The 4 Types of Welding Bozeman MT

When it comes to welding Bozeman MT, the different processes can be separated into four main categories. We want to share with you today these different processes in order to show how diverse welding can be!

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG)

Gas Metal Arc Welding is also known as Metal Inert Gas or MIG welding. This process is one of the most popular in the construction and the automotive industry and is great for beginners who are just starting off. This type of welding is used on metals like copper aluminum, nickel, and stainless steel.

This welding process uses a thin, continuous wire as an electrode. As this wire is fed through the welding tool, it heats up and melts in order to form the weld bead. In this process, an electric arc is formed between the wire electrode and the metal you are welding.

Gas bottles must also be used in order to provide shielding gas while welding. This shielding gas is inert gas or gas mixture that protects against contamination.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW/TIG)

Similar to GMAW, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding uses an electric arc for welding as well as a shielding gas from an external gas supply. The key difference is that for GMAW the wire you are using as an electrode should be the same material as the metal you are welding and for GTAW, the electrode is made of tungsten.

This welding is used for automotive and also aerospace because tungsten is one of the toughest metals and it provides the highest-quality welds. However, this type of welding is more complex because the welder must use two hands, one to hold the torch and the other to feed the rod, and have extreme precision and skill.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

Shielded Metal Arc Welding, also known as Stick welding, is often used for maintenance and repair, underwater pipelines, and construction because it is portable! The reason that this welding process got its name is that the consumable electrode covered in flux comes in the form of a “stick.”

As this stick begins to melt, it combines the metals by heating with an arc. The cover of the stick also melts and is able to shield the weld area from oxygen and other gases so that an external gas supply is not necessary.

While this process is portable, convenient, and simple to learn, it doesn’t produce the highest quality weld. Stick welds are typically less durable than other welds and are prone to cracks.

Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

Flux-Cored Arc Welding is similar to Gas Metal Arc Welding in that it is simple to learn and it involves a continuous wire to be fed through. However, it is similar to the Shielded Metal Arc Welding because the flux covering provides a shield so that an external gas supply is not required. This process is mainly used in machining industries or by steel building installers Billings MT where thicker metals need to be welded.

We hoped you enjoyed learning the top welding processes. If you have any questions about welding Bozeman MT, welding Billings MT, or steel building installers Billings MT, contact Iron Works Construction today!