Gas Metal Arc Welding Machine

Gas metal arc welding machines or welders are employed for a special type of arc welding process that joins metals by heating them with an arc. They are widely used for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process. These welding processes are also known as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding process.

The MIG welder or GMAW machine makes use of an aluminium alloy as a combined electrode and filler material. All welding parameters are controlled by the MIG welder.The common type of MIG welding is also known as short circuit transfer. The consumables in MIG welders include shielding gas, welding wire and contact tips.

Working Principle
In these welders, the arc is placed between a continuously fed consumable filler metal electrode and the workpiece. There is a provision of supplying gas or gas mixtures externally to provide shielding. The metal is deposited only when the wire actually touches the work. There is no transfer of metal across the arc. In some MIG welders, a stream of small molten droplets is passed by spray transfer across the arc from the electrode to the weld puddle.

Gases used for shielding

• Argon
• Argon/Helium

Use of MIG Welders
GMAW machines or MIG welders are used in many different applications. Some of its common application areas are:

• Automobile manufacture & repair
• Ship building
• Aerospace application
• Power plants
• Refineries
• Pipeline construction
• Building construction
• Bridge construction