N. E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia:

B. F. Yakushin, Professor of a Chair “Technologies of Welding and Diagnostics”
I. N. Shiganov, Professor of a Chair “Laser Technologies in Mechanical Engineering”

Military-Industrial Corporation “NPO Mashinostroyenia”, Reutov, Russia:

A. V. Bakulo, Chief Welder, e-mail: abakulo@yandex.ru

Heat-strengthened aluminum alloys are new and very promising materials for welded constructions. They differ from cold-work hardening alloys (Al – Mg) by the presence of a two-phase structure (solid solution + intermetallic compounds). This structure increases strength and other operation characteristics (strength, hardness, rigidity) in two times and thereby reduces the weight of metalwork and simultaneously reduces the consumption of aluminum as a basis of alloy. The loss of the item weight is particularly significant in the aerospace and transport equipment, which are major consumers of light alloys. All basic structures are currently made of nonhardening alloys (Al – 6 Mg) despite the obvious expediency of heat-strengthening and availability of standard high-strength alloys (B96, B92, 1201, 1402, etc.). It is connected with significant reduction of weldability level of heat-strengthened alloys. In modern conditions the tendency of using heat-strengthened alloys in welded structures is increased and leads to the advantage, which is doubling the carrying capacity and reduction of the structure weight. However, one should take into account the undeniable progress in the field of technology and metallurgy of welding processes, which expands the range of weldable alloys by non-weldable ones due to the development and application of the expanding high-speed pulsed-MIG welding, laser welding, electron-beam welding and a fundamentally new method of friction welding and by new welding materials, microalloyed by rare-earth elements and modified by nanostructured additives of scandium and zirconium.

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