Joining aluminum and steel

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Just wondering, is there any welding process that can weld a piece of steel and aluminum together? Is it even possible? Have any of you ever seen anything like this done before, or is this type of application strictly for a mechanical fastener.Thanks for your inputAndrew
Reply:One time while welding some steel one of my welder buddies gave me a piece of aluminum filler wire. All I can say is that it was ugly. I don't believe any normal process could be used to put the two materials together. Fasteners would be my choice or you could change the design to use only aluminum or only steel.
Reply:The aircraft industry might have an expoxy that's magic.  But other than that I think rivets, bolts and nuts, or screws are it.Sometimes I'll build cabinets into a fence or a wall.  When there's a brick arch above that means I've got to attach the aluminum top and back, it's one piece for weather protection,  to the steel lentil holding the brick up.  I've found powder activated fasteners work fantastic for this.What is interesting about this is if I don't predrill the aluminium, it's eighth inch plate, the fastener won't go into the steel.  But if the aluminum is predrilled the fastener will bury itself into the steel, usually three eighths wall thickness.life is good
Reply:Aluminuma nd steel can be joined using explosive welding.  The two sheets of dissimilar  metal are blasted together.  A common use is to create a joint between a steel hull and the aluminum superstructure  of a ship.   I have seen samples of the material and you actualy can see the ripples in the joint.  Ninety degrees to the one side the joint is a just a line.  Try this site: http://www.tribtech.com/Explosive%20welding.htm
Reply:I was watching a show on ship building recently and they were using strips of material that were steel on one side and aluminum on the other. I don't remember if they even said what the process was but they were a special factory-produced item.
Reply:The other problem with putting these two materials together is that the aluminum acts like a sacrificial anode. Which is good for protecting the steel but the aluminum corrodes unless there is no metal exposed. So the pieces better be fully coated and immediately fixed if one has coating damage especially in a saltwater environment that a boat might experience.
Reply:theres a feller on this internet   www.weldreality.com    feller named ed craig.  Personally I dont care for the feller but I think some of whats in his site is interesting.  Under "weld product"   there is a series of questions and such.  Like a ask and he replies or others can reply like in this forum.  They talk about the process of welding aluminum to steel.  Im not quite sure I follow the process and whether or not this is fusion welding or a form of brazing.  You can see it for yourself.  I apology I cant give you the exact address to find this bit of info, I saw it last night but if your interested its in there and theres a lot of good info, just some more than I can seem to handle for my mini redneck intelligence     well good luckCHRIS