Aluminium Fabrication Course

Lesson 1 • Workshop Layout and Housekeeping

Establishes safe, efficient workshop organisation principles for aluminium fabrication. Directly reduces accident risk and improves workflow throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment Selection

Defines PPE categories required for cutting, grinding, and welding aluminium. Ensures learners select and maintain correct protection for each task type.

Lesson 3 • Regulatory Compliance Fundamentals

Introduces workplace health and safety obligations relevant to metal fabrication environments. Learners understand compliance frameworks before operating any equipment.

Lesson 4 • Aluminium Properties and Alloy Grades

Covers physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of aluminium and common alloy series. Provides the material knowledge base required for all subsequent fabrication decisions.

Lesson 1 • Marking-Out Techniques for Aluminium

Covers scribing, centre-punching, and template use on aluminium surfaces. Accurate marking prevents material waste and rework in cutting stages.

Lesson 2 • Engineering Drawing Interpretation

Teaches reading of orthographic projections, section views, and title blocks. Translates drawing information directly into workshop layout tasks.

Lesson 3 • Geometric Layout and Development

Applies geometric construction to lay out angles, arcs, and sheet developments. Prepares learners for complex profile cutting and bending operations.

Lesson 1 • Hand Cutting Tools and Methods

Covers hacksaws, aviation snips, and hand shears for aluminium sheet and bar. Establishes foundational cutting skills before powered equipment is introduced.

Lesson 2 • Guillotine and Shearing Operations

Teaches mechanical and hydraulic guillotine setup for straight aluminium sheet cuts. Connects shear clearance and blade condition to cut quality.

Lesson 3 • Plasma and Laser Cutting Introduction

Provides an overview of plasma and laser cutting processes applicable to aluminium. Learners understand process parameters and edge quality expectations.

Lesson 4 • Power Saw Cutting Operations

Introduces cold saws, band saws, and circular saws configured for aluminium. Learners set blade speed, feed rate, and cutting fluid use correctly.

Lesson 1 • Roll Bending and Plate Rolling

Introduces three-roll and four-roll machines for producing curved aluminium sections. Learners form cylinders, cones, and curved panels to specified radii.

Lesson 2 • Stretch Forming and Hand Forming

Covers stretch forming over dies and hand-forming techniques for complex shapes. Builds capability for custom and low-volume aluminium component production.

Lesson 3 • Folder and Box-Pan Brake Use

Teaches manual folder and box-pan brake operation for sheet aluminium components. Connects tooling limitations to part geometry planning.

Lesson 4 • Bending Theory and Springback

Explains bend allowance, k-factor, and springback specific to aluminium alloys. Provides the calculation foundation needed before operating any bending equipment.

Lesson 1 • Fastener Types and Material Compatibility

Identifies fastener materials compatible with aluminium to prevent galvanic corrosion. Ensures correct fastener selection before any joining operation.

Lesson 2 • Structural Adhesive Bonding

Introduces surface preparation and application of structural adhesives for aluminium bonding. Connects adhesive selection to joint load type and service environment.

Lesson 3 • Solid and Blind Riveting Techniques

Covers solid rivet installation with bucking bars and blind rivet tools for aluminium. Learners achieve correct rivet set and head formation consistently.

Lesson 4 • Bolted Joint Assembly and Torque

Establishes correct bolt installation, torque values, and locking methods for aluminium joints. Prevents joint failure from under- or over-torquing.

Lesson 1 • Weld Inspection and Defect Correction

Establishes visual and dimensional inspection criteria for aluminium welds. Learners identify, classify, and correct porosity, cracking, and incomplete fusion.

Lesson 2 • Pre-Weld Preparation and Cleaning

Covers mechanical and chemical cleaning methods to remove oxide and contamination. Proper preparation is the single greatest factor in aluminium weld quality.

Lesson 3 • Aluminium Welding Metallurgy

Explains oxide layer behaviour, heat conductivity, and hot-cracking susceptibility in aluminium. Provides the metallurgical understanding that drives correct welding practice.

Lesson 4 • MIG Welding Aluminium (GMAW)

Teaches push-angle technique, wire feed, and shielding gas settings for aluminium MIG welding. Learners weld butt, fillet, and lap joints on aluminium plate and sheet.

Lesson 1 • Corrosion Assessment and Maintenance

Identifies corrosion types affecting aluminium in service and prescribes maintenance actions. Connects finish selection to long-term corrosion performance.

Lesson 2 • Mechanical Surface Preparation

Teaches grinding, sanding, and polishing sequences to achieve specified surface finishes. Mechanical preparation is prerequisite to all coating and anodising processes.

Lesson 3 • Anodising Principles and Types

Explains sulphuric acid anodising, hard anodising, and chromic acid anodising processes. Learners understand process variables affecting coating thickness and hardness.

Lesson 4 • Chemical Cleaning and Etching

Covers alkaline cleaning, acid etching, and deoxidising processes for aluminium surfaces. Prepares surfaces chemically for anodising or coating adhesion.

Lesson 1 • Welding and Mechanical Joining

Executes all weld joints and mechanical fastening operations on the assembled structure. Learners apply correct procedures and document parameters as they work.

Lesson 2 • Project Planning and Material Takeoff

Translates assembly drawings into a complete material list, cut list, and work sequence. Effective planning reduces waste and rework throughout the project.

Lesson 3 • Component Fabrication and Fit-Up

Applies cutting, forming, and joining skills to produce individual components and assemble them. Fit-up accuracy at this stage determines final assembly quality.

Lesson 4 • Surface Finishing the Completed Assembly

Applies specified surface preparation and finish to the completed project assembly. Demonstrates ability to protect and present fabricated aluminium to professional standards.