Welding involves the process of joining two or more metals together by heating the metal surfaces until they reach their melting point. There are different types of welding that include Arc, resistance welding, friction, and electron beam. Among different forms of welding, Metal Inert Gas (MIG) is the most common and it is a type of ARC welding. Here are four facts that you should know about MIG welding.
Safety First
Before you undertake any welding project, it is important to ensure that you have the basic welding safety gear. The safety apparel that you must have the following: boots, leather gloves, flame-resistant jacket, full-length pants, safety glasses, welding helmet, and skull cap. A MIG welder is a kind of shielded metal arc welder that utilizes high-voltage electricity to melt different types of metal. A combination of hot metal, electrical arc, and gasses pose a variety of hazards to the welder and other people who may be around the workspace.
MIG welding is likely to lead to fire and respiratory hazards. The metal you will be welding and other filler materials used are likely to produce smoke and fumes that can pose a threat to your health. Eye and skin burns are other hazards that you must take note of since they can affect different people around the area where the work is taking place. It is important to read the welding machine’s manual.
Learn the Basics of MIG Welding
Many people may think that welding is simple, but this is not true. You cannot get everything right from the onset without learning different things about welding. If you want to complete a welding project, you need to get the right information first on MIG welding. If you are interested in learning different things about MIG welding, this article can give insight into different things that you should know before you start working on a big project. This type of welding utilizes a shielding gas to protect the surface that you intend to weld from reacting with different atmospheric elements. You also need to familiarize yourself with different terminologies that can help you understand the MIG welding process. On top of that, you need to know the components of the welding machine.
Input Voltage and Amperage
The amount of voltage and amperage that you require when welding different pieces of metal depends on several variables. Some of the common factors that can determine the voltage you require include the following: shielding gas, metal thickness, joint configuration, type of metal, wire diameter, and welding position. There is a convenient reference chart that is located inside your welding machine that provides guidelines about how to use the welding machine.
The machine also comes with an auto-select function that helps you to choose the proper voltage to use depending on the thickness of the wire. For thinner metals, you should utilize lower input voltages while thicker material will require higher input voltage. A machine that offers both dual input voltage options of 110v and 230v is ideal for beginner welders. As you gain confidence and master the welding skills, you can adjust the voltage accordingly.
Metal preparation
The other basic fact about MIG welding that you should know is that it does not combat elements like oil, dirt, rust, and other contaminants. Therefore, it is essential to prepare the metal surfaces that you intend to join using MIG welding. You can use a wire brush or metal grinder to clean the metal surface. Any unwanted dirt particles may affect the performance of the solid MIG wire. You also need to ensure that the metal you are welding has the correct thickness to ensure that the heat reaches the entire surface.
It is imperative to check your cables and make sure that they are secure and tight-fitting. You must also select the appropriate electrode polarity. The polarity connections are located inside the machine. Another crucial step that you should take is to set the gas flow and make sure that there are no leaks on the hose. Check the tension to ensure that you achieve quality wire feeding performance. Use the manual to adjust your tension.
MIG welding is one of the most commonly used types of stick welding that is used for different purposes. MIG welding provides excellent results while at the same time it requires minimum effort. The electrical impulse that is created by the power source provides the right amount of energy to fuse different pieces of metal. If you want to understand this type of welding better, there are various things that you need to consider.
