MIG Welding

What is Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding?

The term “metal inert” refers to the fact that there are no reactive gases in the atmosphere of the molten zone, which allows for more complete penetration than with other types of welding processes such as shielded-arc or tungsten-inert-gas. The shielding effect provided by this type of welding can be used on all metals except aluminium. This makes it possible to use less filler material than when using TIG welding.

How does MIG work?

In MIG welding, electricity passes through a small diameter rod called a wire and heats up until it becomes red hot. A stream of argon gas flows along side the wire creating a protective shield around the area being heated. As the wire moves across the joint, heat causes the metal at each end of the joint to melt into one another. When the ends have been joined, the wire is cut off leaving behind only a thin bead of solidified metal.

Why choose MIG over other welding methods?

There are many reasons why you might want to consider MIG welding instead of some other method:

• It produces an excellent weld quality – because the arc is protected from atmospheric contaminants, the resulting weld has superior mechanical properties compared to those produced by other techniques.

• There is little spatter – since the process uses very low currents, there is almost no splattering of slag onto the surface of the part being welded.

• You don’t need any special equipment – most households probably know someone with a welder, if they haven’t got one themselves.

• It’s easy to learn for DIY projects around the home and garden – once you’ve mastered basic skills like starting and stopping the flow of current, controlling the amount of heat generated, and maintaining proper electrode alignment, you’re ready to start making your first welds.

• It requires minimal training – unlike plasma cutting, oxyacetylene torch operation, etc., learning how to operate a MIG machine takes about 30 minutes.

• It’s safe – MIG welding doesn’t produce sparks or flames so it won’t damage surrounding materials.

• It’s versatile – MIG welding can be done manually or automatically. Manual operations include manual feeding of consumables, automatic welding machines, and robotic welding systems. Automatic operations include robotically controlled robots, automated transfer lines, and fully integrated production line solutions.

• It’s economical – MIG welding offers high productivity due to its ability to perform multiple joints per minute.

• It’s environmentally friendly – MIG welding generates significantly lower amounts of hazardous waste than traditional welding technologies.

• It’s flexible – MIG welding is available in both stick and flux core configurations. Stick electrodes offer higher deposition rates but require frequent replacement; flux core wires provide longer service life but deposit slower.

• It’s reliable – MIG welding provides consistent results every time.

• It’s portable – MIG welding is easily transportable between jobsites.

This is just a brief overview of MIG welding. Of course, if you want top class MIG welding work then you know where we are.