Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding

What is MIG welding?

Met­al Inert Gas (MIG) weld­ing is the process where two met­al pieces are fused togeth­er using an elec­tri­cal sup­ply. It can also be called Gas Met­al Arc Weld­ing (GMAW). Whether you are open­ing a busi­ness that involves MIG weld­ing, want­i­ng to incor­po­rate it into a cur­rent process, or look­ing into automat­ing it, read on to learn what is involved with MIG welding.

What Equip­ment is Need­ed for MIG Welding?

• Weld­ing Gun: Both air and water-cooled guns are avail­able. Water-cooled guns are typ­i­cal­ly used dur­ing heav­ier weld­ing applications.
• Filler Wire: Alu­minum and com­bi­na­tions of car­bon-steel and stain­less steel are all avail­able depend­ing on the type of met­al you are weld­ing. When using filler wire, it is impor­tant to make sure that the con­tact tips do not show wear because worn tips can ruin a weld.
• Elec­tri­cal Pow­er Source: MIG weld­ing usu­al­ly uses DC pow­er. The arc length depends on the volt­age and the cur­rent depends on the wire feed speed.
• Inert Gas: Inert gas­es tend to have full out­er elec­tron shells, mak­ing them non-reac­tive. Argon, heli­um, car­bon diox­ide, or a com­bi­na­tion of these inert gas­es are com­mon­ly used in MIG weld­ing. The type of shield­ing gas can direct­ly affect the qual­i­ty and strength of the weld, so you must choose based on the type of met­al being welded.

How Does MIG Weld­ing Work?

Using a wire feed­ing sys­tem, the con­sum­able filler wire is passed through the weld­ing gun cre­at­ing an arc between the elec­trode wire and the met­al work­piece. At the same time, an inert gas is passed through the gun to pro­tect the weld from any air con­t­a­m­i­nants and oxidation. 

What is the dif­fer­ence between TIG and MIG welding?

TIG stands for ​“tung­sten inert gas”. The process is sim­i­lar to MIG weld­ing, but the elec­trode is made of tung­sten. It can also use alter­nat­ing cur­rent pow­er sources in addi­tion to direct cur­rent pow­er sources. Learn more about the dif­fer­ences to find the right fit for your indus­tri­al automation.

Why Use MIG Welding?

MIG weld­ing can be used for both thin and thick met­al welds. It quick­ly applies welds and is great for longer welds with­out stops. Impu­ri­ties and poros­i­ty can occur with MIG weld­ing. This weld­ing appli­ca­tion is com­mon­ly used for sheet met­al jobs, espe­cial­ly in the auto­mo­bile indus­try.

How to Auto­mate MIG Welding

Weld­ing is a process that tends to take time and skill. Though MIG weld­ing is one of the more user-friend­ly weld­ing appli­ca­tions, it is dif­fi­cult to pro­duce a long weld with the con­sis­ten­cy and pre­ci­sion desired. To help save time and mon­ey, you can auto­mate the MIG weld­ing process. It is an easy appli­ca­tion to auto­mate. MIG weld­ing robots are avail­able in mul­ti­ple brands, shapes and sizes. They also have flex­i­ble mount­ing posi­tions that allow for bet­ter reach. When automat­ing a MIG welder, it is impor­tant to make sure the welder is ground­ed. If the MIG welder ground­ing is not close to the arc, the cur­rent could find anoth­er path, which could lead to dis­as­ter for the weld and pos­si­bly the safe­ty of those in the imme­di­ate area.

Get Start­ed with Robots​.com

If you have more ques­tions, or you are ready to auto­mate, Robots​.com is the place for all your MIG weld­ing needs. Robots​.com buys and sells new and used MIG weld­ing robots that pro­vide more effi­cien­cy to the weld­ing process.

To learn more on how to auto­mate, upgrade, or pur­chase MIG weld­ing robots, con­tact Robots​.com online or call us at 877−762−6881.