Up-to-Date Guide on Popular Types of Welding Methods
Are you struggling with choosing the right welding method for your metal needs? Well, knowing the difference between each type of welding is important to choose the most suitable welding method.
Read through the blog to understand the major contrasts between types of welding in order to select the best welding and fabrication services.
What is Welding?
Welding is a process used to permanently join two pieces of material together using heated metals, such as aluminum, copper, bronze, and steel. The process works by melting the two parts together in order to create a joint. Different welding methods use various heat sources — such as electrical current and gas flame — to melt the metal and form a joint between the two pieces.
Arc Welding
Arc welding is a popular and versatile welding method that uses electricity to produce intense heat. It’s often used for maintenance and repair work, as well as for pipelines, sheet metal fabrication, and construction projects. In arc welding, an electric current passes through the air between two pieces of metal, creating a powerful electric arc that melts both pieces, joining them together.
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW or MIG)
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW or MIG) is a type of arc welding that uses the heat from an electric arc generated from a continuous feeding wire electrode to fuse two pieces of metal together. MIG welding is commonly used on steels, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, chromoly tubing, and many other metals. As it does not require preheat temperatures, it’s often used in maintenance shops and when fabricating parts and automotive components.
Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
Flux-cored arc welding, or FCAW, is similar to MIG welding, but instead of a solid wire electrode, it uses a flux-cored electrode wire. Flux-cored electrodes enclose powdered flux components within the tubular sheathing of the wire. This allows the welds to be made with or without shielding gas, depending on your type and composition. FCAW is commonly used in outdoor applications where windy conditions make it difficult to use gas shielding.
Spot Welding
Spot welding is a popular method of fusing two pieces of sheet metal together. It’s most commonly used in the automotive manufacturing industry but can also be used to join metals in other applications. In spot welding, two electrodes are pressed against an overlap of two pieces of metal. A current is passed between the electrodes creating heat that melts and ultimately bonds the overlapping sections together. The process often doesn’t require filler material and therefore makes for a strong joint with the minimal post-welding cleanup.
This was a basic explanation for you to understand how the world of welding works. Welding is an activity of precision and should always be done by professionals or under the supervision of experts. As for your choice of welding, contact a local welding agency to know more about the technicalities.
