Advanced Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Travel speeds are higher when welding aluminum compared to steel primarily due to aluminum's higher thermal conductivity. This property allows aluminum to dissipate heat more quickly than steel, which means that the weld area cools down faster. As a result, welders can move at higher speeds without risking burn-through or distortion associated with overheating.

Aluminum's efficient heat distribution also helps in achieving a more uniform weld bead. This characteristic necessitates faster travel speeds to maintain a proper weld pool size and to avoid excessive heat input that could lead to defects in the weld.

While aluminum does absorb heat well, this is less advantageous than its thermal conductivity in determining travel speeds. Similarly, while aluminum may require less filler material in some processes, this factor does not directly influence travel speed in the same way that thermal conductivity does. The assertion that there is no difference in travel speeds is not accurate, as the differences in thermal properties of these metals directly impact the welding techniques used.