Tungsten Inert Gas welding (TIG) and Metal Inert Gas welding both have their pros and cons to consider when choosing which process is best for your application. TIG is good for intricate work that requires a precise finish. MIG is easy to learn and is great for a fast weld where finish is not as important.
- MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas welding, many times called Wire-feed.. Also referred as GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding).
- TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas welding. Also called GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) and Heliarc® which was Linde's trade name for the TIG process when it was introduced many years ago.
- The arc is started with a tungsten electrode shielded by inert gas and filler rod is fed into the weld puddle separately.
- A slower process than MIG, it produces a more precise weld and can be used at lower amperages for thinner metal and can be used on exotic metals. TIG does require quite a bit more time than MIG to learn.
- Square Wave refers to the shape of the voltage cycle in a welding arc. In an AC wave, a typical sinusoidal or sine wave, changes the voltage from positive to negative gradually, although many times a second.
- Plasma - The fourth state of matter following solid, liquid, and gas. Plasma is an ionized (electrified) form of gas.
- Duty Cycle- The amount of time a machine can be used at a particular output. Expressed as a percentage of a ten minute cycle, a 150 amp machine with a 30% duty cycle set at maximum will allow 3 minutes of use for every ten and a 60% duty cycle would allow 6 minutes of use for every ten.
- Inert gas - Used to shield the electric arc from outside contaminants and gases which may react with the weld.
- Plasma does not use expensive, hazardous gases, only compressed air in most cases.
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