Aluminum Welding Guide

Temporary backing strips are usually made from copper, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, or various ceramic materials. They are used to control penetration and are removed after welding. Care must be taken to prevent melting the backing material into the weld puddle.

Permanent backing strips are always made from the same alloy as the base metal being welded. Refer to AWS D1.2 for backing strip removal requirements.

Typically no root opening is used when using temporary backing material. A root opening is typically used when using permanent backing material.