................................................................................38
6.15 Residual Welding Stresses and Distortion.................................................................................................38
6.16 Welding Sequence .....................................................................................................................................40
6.17 Angular Distortion .....................................................................................................................................41
6.18 Interpass Temperature ...............................................................................................................................41
6.19 Welding Stress Relief ................................................................................................................................42
6.20 Inspection of Welds ...................................................................................................................................43
6.21 Repair of Welds .........................................................................................................................................47
6.22 Metal Straightening ...................................................................................................................................49
6.23 Repair Welding of Aluminum Hulls..........................................................................................................49
6.24 Welding Power Connections .....................................................................................................................51
7. Safety...................................................................................................................................................................53
7.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................................53
7.2 Fumes and Gases .......................................................................................................................................53
7.3 Radiation....................................................................................................................................................54
7.4 Electrical Hazards......................................................................................................................................55
7.5 Fire Prevention...........................................................................................................................................56
7.6 OSHA Regulations ....................................................................................................................................59
Metric Conversion Factors.........................................................................................................................................59
Nonmandatory Annexes..............................................................................................................................................61
Annex A—Codes and Other Standards.......................................................................................................................61
Annex B—Quantity of Filler Metal Required for Welded Joints in Aluminum Made by65
Annex B—GMAW and GTAW Processes ...................................................................................................................65
Annex C—Guidelines for Preparation of Technical Inquiries for AWS Technical Committees................................71
List of AWS Documents on Welding in Marine Construction ....................................................................................73

x
 List of Tables
Table Page No.
1 Chemical Composition Limits of Aluminum Alloys Used for Marine Construction....................................5
2 Minimum Mechanical Properties of Marine Aluminum Alloy Sheet and Plate............................................5
3 Minimum Mechanical Properties of Extruded Marine Aluminum Alloys ....................................................5
4 Minimum Mechanical Properties of Forged Aluminum Alloys ....................................................................7
5 Minimum Mechanical Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys for Marine Use ...............................................7
6 Chemical Compositions of Aluminum Welding Filler Metals ......................................................................7
7 Aluminum Welding Filler Metal Selection Guide.........................................................................................9
8 Minimum As-Welded Mechanical Properties of Gas-Shielded Arc Welds in Marine
Aluminum Alloys.........................................................................................................................................10
9 Approximate Minimum Bend Radii for 90° Cold Bends in Aluminum Alloys ..........................................17
10 Guided Bend Test Diameters for Common Aluminum Alloys....................................................................25
11 Typical Procedures for Gas Metal Arc Welding of Groove Welds in Aluminum Alloys
with Argon Shielding ...................................................................................................................................29
12 Typical Procedures for Manual Gas Tungsten Arc Welding of Butt Joints in Aluminum
with AC and Argon Shielding......................................................................................................................31
13 Typical Procedures for Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Aluminum Pipe in the Horizontal
Rolled Position.............................................................................................................................................33
14 Typical Procedures for Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Aluminum Pipe in the Horizontal
Fixed Position ..............................................................................................................................................35
15 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Aluminum Pipe—Alternating Current in All Fixed Positions ........................37
16 Typical Procedures for Gas Metal Arc Welding Aluminum Pipe in the Horizontal Rolled Position .........38
17 Typical Procedures for Gas Metal Arc Welding of Fillet Welds in Aluminum Alloys with
Argon Shielding ...........................................................................................................................................40
18 Typical Procedures for Manual Gas Tungsten Arc Welding of Fillet Welds in Aluminum
with AC and Argon Shielding......................................................................................................................42

xi
 List of Figures
Figure Page No.
1 Typical Extrusion Shapes for Shipbuilding Applications..............................................................................6
2 Typical Joint Designs for Gas Shielded Arc Welding of Aluminum ..........................................................13
3 Typical Band Saw Blade Design for Aluminum .........................................................................................13
4 Teeth Arrangements for Circular Saws for Aluminum................................................................................13
5 Vixon File for Aluminum ............................................................................................................................14
6 Chisel Designs Suitable for Aluminum .......................................................................................................15
7 Typical Semiautomatic Gas Metal Arc Welding Guns................................................................................19
8 Typical Water-Cooled Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Torch ..........................................................................21
9 Equipment Setup for Arc Stud Welding of Aluminum................................................................................23
10 Wrap-Around Guided Bend Test Jig ...........................................................................................................25
11 Design of Master Weld Joints to Provide for Fit-up in Position..................................................................27
12 Typical Joint Designs for Arc Welding of Aluminum.................................................................................28
13 Sizes of Double Fillet Welds to Fully Connect As-Welded 5086-H116 Members at Right Angles ...........44
14 Size of Double Fillet Welds to Fully Connect A5s-Welded 6061-T6 Members at Right Angles ...............45
15 Welding Sequence for Large Doubler Plate ................................................................................................46
16 General Design of an Insert Plate ................................................................................................................47
17 Proper Design of Snipes and Scallops .........................................................................................................48
18 Welded Oil or Water Stop at Intersecting Members....................................................................................49
19 Typical Strongbacks for Maintaining Alignment During Welding .............................................................50
20 Welding Sequence for Plate Butt and Adjacent Seams ...............................................................................51
21 Typical Welding Sequence for Plate Butts and Seams where Butts are Staggered .....................................52
22 Welding Sequence at the Intersection of Plate Butts and Seams .................................................................53
23 Typical Welding Sequence for Plate Butt and Adjacent Seams where Internal Framing is Attached ........54
24 Typical Welding Sequence for Large Subassembled Plate Panels ..............................................................54
25 Placement of Starting and Stopping Tabs at the Ends of a Repair Weld Groove........................................54
26 Correction of Distortion in a Panel by Welding on the Concave Side, Using a Predetermined Pattern .....54
27 Welding Sequence for Side Shell Plate Repair ............................................................................................56
28 Technique for Repairing a Crack by Welding .............................................................................................56
29 Nomograph for Copper Ground Cable Size.................................................................................................57
30 Nomograph for Copper Electrode Lead Cable Size.....................................................................................58
B1 Double-Square-Groove Welds, Convex Beads............................................................................................65
B2 Single-V-Groove Welds, No Root Opening, Welded Flush ........................................................................65
B3 Single-V-Groove Welds, 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) Root Opening, Welded Flush...................................................66
B4 Double-V-Groove Welds .............................................................................................................................66
B5 Single-V-Groove Welds, 45° Groove Angles, with Backing Strip..............................................................67
B6 Single-V-Groove Welds, 60° Groove Angle, with Backing Strip ...............................................................67
B7 Single-V-Groove Welds, 75° Groove Angle, with Backing Strip ...............................................................68
B8 Single-V-Groove Welds, 90° Groove Angle, with Backing Strip ...............................................................68
B9 Single- and Double-Bevel-Groove Welds ...................................................................................................69
B10 Single-U-Groove Welds...............................................................................................................................69
B11 Filler Metal Requirements for Fillet Welds with Equal Leg Lengths..........................................................70

xii
 AWS D3.7:2004

Guide for Aluminum Hull Welding

1. General referred to as MIG welding, is employed for over 90% of

the joining in a welded aluminum hull because it is much
1.1 Scope. This standard makes sole use of U.S. Custom- faster than GTAW. This process also uses an inert gas
ary Units. Approximate mathematical equivalents in the shield, but employs a continuous aluminum wire elec-
International System of Units (SI) are provided for com- trode that provides filler metal as it is fed mechanically
parison in parentheses or in appropriate columns in through a welding gun. Introduced in 1948, GMAW is
tables and figures. suitable for production welding of aluminum of 1/16 in.
This guide provides information on proven processes, (1.6 mm) thickness and greater.
techniques, and procedures for welding aluminum hulls
and related ship structures. The information presented 1.3 Comparison of Welding Processes. The gas
applies chiefly to the welding of aluminum hulls that are shielded arc welding processes GMAW and GTAW
over 30 ft (9 m) in length and made of sheet and plate offer speed, good weld strength, and ease of operation in
1/8 in. (3.2 mm) thick and greater. Thin-gage aluminum all positions on a wide range of aluminum thicknesses
welding usually requires specific procedures in the area and joint types.
of fixturing, welding sequence, and other techniques for Inert gas shielded arc welded joints in aluminum
distortion control that are not necessarily applicable to alloys, generally recommended for marine use, retain a
thick plates. Similarly, the choice of welding process high percentage of the original base metal strength. Sim-
or applicable process conditions, or both, also differs ilarly, properly made welded joints, produced with the
according to thickness. correct filler metals have virtually the same corrosion
resistance as the base metal.
1.2 Welding Processes. The inert gas shielded welding Oxyfuel gas and shielded metal arc welding are not
processes have been employed as the principal joining suitable for aluminum ship structures because weld qual-
method for the majority of aluminum naval and merchant ity is inadequate, and the residual chlorides from the flux
ship structures built since the early 1950s. In their basic must be removed.
forms, these processes employ two distinct types of elec-
trodes, although both use a protective shield of inert gas 1.4 Serviceability of Welded Aluminum Hulls. Service
to prevent oxidation of the hot metal in the weld zone. records of welded aluminum craft and other marine
structures are excellent. Maintenance and repair cost
1.2.1 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW).1 The
records of hulls, which have been in service for 20 years
first inert gas welding process to be developed was gas
or more, are impressive.
tungsten arc welding which is sometimes referred to as
In many respects, preparation of aluminum hull plate
TIG welding. Introduced in 1941, this process uses a non-
for welding is simpler and more flexible than preparation
consumable tungsten electrode. Inert gas is fed through
of steel plate. Portable routers and radial saws, operating
the welding torch while filler metal, when required, is
at relatively high speeds, and plasma arc cutting are
added into the weld pool separately by hand or machine.
widely used to advantage in cutting aluminum.
1.2.2 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW).2 The sec- Machining operations to provide the required joint
ond process, gas metal arc welding, which is sometimes geometry for sound welds usually can be done with the
same equipment employed for steel, but the cutting tools
1. Refer to AWS C5.5/C5.5M, Recommended Practices for should be designed for aluminum. Shipyards already
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, and the Welding Handbook, Vol. 2, equipped with plate milling and planing machines, for
8th Ed. 73–108. example, employ the equipment for aluminum edge
2. Refer to AWS C5.6, Recommended Practices for Gas Metal Arc preparation using tools properly shaped for cutting
Welding, and the Welding Handbook, Vol. 2, 8th Ed. 109–156. aluminum.