If you are considering pursuing a career in welding, there sure is a lot to learn. There are many different welding processes that work for specific types of jobs and materials. Understanding the key differences between these different welding processes can help you to understand a little more about the industry. Today, we are going to showcase a few of the most popular welding processes and what materials and projects they are most likely associated with. Let’s get started!
Popular Welding Processes and Materials
Welding is an intimidating job. Not only are you working with metal, but you are also handling torches and lasers and all manner of incredible tools. The act of welding is absolutely vital to industries across the board and without welding, we wouldn’t be able to do much of anything! There are several different popular welding processes that can be used for a number of different materials. Let’s go ahead and outline them for you below.
1) MIG Welding – Metal Inert Gas welding (MIG) consists of a pair of metal pieces, a wire connecting them, and an electrode that develops the current. This type of welding utilises a shielding gas to heat up and join your metal. You’ll most commonly see MIG welding used on stainless steel, aluminium, and mild steel.
2) SMAW Welding – Shielded Metal Arc Welding is also known as Stick Welding for short. This is a basic type of welding that uses an electric current that arcs between your stick and the metal that you are conjoining. You’ll use this simple type of welding process when you are working with iron and steel. You’ll also see SMAW welding frequently used for repair and manufacturing work.
3) TIG Welding – Tungsten Inert Gas welding relies on a tungsten electrode that is non-consumable. The electrode helps to heat your base metal in order to create a welding puddle. This process includes the melting of two different pieces of metal so that they form into what is known as an autogenous weld. This is a difficult form of welding that requires a professional with a steady hand. You can use this type of welding for just about any type of metal but you’ll primarily use it for steel.
Welding is an incredibly interesting technique that has become absolutely vital to modern fabrication. If you want to successfully craft anything made out of metal, you’ll need a qualified welder at the helm. You can contact our team at K & K Steel in order to handle all of your welding and fabrication needs. We have been serving the region for over 36 years and we are ready to help you today!