Whether it is arc welding or gas welding, each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Welding is a manufacturing process in which two or more components are joined together by using heat, pressure, or both to form a connection as the components cool. Welding is usually used for metals and thermoplastics, but can also be used for wood.

Here, we will discuss some of the most commonly used welding techniques in the industry and their use cases.

Please note that the welding types mentioned here only apply to metals. The following are the most common metal processing welding methods used today.

As the name suggests, arc welding uses an electric arc to melt materials before joining them together. The power source is used to generate an arc between the electrode (which can be consumable or non-consumable) and the base metal to melt the metal at the contact point. 

The welding area is usually protected by some type of shielding gas, steam or slag. This is because the atmosphere will interact with the molten pool and cause oxidation.

This arc can generate temperatures as high as 6300°F (3500°C), which is enough to melt metals such as carbon steel.  

There are different types of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), plasma arc welding (PAW), etc.

MIG or metal inert gas welding is another welding method that uses electric arc welding. However, MIG uses continuous solid welding wire, which is heated and fed from the welding gun into the welding pool. The two substrates melt together to form a connection.

In MIG welding, the molten electrode helps to connect the two metals. Therefore, MIG is ideal for connecting dissimilar metals. Shielding gas is also supplied through the welding torch to ensure that the welding pool does not interact with air, thereby oxidizing the welding area.

Some popular applications of MIG welding:

Tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) uses non-consumable tungsten electrodes to create an arc between metals. Protect the welding area and electrodes from oxidation or other atmospheric pollution with inert protective gas (such as argon or helium). Sometimes filler metals are also used.

TIG welding can work on AC and DC power sources. One of the biggest advantages of TIG welding is that it can be used to weld non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, magnesium, copper, nickel, and titanium.

Some popular applications of TIG welding include:

Flux cored arc welding (FCAW) uses continuous wire electrode, constant voltage welding power source and equipment similar to MAG welding. There are two types of flux-cored arc welding-self-shielded and gas-shielded flux-cored welding wire. 

The FCAW process can be divided into two types according to the shielding method; one uses external shielding gas, and the other completely relies on the core itself to protect the welding area.

The shielding gas can prevent the welding pool from oxidizing when in use, and it is usually provided from the outside of the high-pressure gas cylinder. The weld metal is also protected by slag to prevent the flux from melting.

Without the use of external shielding gas, the process relies on the protection provided by the flux-cored electrode itself. The electrode provides gas protection and forms a slag covering and protects the molten metal in the weld. 

Some popular applications of flux cored arc welding are:

Advantages of flux cored arc welding:

Disadvantages of flux cored arc welding:

Gas welding uses heat from a concentrated flame to melt metals and then connect them. Gas welding can be performed with or without filler metal.

Use a welding torch to control the flame. The oxygen tank and the gas tank are connected to the welding torch. The welder can control the flame by using a pressure regulator to control the amount of gas sent to the welding torch.

The most common is that we see the gas combination of oxygen and acetylene, which can generate 3200°C (5792 oF). Other fuel gases that can also be seen in gas welding are hydrogen, butane and propane.

Some popular applications of gas welding are:

If this article piqued your interest, then please remember that welding is a vast field, and new material joining technologies are constantly evolving. Not only is this interesting in itself, but welding is a very important field because many of the machines we use to make complex and common objects require some form of welding.

Therefore, welding is likely to remain an important part of various industries for many years to come. 

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