The Importance Of Welding Machines

Welding is the process of joining two materials like steel, aluminum, brass, stainless steel, plastic or polymer and fusing them. Welder is the equipment used in welding. Molten metal or plastic called ‘filler’, is used to hold the pieces that are worked on, together. Different kinds of energy sources can be used for welding materials like, gas flame, an electric arc, a laser, an electron beam, friction or ultra sound. There are different processes of welding like arc welding, MIG welding and TIG welding.

SMAW or Shield Metal Arc Welding is also known as MMA or Manual Metal Arc or stick welding. This is used for welding steel;, stainless steel and cast iron. In this type of welding, a consumable electrode coated in flux is used to lay the weld. Electric current is provided by the welding power supply. This helps top make an electric arc between the electrode and the metals that are joined. The flux coating disintegrates and this results in a shielding gas which gives a layer of slag. The weld area is protected from any impurity by the slag and the shielding gas. The equipment needed for this type of welding are: continuous power supply, an electrode, an electrode holder and a work clamp.

MIG welding means Metal Inert Gas welding. This is also called Gas Metal Arc Welding or GMAW. This is used for joining aluminum with other non-ferrous metals. It is used to join many types of alloys and metals. There is very little splatter in this type of welding. This method is quicker that other traditional methods like the “stick welding method”. A continuous, consumable wire electrode and shielding gas are fed with a welding gun. A constant power source is required for welding steel or aluminum. This type of welding is mainly used in the sheet metal industry and is thus heavily used in the automobile industry. The equipments required are: a welding gun, a wire feed unit, a shielding gas supply and an electrode wire.

TIG welding means Tungsten Inert Gas welding. Reactive metals like magnesium and aluminum can be joined together with this process. Welding is done manually. With this method, different kinds of joints like the lap joint, the butt joint, the corner joint and the t-joint can be welded. When TIG welding process is used, oxidation is prevented. It needs a non consumable tungsten electrode and an individual filler material. An arc is made between the pointed tungsten electrode and the area that has to be welded. Since gas shield is used, the welding that is formed is very clean and neat. For shielding an inert gas is used. Thin metals can be joined well with this type of welding. It is used for welding aluminum, magnesium alloys, steel, stainless steel, copper, brass and titanium.

FCAW or Flux Cored Gas Welding Gasless needs wire fed welding machines. In this process the metal is heated, melted and then joined together. The joining is done by continuously fed, consumable tubular electrode wire. Constant electric power supply is required for this method. In this high speed welding can be done and it is also portable. So, it is best used in the construction industry. It is generally used in steel, stainless steel and rusty metals.

Arc welding needs inexpensive equipment and requires electric current. Resistance welding needs costly equipment and requires the use of additional sheets of metals to encase the material that has to be welded. A modern technique is laser beam welding or energy beam welding. This is very expensive but is also fast and accurate. Welding is becoming automated these days. The use of welding robots is done in the automobile industry.

The right type of welding machine has to be used to fuse two types of materials together otherwise the result will not be what is required. You should know for what purpose it is going to be used. Then you should choose the type of welding machine, the power supply needed, whether it is portable, what other tools and accessories might be needed with the welding machine. The accessories that might be needed are: the torch, the welding helmet, the welding gauntlet, goggles and the welding curtain.

Thus, the welding machines are definitely important and need to be bought and used with great care.