Operating a Processing and Manufacturing Facility

Operating a Processing and Manufacturing Facility

5 Tips for Better MIG Welding

by Todd West

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is one of the forms of GMAW that is very common among hobbyists. However, some of those hobbyists produce inconsistent results with this welding method because they lack the tricks of the trade that are well known to the professionals. This article shares some MIG welding tips that will improve the consistency of your welding results.

Cleanliness is Key Always clean a surface thoroughly before you start MIG welding it. For example, grind the material so that you can remove any paint or rust on its surface. Surface impurities can cause porosity in welds because the heat generated by the welding equipment will be unable to go past the contaminant.

Listen as You Weld The sound that is made by your welding equipment can alert you to potential problems that you need to address. For example, a steady hiss may indicate that you are using a voltage that is too high. Similarly, crackling sounds point to excessive amperage settings. MIG welding should emit a steady buzz. Investigate any other sound that you hear. Fix the problem before you resume welding.

Change Contact Tips Frequently You should avoid welding with a worn contact tip. How can you know when it is worn? Observe the shape of that tip. Oval tips need to be replaced immediately. Otherwise, the weld arc is likely to be erratic. Erratic arcs produce poor welds. You should also change the tip if it accidentally enters the molten weld pool. Such a tip can no longer produce a consistent arc. Watch the discharge rate of the wire

You should never allow long sections of the welding wire to stick out from your welding gun. Keep it to about quarter an inch. Why is this important? A long section makes it hard for the contact tip to melt that wire adequately in order to form a clean weld bead. This is because the heat that is generated is spread out over a large surface area in the wire. The best way to have high-quality welds is to ensure that only a short section of the wire sticks out as you weld.

Observe Each Bead Each weld bead should give you tips about how to proceed with the next one. For example, you should increase the heat in case a weld bead is ropey or convex-shaped. Such a bead forms when the settings are too cold for the type of material that you are welding. The tips above will produce remarkable improvements in your MIG welding. Ask an experienced welder for additional advice in case you want other tips to help you to produce professional-looking results.


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About Me

Operating a Processing and Manufacturing Facility

Hello, my name is Freddie. While I do not actually work in the processing or manufacturing sector, I do have a lot of knowledge about it. I gained this knowledge during one long summer when I helped my cousin who owns a processing and manufacturing facility located in Sydney, Australia. On my first day, I really didn't have a clue what he produced or how the facility worked. However, as the weeks passed and I got to know everyone in the different departments, my understanding grew. I decided to start this blog so I could share my knowledge with others.

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