top of page

How Does A MIG Welder Work?

 

The Metal Inert Gas or MIG welder has been developed since the 1940's and has become the choice way to weld. It uses a procedure called gas metal arc welding (GMAW). It is a relatively simple process. It uses a welding gun to control the feeding of wire, also known as the electrode and distributes a stream of inert or semi-inert gas over the join to protect the process.

 

These days the most common gas to be used is the semi-inert gas known as carbon dioxide as this is check and works effectively on most metals. Gasses such as argon is also used when working with metals such as aluminum as it produces fewer splatters, giving a better finish.

 

The GMAW process has many more benefits compared with other types of processes. One of these advantages is that the gun has a trigger to control the electrode, allowing you to have more control and position the tip without the danger of striking an arc by accident. Once it is in the place you want, all you have to do is flip down your helmet and pull the trigger.

 

The shielding gasses which are either inert (for a better result) or semi-inert (cheaper) are used to protect the join and smooth and clean the joins. That way there is no need to clean off any slag. The process also allows work to be performed at reduced amps so that it can be used for thinner metals and sheet metal. A DC is always used for this as using alternating currents does not provide a steady arc reducing the effectiveness of the job. Know about the best corded drill here!

 

It also lets you adjust the amps, the voltage and the wire feed speed allowing you to have total control over the welding result. There is a valve on the handle that can control the flow of gas as well.

 

You can also use a MIG welder even without the gas to shield the joint. The process is called flux cored arc welding (FCAW). This process uses a wire that has a hollow core that is filled with flux to produce a clean join. This allows you to work outdoors as you don't need the shielding gas. As a result, the flux core wire is hotter and can be used for thicker joins. A resulting problem is that you will need to clean the slag from the joint. Learn about the best miter saw here!

 

Visit this website at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-welder/volusion-launches-ecommer_b_9443888.html for more details about welding.

bottom of page