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Mig Welder

What is a MIG welder and what is MIG welding?

Simply said, a MIG welder is a "wire feeding welding machine".

Wire feeding meaning that "welding wire" is continuously feeding into the welding process. They are the most common and widely use welding machines in the world.

From the home user to the welding and fabrication shops in town, to the Toyota's, Mitsubishi's and Caterpillar's, ......everyone uses them.

They are the most cost effective, productive and easiest way of welding.

When we say MIG welder, this is also what we mean:

mig welder, gmaw, gas metal arc welding, cigweld

MIG - Metal Inert Gas

MIG - Metal In Gas

GMAW - Gas Metal Arc Welding

MAG - Metal Active Gas

Gasless mig welder

Gas mig welder

Wire feed welder

These are all the terminologies that fall under the abbreviated "MIG".

During the welding process a gas is used to shield the weld puddle. This is the "Inert Gas" or the "Active Gas".

Originally in the early days MIG meant "Metal Inert Gas". Being that the inert gas, "is a gas that does not react with the substances coming in contact with it". The gas is used to shield the welding arc from oxygen and other natural gases in the air we breathe so that the welding process is done successfully.

Now days the term MIG is referred to as "Metal in Gas". As there are a variety of different gases that you can use in the welding process.

Not all of these gases are inert.

Some gases are designed to react with the welding process to make is successful. This is now an active gas as opposed an inert gas, so we can also call it "MAG - Metal Active Gas".

The general term that we use though is "Metal in Gas".

Some people might say they have a "gas MIG welder", which is what we were talking about. Or they might say they have a "gasless MIG welder". Meaning that it is still a wire feeding MIG welder, but does not need the shielding gas to operate.

These "gasless" MIG welders are usually used by the home fabricator or when there is lots of welding to do outside in the wind on a farm, or for on site jobs.

For the home fabricator the cost of purchasing or hiring a bottle or gas may be too much to be justified for the occasional welding job.

For the fabricator working outside in the elements, there is no need to worry about wind blowing the shielding gas away from the welding arc.

How does a mig welder work?

A MIG welder runs off electricity and uses the electrical current to raise the temperature of the base metal and fuse the filler metal (MIG wire) together in an electrical arc.

This is your welding process.

The electrical current is passed from the power point on the wall, into the welding power supply, through the welding torch.

When the trigger is squeezed the current then travels through the contact tip onto the MIG wire making the MIG wire live and conductive.

On the part you want weld, you attatch the "welding earth" lead. Then when the MIG wire touches the earthed part, the electrical circuit is complete. As a result, the electricity starts to flow making a flash of sparks and an arc is created.

This arc is welding, without it you have nothing. Rememmber that "arc welding" is the process of welding using electricity. Mig welding is still arc welding as it uses electricity to make an arc.

The 3 most important parts of a mig welder.

A MIG welder can be broken up into three main things.

• Power supply
• Welding torch
• Mig welding wire

These are the three main items to discuss when considering purchasing a MIG welding setup.

Welding power supply

A welding power supply is found in every mig welder. It is a big transformer that converts your 120v, 240v 415v, single phase, 3 phase etc electrical power into a useable stable welding arc.

A welding power supply can be of a very simple design. Whilst other high end power supplies can be on the cutting edge of welding technology.

An example of this would be a digital welding power supply. For one of the worlds best manufacturers of welding power supplies, you can go past OTC Daihen.

OTC Daihen

The welding power supply can have aluminum windings or they can have copper windings.

Power supplies can have different duty cycles. Power supplies can be designed to only work on single phase 240v or only 415v 3phase power. Some welding power supplies can have “automatic detection” of any input power and as such run on just about any power supply source. Power supplies can also have different output ratings. Some power supplies might offer only 120amps of power where as some might offer 450 amps of power.

Follow this link for FREE information on how to make the right choice in buying a welding power supply.

FREE information you must know when buying a welding power supply