Welding processes and the right gas go hand in hand
As a joining method, welding has been around for centuries. Today, roughly 100 welding methods are used in different sectors of industry. Use of industrial gases (whether as individual gases or gas mixtures) to optimise welding processes dates back to the 40s and 50s. Since then, gas-based welding processes have emerged as the predominant welding methods.
Important gas-shielded welding methods are MIG, MAG, TIG and plasma. MAG welding is the preferred method for normal unalloyed steels, although it can also be used on stainless steels and other materials.
The 80s and 90s saw many welding innovations. These included laser, tandem and laser-hybrid welding.
An in-depth understanding of the ‘internal properties’ of gas components and their interaction in specialised mixtures is essential to the successful use of process gases in specific welding Processes. The welding arc itself, a highly efficient but complex tool, largely consists of different amounts of ionised gas and metal vapour. This means that the physical properties of the gas have a direct and immediate impact on the arc. In addition, the process gases make contact with the hot metal, a highly reactive area, in which the chemical and metallurgical effects of the gases play an important role.
AGA/WELDONOVA has broad knowledge of welding processes in general, as well as with respect to gases.