There are several types of welding. The most popular are MIG, TIG and Stick welding. Each one has its own benefits and limitations; you just need to find out which one is best suited for the job in hand.
TIG is generally more suitable for clean intricate welding, where appearance is paramount ahead of efficiency. MIG is a much easier process, but the results aren’t quite as good as TIG. Stick welding is useful for rusty metal or farm work outside.
Welding is not one-size-fits-all. There’s no “best process” for welding, you have to choose what’s right for you. The chart below outlines the main advantages and disadvantages of different types of welding.
MIG Welding
MIG welding is a simple process for beginners to learn. To MIG weld, you will use a MIG gun that feeds a wire electrode out of a MIG welding machine when you press the trigger. This wire electrode arcs with the workpiece and creates a weld pool.
MIG welding uses shielding gas to protect the arc from the atmosphere, which would otherwise contaminate it. The gas flows through MIG guns and surrounds the wire electrode.
Pros of MIG Welding:
- Good quality welds with little spatter
- Reduced clean up time
- Easy to learn
- Wire is cheaper than flux-cored.
Cons of MIG Welding:
- Steel needs to be clean
- Need to hook up to a gas cylinder
- More complicated setup than FCAW
- Not as good quality as TIG welds.
Gasless MIG (FCAW – Flux Core Arc Welding)
You can also use your MIG welder for flux core welding. In this process, you won’t use gas, but instead use flux cored wire which contains a core that will protect the weld pool from contamination. You can also use a designated flux core welder, which doesn’t need gas to work.
Pros of Flux Core Welding:
- Easy to setup
- More portable without gas
- Easy to learn
- Deep penetration
Cons of Flux Core Welding:
- Thicker wire makes is less suitable for very thin metal
- Causes spatter that needs to be cleaned
- Wire is more expensive
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TIG Welding (GTAW Welding)
TIG welding is a more complex process than MIG welding, and it takes practice to get right. The plus side is that it produces even higher quality welds.
TIG welding is done by using a torch with a non-consumable tungsten electrode and slowly feeding filler rods into the weld pool to fuse the metals together. It’s tricky because it requires you to use both hands and a foot pedal, but it produces really precise welds. TIG welding has a number of advantages and disadvantages, some of which include:
Pros of TIG Welding:
- Reduced clean up time
- Good for precise welds that require attention to detail
- Higher quality welds than MIG
Cons of TIG Welding:
- More time consuming than MIG
- Need to hook up to a gas cylinder
- Harder skill to master
Stick Welding
Stick welding or SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) is an old-school and inexpensive welding method. It’s used mainly to weld thick cast iron and steel.
Stick welding is a process in which a consumable flux coated welding rod/electrode is used, and an electric arc is formed between the electrode and the workpiece metals. During this process, the flux coating that surrounds the electrode then disintegrates and protects the weld pool from contamination.
It’s fairly simple to learn, but welding rod requires a bit more skill than MIG welding because the arc burns down if you aren’t keeping it at the right distance from the workpiece.
Pros of Stick Welding:
- Portable – No shielding gas or wire feeder is needed
- Produces strong welds, including on rusty surfaces and steel does not need to be clean.
- Can be used outdoors in windy conditions
Cons of Stick Welding:
- Inefficient as increased cleanup time and changing electrodes reduces productivity.
- Produces slag and spatter
- Lower quality weld
Manmohan Hebbar
An Industrial Engineer by qualification and a Digital Marketer by profession.
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