A map shows parts of MIG and TIG welding machines
Do you need to have metal objects welded in your house? Or are you about to enter the job of a welder? Whatever you are going to do that involves a weld, you need to know about the two most common types of welding today: TIG welding and MIG welding. And what is the difference between TIG and MIG welding?
Please read the article below to get the necessary information.
Table of Contents
Overview of TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas Welding)
A welder is performing TIG welding
What is TIG?
TIG stands for tungsten inert gas welding, which is gas shielded tungsten arc welding. This method uses a tungsten rod as an electrode.
Pros of TIG
- The welded parts are protected from the atmosphere by gas.
- Electrode feed and filler metal are not compulsory.
- Able to complete a range of projects.
- The final products look beautiful.
Cons of TIG
- Welding rods slow down the feeding process.
- Difficult to install and utilize.
- Hardly handle grime.
- Expensive.
Overview of MIG (Metal Inert Gas Welding)
A welder is welding using MIG method
What is MIG?
MIG stands for metal inert gas welding, which is gas shielded metal arc welding. This method uses two electrodes (one is a metal rod, and another is a workpiece).
Pros of MIG
- Feeding very fast.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Easily process dust.
- Low price.
Cons of MIG
- Flood the welded part with a gas which can’t fuse with the metal.
- Continuous feed electrode wire costs a lot of energy.
- Filler metal is must-have.
- Only suitable for a few tasks.
- The final products are not good-looking.
What is the difference between TIG and MIG?
How they work
– MIG welding runs the additional substance from a spool via a torch. This coil leads the electrical flow, which superheats the material. MIG continuously feeds 2 consumable metallic electrodes to work. Thus it can pour welds very fast.
– TIG welding utilizes a non-consumable tungsten electrode to meld the original metals. After the two types of metal have become liquid, the welder will lather thin layers of the filler material on the weld cleft.
Process Time
One more difference between the two processes is the amount of time to perform a continuous weld.
A MIG welder can carry out his welding until the wire runs out (normally, a MIG welder should use a 15kg coil, but he can use less in smaller projects).
Meanwhile, a TIG welder will dab thin layers of filler materials on the slits and may need to pause between the 2 layers.
In general, MIG welding only takes time to melt the wire at first before continuously welding. Meanwhile, TIG welding wastes time waiting to dab different filler material layers. Therefore, MIG welding is more time-saving than TIG welding.
Shielding
Both TIG and MIG welding use a shield during their process. Nonetheless, TIG welding applies pure Argon welding gas (Helium as well), while MIG welding often uses a mixture of 1/4 Argon and 3/4 Carbon Dioxide for less expense.
Complexity
TIG welding is more flexible and adaptive but more difficult than MIG welding. Thus, the result of TIG welding is always better, and the weld looks nicer.
The TIG welder can alter different filler materials fast and simply by replacing different rods, whereas MIG welding requires changing a new wire.
So, MIG welding is more popular than TIG welding because it can complete the weld much faster.
Kinds of project
MIG welding can handle hard metals, while TIG welding is more suitable for soft alloys.
Welders often apply TIG welding to 5-mm thick metal workpieces such as kitchen sinks or toolboxes. To complete heavier works such as pipe welding, they may need to have a sufficient power source.
MIG welding commonly handles metals at a 40-mm thickness such as mild or stainless steel, and aluminum. Nevertheless, it can be used on a variety of thicknesses from thin sheets of metal to heavier objects.
Power source
MIG welding requires DC (direct current) with reverse polarity whereas TIG welding can use both AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current).
Conclusion
Though I could give you more specific information, all of the above is enough to outline remarkable differences between TIG and MIG welding.
Now you have known what the difference between TIG and MIG is and which you should use in your projects, right?
Thanks for reading!
Please comment below if you have any further questions.
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