Gas Metal Arc Welding Is Also Called Mig Welding

By Author: aldrin
Total Articles: 124
Comment this article

The gas metal arc welding process is also the same welding process as MIG welding in that it falls under the same category of being a GMAW process. GMAW is the abbreviated term for gas metal arc welding.

Within this category you have two main types of mig welding. Essentially this is a wire feed welding process and it can be either MIG or MAG. MIG means Metal Inert Gas, and MAG means Metal Active Gas.

When you are welding with this process you do need to use a special welding gas that will make a barrier between the welding arc and the atmosphere. Now with MIG welding you need to use an inert gas. The most common inert gas used in welding for either TIG welding or MIG welding is a gas called argon (Ar).
When you weld with this shielding gas it will do nothing to the weld itself. But in MAG welding you used an active gas which is most commonly carbon dioxide (Co2). This will actually make the welding arc slightly more violent and produce a deeper penetrating weld.

Co2 mig wires are very popular in Asian country's as the cost of carbon dioxide welding gases are much cheaper than mixed gas. A lot of larger ...
... fabrication workshops and ship building yards will use the carbon dioxide welding gas as it is also used for flux cored wires where high deposition rates and penetration are possible.

So to recap this article, the gas metal arc welding process uses a welding gas with a filler wire or electrode (commonly called mig welding wire) and then the mig welder power source will provide the required welding arc.

Mig welding can be performed in all positions. This makes it an all positional welding process, that is not only fast but is easy to learn how to mig weld.

Check out this page on http://www.learn-how-to-weld.com/mig-welding and also find out http://www.learn-how-to-weld.com/mig-welding/how-to-mig-weld.