TIG welding & MIG welding
Welding joins metals and/or thermoplastics together using high heat to melt the materials and then allowing them to cool causing fusion. Unlike lower temperature metal-joining techniques such as brazing and soldering which do not melt the material.
Many times, in addition to melting the base metal a filler material us used to form a pool of molten material (known as the weld pool) that cools to form a joint that is typically stronger than the base material (parent metal). Examples of this are full penetration, butt, and fillet welding).
Pressure may also be used to produce a strong weld. Proshort also uses state-of-the-art TIG & MIG welding processes to ensure a shield is formed to ensure the melted metals or filler metals are not contaminated or oxidized.
TIG welding, also known as gas tungsten arc welding or inert gas tungsten (tungsten, inert gas) welding or GTAW uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. Argon or helium are inert shielding gases that protect the materials from atmospheric or oxidation contamination. TIG welding is mostly used to weld thin sections of stainless steel or non-ferrous metals such as carbon or stainless steels, copper alloys, aluminum or magnesium. This welding process gives the operator great control over the weld versus other welding processes – thereby allowing for stronger and higher quality welds.
TIG welding is the primary welding process for the aerospace industry and when welding small-diameter, thin wall tubing such as used in the bicycle industry. GTAW is also often used to make first pass welds for piping. This process is also used to repair tools and dies or components made of aluminum or magnesium. No other welding process is used with so many types of alloys in so many product configurations. GTAW welds are also highly resistant to corrosion or cracking over time, making it a premier choice for critical operations like sealing or for hazardous locations.
MIG welding, also known as gas to metal arc welding or MIG (metal, inert gas or GMAW uses an electric arc and consumable MIG wire electrode to heat the workpiece metal(s), causing them to fuse (melt and join). The MIG welding process feeds a shielding gas through the welding gun, which shields the process from atmospheric contamination. The four primary methods of metal transfer in MIG Welding are called globular, spray, pulsed-spray and shirt-circuiting. Each process has distinct advantages and limitations.
MIG welding is faster than most other types of welding processes. It is commonly used for steels, aluminum, and non-ferrous materials. Because it is so versatile and adapts perfectly to robotic automation it is used often in the industrial sector. Because it doesn’t use a shielding gas it is rarely used outdoors or where the air is moving.
Other common current welding techniques include shielded metal arc welding (SMAW also known as “stick welding”), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), submerged arc welding (SAW or sub arc), and electroslag welding (ESW, used for thick materials).
There are many energy welding sources, such as: laser, gas flame (chemical), an electric arc (electrical), an electron beam, friction, and ultrasound.
Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each type of welding process, the materials and energy sources are what separates our technicians from the pack.
We are your one stop shop with all our in-house services: laser cutting, press brake bending, shearing, milling, vibratory finishing, PEM insertion, forming, drilling, TIG welding & MIG welding, and painting. Combined with our our-sourced operations: plating, anodizing, powder coating and passivating services we are your turnkey prototype and short run parts provider.
Contact Proshort now for your TIG & MIG welding needs.