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Khushal Kumar

Khushal Kumar

Carefully curated and recommended by our expert.

Metalwork is exciting, empowering and challenging. Welding Machines enable you to shape metals to create desired products. The process of fabrication that blends materials such as metals and thermoplastics is called welding. If you are an amateur or a professional and like to see the sparks fly, this is the right guide to help you dive deep into the welding space.

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Types of welding procedures

1. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW):

It involves a manual process of stick welding. An arc is formed with the help of electric current, and it flows between the sticks and blends the metal. This procedure is recommended for industrial fabrication and building steel structures. Cast iron, stainless steel and steel can be welded using SMAW process.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Shielded Metal Arc Welding(SMAW)

Gas Metal Arc Welding GMAW/MIG

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG)

2. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG):

A solid wire with no flux is used for Gas Metal Arc Welding process. Weld puddle is protected with the help of shielding gas. GMAW is used to churn out good welds with minimal weld splatter. GMAW is also known as MIG (Metal Inert Gas). Direct power current source and supply of constant voltage is mandatory for this welding process. It can be used for welding steel, stainless steel, aluminium alloys, and silicon bronze.

3. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW):

This process involves using the flux inside the welding wire. FCAW can be used efficiently in windy conditions because in the absence of shielding gas, winds cannot impede the process of welding. This method of welding was introduced as an alternative to Shield Metal Arc Welding. This procedure is preferred for aluminium alloys and steel.

Flux Cored Arc Welding(FCAW)

Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

4. Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding (GTAW/TIG):

This process is used mainly for thick welding of steel and non-ferrous materials. An arc welding process with the help of a tungsten electrode is used to create the weld. It is a highly cumbersome and time-consuming process of welding and ranks low on the list of preferred welding processes. This process is best suited for copper, brass, titanium and magnesium.

Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding

Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding (GTAW/TIG)

Welding Accessories

For successful welding, welding hammer, welding magnets, and the wire brush are three indispensable welding accessories.

A) Welding Hammers:

a) Welding Hammers: They are somewhat similar to conventional hammers but with a tapering point on one end and the opposite end has a sharp edge. The handle is made up of wood.

B) Welding Magnets:

Triangle shaped magnets keep welding pieces in shape and ensure readiness for welding.

C) Wire Brush:

Wire brushes are a must for finishing once the welding is completed.

D) Others

Some of the commonly used welding accessories are MIG Guns and Parts, TIG Torches and Parts, Welding Clamps & Magnets, and Plasma Torches and Parts.

Safety First

For successful welding, welding hammer, welding magnets, and the wire brush are three indispensable welding accessories.

a) Welding area should not have any inflammable material in the vicinity.

b) Restrict use of welding machines for authorized people.

c) Wear proper protective clothing and safety glasses

d) Make sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy, if at all things go wrong

e) Do not forget to mark all hot metal with soapstone once welding is completed

How to choose the right welding machine?

Given the availability of a wide variety of welding options, narrowing down to one can be bewildering and annoying as well. Selecting the right welding machine is as important as the technique used in the welding process. Since there is no "one-size-fits-all" welding machine, so it's essential to choose the welding machine which suits your requirements. The four frequently used welding processes, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Flux-Cored Arc Welding ((FCAW), and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) have their fair share of limitations. It is, therefore, essential to figure out the factors which can determine which welding machine can fulfil your requirements. Some of the common factors are power supply requirements, type of welding material, material thickness, welding position and weld time requirements.

A) Power supply requirements

Arc welding requires a power supply to set up an electric arc between the electrode and the welding material so that welding is done at the point of welding. AC and DC are two types of power supply used by welding machines. AC welding power supply is the most popular power supply choice because it is easy to handle, economical but scores low on thermal efficiency. It is unsuitable for precision welding especially non-ferrous metals and alloys but works perfectly for iron group metal welding. AC power supply is not suitable for welding sheet of metals because of difficulty in starting the arc. AC welding is the preferred choice for TIG welding. MIG welding machines operate on DC power source. DC power supply ensures a steady voltage for the welding process.

B) Type of welding material, material thickness and welding position:

Short arc welding should be used to weld thin materials preferably in the flat position. Shielding gas, A-1025 (90%Helium, 7.5% Argon and 2.5% CO2), is the best to use of short arc welding of stainless steel. Spray arc welding in the flat position is recommended for thicker materials.

C) Weld time requirements:

Flux cored arc welding(FCAW) is famous for its speed and excellent electrode efficiency. It can churn out quality welds in less time as compared to MIG and TIG welding.