What is Mig Welding? |
Mig Welding - which stands for = Metal Inert Gas -
is similar in principle to MMA welding but the method is more sophisticated.
A MIG plant makes use of a wire feed motor and a trigger activated welding torch.
The welding current is passed to the welding torch which has a continuous metal wire fed through
it by the wire feed motor. An arc is generated between the wire and the work material causing the
wire to melt simultaneously with the metal work piece. This produces a molten pool which creates
the weld, similar to that produced by MMA welding.
A gas is also fed to the torch during the entire process to act as the shielding agent, preventing
the molten material from reacting with the surrounding atmosphere. |
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There are two main differences between MMA and MIG welding. Firstly, instead of a welding rod, MIG
uses continuously fed wire from a reel. Frequent stoppages to change the welding rod are therefore
avoided and no re-adjustment between the wire and the workpiece is necessary, since the wire being
consumed is replaced continuously at the correct speed.
Secondly, instead of having a flux coated welding rod, a shielding gas is used to protect the
weld from the atmosphere, leaving little or no residue and giving the benefit of a cleaner weld.
MIG welding is more sophisticated, cleaner and easier but more expensive than Arc. It is
particularly suitable for welding very thin sheetmetals such as car body panels. |
Gasless |
Gasless wire feed welding is a different process which
combines features from both MMA and MIG welding to produce very simple, reasonably clean, no
nonsense results.
This type of welder is more similar to MIG than the MMA unit in as much as it utilises continuously
fed wire through the torch as the electrode or rod, to help create the molten pool. However, instead
of employing a gas as a shielding agent, the wire is cored with a solid flux - similar in principle
to an Arc welding rod.
This combination produces a hybrid that is very simple to use, fairly inexpensive and is ideal for
use outside in windy conditions. Thin sheet can be welded and there is no need to keep the customary
MIG gas supply. The resultant weld does, though, require some cleaning. |
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Technical Descriptions |
MIG Metal Inert Gas |
Where inert gas is used - e.g. Pure Argon |
MAG Metal Active Gas |
Where active gas is used - e.g. CO2 or Argon/CO2 mix |
MOG Metal Ohne Gas |
Gasless wire fed welding |
Which Gas Do I Use? |
| Material |
Gas to Use |
| Mild Steel |
Argon/CO2 or Pure Argon |
| Stainless Steel |
Argon/Oxygen or Argon/CO2 |
| Aluminium |
Pure Argon |
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Gas Descriptions |
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| Argon/CO2 |
80% Argon 20% CO2 (commonly). Giving a clean,
smooth weld |
100% CO2 |
This gas is very cold and therefore
cools the weld pool, thus requiring more
welding power than when using an Argon mix.
However, this gas is much cheaper than an Argon mix. |
100% Argon |
Used for aluminium. Pure inert gas giving
no effect on the arc or weld pool, but acting
purely as a shielding agent, |
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