MIG Welding

By Nicola MacKay 1 February 2021 No comments

WHAT IS MIG WELDING

MIG Welding is short for Metal Inert Gas Welding, it’s a process that has been widely used since 1948 and has largely remained the same. They changed the name a few years ago to Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)….but the name has never really stuck!

MIG welding is so useful because of the versatility when it comes to welding different types of metals such as Carbon, Stainless Steel, Magnesium, Aluminium, Nickle, Silicon Bronze and other alloys.

MIG Welding involves a solid wire electrode being fed through a copper contact tube in the welding gun, this conducts a welding current into the wire and an ARC is struck between the end of the wire electrode and the workpiece, and this melts both of them forming a weld pool. The weld pool surrounding atmosphere is protected by a shielding gas which is fed through the nozzle surrounding the wire. Your shielding gas selection depends on the material being welded and the application.

ADVANTAGES OF MIG WELDING

MIG welding gives you the ability to join a wide range of metals and a variety of thicknesses.
Generally regarded as one of the easier types of welding to learn.
High quality welds are produced often faster than other welding techniques.
Minor weld spatter is produced due to the gas protecting the arc.
Fewer stops and starts due to the continuously fed wire electrode.
No stub end losses caused by changing electrodes.
All-position Welding capabilities.

As with everything in life nothing is perfect, we have also included a list of disadvantages.

DISADVANTAGES OF MIG WELDING

Unsuitable for outdoor welding since you need shielding gas to protect the weld.
Cost – Consumables need replaced regularly.
MIG welders can only really be used on thin to medium/thick metals, it doesn’t deliver proper penetration on thicker metals.
Not ideal for portability due to the wire feeder and gas bottle needed.

So there it is, a basic guide to MIG welding. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any other information or check out our range of MIG Welders here.