WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIG AND TIG WELDING?

Welding is a fabrication process that joins metals by melting and fusing it. The base metal is melted right at the joint, and a fusion is created with the parent. A filler material is often added to the base metal to form a pool of molten material that cools to form a joint that can be as strong, or stronger than the base itself. Various energy sources can be used for welding including a gas flame, an electric arc, a laser, an electron beam, friction, and ultrasound.

There are various types of welding that are being used in industries today, but two of the most common ones are the MIG and TIG welding. Both these variants use an electric arc to make the weld.

MIG WELDING

MIG welding or Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) is a process where a continuous feeding spool of welding wire is used to burn, melt and fuse both the base metal and the primary metals together. This happens due to the arc created by the electric current between the wire and the metal surface. The arc melts the metal and aids in creating a high-strength weld.

MIG welding is a technique where contamination of the weld is prevented due to the inert shielding gas, usually argon, which flows through the welding gun along with the electrode. It requires minimal clean-up as it utilizes the weld completely and leaves little to no residue.

GMAW process involves the feeding of the wire automatically and hence, it is used in mass production industry to increase efficiency. It is used to weld a variety of metals such as mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. There is no bar on what metal thickness MIG welding works, as its strength and efficiency can be replicated on anything, whether it is a thin gauge metal sheet or a heavy structural plate.

A variation of MIG welding that is also commonly used is a technique called Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW). It involves an almost identical process with a few variations. The primary difference is the use of a flux-core wire to protect the arc instead of an inert gas shield. Because of the speed and portability that this technique offers, it is mostly used in construction where the conditions can be windy and the metals dirty.

TIG WELDING

TIG welding or Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) is a semi-automatic process that involves a manual approach. Here, instead of a wire feed, a non-consumable tungsten rod is used to create the weld, while the wire feed is fed by hand. The advantage of using a tungsten rod is due to its ability to prevent contamination of the weld. But inert gasses like argon and helium are also used to aid in the prevention of contamination.
TIG welding is done manually, and so it requires a lot of skills. It is used for precision in the welding process, and it produces high-quality and stronger results. It also produces a better-looking weld. Because it is not an automatic, machine-aided technique, it is only used for small scale requirements where precision is a necessity. It is also used for domestic welding purposes.

While stainless steel, mild steel, and aluminum welding can be done by both the MIG and TIG techniques, a specific set of metals like titanium, Chromoly, copper and brass can only be welded using the TIG method. And, only thinner materials are used in the TIG process. TIG welding is a cleaner process than MIG welding.

Welding requires a high level of technique and skills.Major Welding BC provides quality welding services in BC, whether it’s for domestic needs or business contracts. They assure only the best services and consultation. Contact them for assistance.