Welding Technology Offers an Option for All Situations

Welders use a wide variety of welding methods while working in the field. With recent advancements in technology there are even more methods available, ranging from the simple to the highly advanced. All welding methods follow the same general principles. All welding involves a welding gun which arcs electricity to a metal wire electrode, which forms a bond between the materials. The purpose of this article is to cover a few of the many welding techniques available.

Different Welding Techniques

Stick Welding

Stick welding is often the first type of welding a welder learns. Stick welding goes under a few other names as well, such as shielded metal arc welding, and manual metal arc welding. The reasons why this method is a great starting place are because it is versatile and because the necessary equipment is not as pricey as the equipment for other welding techniques. Additionally, since the technology is simpler, it is more portable and suited for outdoor work. The downside of this approach is that it is one of the slower welding processes.

Metal Inert Gas Welding

Another common welding technique is metal inert gas (MIG) welding. The name of this welding procedure has been updated to gas metal arc welding (GMAW) to more appropriately state what the process involves, but many still refer to it as MIG welding. This welding method is quicker than stick welding because instead of having to get new wire rods after one has been used up, the process uses a continual feed. This means that the wire rod keeps coming out of the welding gun, so it isn't necessary to stop and get more wire rod when one runs out. Additionally, since the arc is smaller, it is better suited for welds in less than optimal positions.

Flux-cored arc welding uses the same technology to MIG / GMAW welding, but the wire consists of a steel electrode surrounding a powder fill material. This core is more expensive, but allows for greater metal penetration and higher welding speeds.

Tungsten Inert Gas Welding

The final welding method we will cover here is tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, also referred to as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). This method uses a tungsten electrode, which unlike other welding methods, does not melt. Instead there is a separate filler material for the welds. The upside to this method is that it produces a very high quality weld, with the downside being that it requires substantial skill and time.

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There are other variations of these methods, but this covers the most common welding methods. If welding sounds like a good career for you, contact Tulsa Welding School for more information!