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Old 03-11-2021, 06:43 PM
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galderdi galderdi is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Brisbane Australia
Posts: 39
Default Joining different grades of aluminium?

Joining different grades of aluminium?

I am at the start of my project to build an Aluminium Spyder. I need to keep the total weight way down. This is essential to ensure I can get it registered. If I go over the target weight (550kg) I will be forced to pay for additional engineering tests which will cost thousands.

So I am choosing my materials carefully. There are certain panels which are structural. These will need to remain 2mm aluminium as per the design.

There are other chassis panels (not body panels) which are not structural. I plan to reduce these from the 1.4mm as per the design to 1mm.

The body panels will largely be 1mm in order to save weight. But I am a little concerned about the average Joe who wonders up while I have my head turned and proceeds to put a dent in the panel.

I have a couple of questions for those more experienced than I:

1.I have had a play with 1mm and once shaped it seems fairly resistant to minor/unintentional dents. Is that the general experience out there?

2. There are only a couple of areas likely to take this type of dent (Across the top of each guard / fender (Front and rear) and across the top of the doors. Would there be any issues if I used 1mm for most of a panel but welded in a thicker grade in the higher risk areas?

Any other thoughts or suggestions?
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