Whether it is an automotive component or an aluminum rim on your motorcycle, there are sure a lot of things to appreciate about this material. Aluminum is corrosion resistant and highly resilient to direct force and wear and tear. However, aluminum is not faultless and can break or get damaged. When aluminum parts are damaged, a lot of auto body DIYers try to mend the problems on their own. Unfortunately, these repairs are usually easy to spot because of the visible flaws. To determine if your aluminum was repaired by a true professional you can look for a few common flaws that will tell you it definitely was not. 

There are obvious signs of alloy discrepancies. 

Whether it is a slight crack or dent, some people attempting aluminum repair will choose what they believe to be a matching alloy and make the repairs. The only problem with this is, there are all different grades of aluminum alloy, and when these alloys solidify after molting or being welded, they can turn totally different colors.You will easily be able to tell where a spot has been repaired on an aluminum surface if a variant alloy was used for the job. 

There are signs someone used a non-weldable aluminum alloy to make a weld. 

When it comes to aluminum alloys that are commonly used to make repairs in an aluminum piece, there are two different types primarily used:weldable and non-weldable. Laymen or regular folks don't often know the difference between the two and will assume all aluminum alloys will weld just the same. The issue here is some alloys will appear to melt down and form a fusion, but they will not actually stick to the base metal the way they should. This improper weld will sometimes leave a flaky, awkwardly positioned patch where the weld should be. 

There are signs that a joint was welded but is now broken apart. 

One of the greatest things about aluminum is it is a versatile material. If a crack forms in an aluminum piece, a skilled aluminum worker can make it look like that crack never existed through several different processes that are normal in professional metal working. When someone without experience tries to mend a crack in aluminum, you will almost always see a sloppily filled in rupture or a crack that looks like it was once bonded but is now broken back apart. 

Contact a body shop, like Exoticar Paintworks Inc, for more help.