Why Mig Welding Is Faster Than Stick Welding

Have you seen mig welding in action? Maybe a better question is, have you ever wonder how welders produce those sharp, clean, and continuous welds that seem to go on for minutes?

See how that welder switches from an aluminum plate to another aluminum plate and restarts the welding process without pause? If you've been in awe at the nice strokes welding tools have produced in the past, you were probably looking at a MIG welder.

MIG, short for metal inert gas, is a welding process that specializes in covering aluminum and other metals not made of iron. Working on automatic or semi automatic, MIG welders use welding guns that contain a wire connected to an electric current which joins metals together. Along with this process, inert gas is also passed through the welding gun to protect against contaminants to ensure a clean weld.

One of the benefits of mig welding is that it is a faster procedure than manual stick welding. Because aluminum is so soft, this technique is ideal for it considering a slower paced machine would bore holes right through it. In the early days, finding inert gas was hard to come by. Today, carbon dioxide has been found as a legitimate means of protecting against contaminants, making this welding technique pretty cheap compared to other alternatives.

In addition to welding aluminum and other softer metals, MIGwelding works faster, provides cleaner welds, and can work with many different types of metals. The downside are its complexity (requiring direct currents, a steady stream of intern gas and unwavering control.) Given the inert gas' work, this technique cannot be conducted in windy areas. A third disadvantage is that it has a long learning curve, presenting challenges for even the most advanced metalworkers.

Since MIG welders require its workers to hold its wire feeders and rely on continuously fed wire on one setting that needs to have adjustments made to it depending on the nature of the material, it takes a long time to master.

Nevertheless, because MIG is relatively cheap, it has been a hallmark of manufacturing processes. The automobile industry has this techique on its priority list because of its clean welds and quick work. Wherever there is work to be done on non-iron surfaces, this welding skill provides excellent career opportunities. The manufacturing industry continues to remain a good fit in this area...a best bet for jobs, since the production process almost always involves some type of repair or maintenance with MIG-welding work. The construction and shipbuilding industries are also solid bets as well.

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