Gas Shielded Arc Welding - GMAW - GTAW (TIG) The primary difference between shielded metal arc welding

and gas shielded arc welding is the type of shielding used. In gas shielded arc welding, both the arc and the molten puddle are covered by a shield of inert gas. The shield of inert gas prevents atmospheric contamination, thereby producing a better weld. The primary gases used for this process are helium, argon, or carbon dioxide. In some instances, a mixture of these gases is used. The processes used in gas shielded arc welding are known as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) (fig. 2) and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) (fig. 1). You will also hear these called TIG and MIG. Gas shielded arc welding is extremely useful because it can be used to weld all types of ferrous and nonferrous metals of all thicknesses. Now that we have discussed a few of the welding processes available, which one should you choose? There are no hard-and-fast rules. In general, the controlling factors are the types of metal you are joining, cost involved, nature of the products you are fabricating, and the techniques you use to fabricate them. Because of its flexibility and mobility, gas welding is widely used for maintenance and repair work in the field. On the other hand, you should probably choose gas shielded metal arc welding to repair a critical piece of equipment made from aluminum or stainless steel.

gas metal arc welding (GMAW) (fig. 1)

gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) (fig. 2)