Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding, more formally called Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) is a specialized form of welding that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to create the weld. During the welding process the weld area is protected from contamination from the atmosphere by use of an inert shield gas, usually argon or helium, and a special filler metal can be used during the weld process (those that do not use the filler are referred to as autogenous welds). A constant supply of current is used during the weld to produce electrical energy. This is conducted across the arc through a highly ionized gas column and metal vapors which collectively are referred to as plasma.
GTAW is most commonly used by welders when there is going to be a thin piece of stainless steel or other non-ferrous metals that are going to be welded. These metals can include aluminum, magnesium, and copper. This process gives the operator the greatest control over the weld itself; much greater than what would be found in shielded metal arc welding or in the gas metal arc welding processes. The Tig Welding Aluminum yields much stronger, higher quality welds. However, using the Tig Welding Aluminum weld requires a welder who is much more sophisticated in creating these kinds of welds, because they are much harder to learn how to master. That is where metalworking company Vestavia has your covered. This also takes a great deal longer to actually make the weld than it does with other traditional kinds, and custom metal fabricators Vestavia has the skilled welders necessary to provide any organization with the welding aluminum services they need, as well as welds for other types of metal.
There is an alternate option as well, plasma arc welding, that uses a slightly modified torch so that the welding arc is a bit more focused. This process is often done automatically.
Applications
Aerospace engineering companies like Boeing and even NASA are some of the primary users of the gas tungsten arc weld, but this process has many applications. Many different organizations use the Tig Welding Aluminum for the welding of thin metal workpieces. Besides the space industry, this type of weld is frequently used to weld together small-diameter, thin-walled tubing like those one would find on bicycles. In addition to this you will likely find GTAW used to make what are referred to as “root” or “first pass” welds for piping of all different sizes.
In maintenance and repair this process is used to repair such things as tools, dies, and especially for components made of aluminum or magnesium. Because of the unique nature of the weld there are many different kinds of filler metals that can be used to make this weld. In fact, many welding aluminum services recognize that no other welding process allows so many unique different kinds of products to be welded with that technique. In most welds, metals like aluminum and chromium are lost during the welding process, but this is not true in GTAW. GTAW is closely aligned with the welding metals, reducing vitalization, while also reducing corrosion and cracking. This makes GTAW the preferred choice for critical welds like you would see at nuclear power plants or on space vessels. Vestavia recognizes this and this is why they have skilled welders to handle these kinds of welds, especially in welding aluminum services.
Quality of Tig Welding Aluminum
GTAW produces much higher quality welds when done by a skilled welder like the trained staff at Vestavia. The weld is so much better than the others because of the cleanliness of the weld. Besides all the equipment is free from oil, moisture, dirt, and other debris and impurities, meaning the weld will be much cleaner, and thus much stronger.
If a company is unable to use or afford the higher grade weld, then Vestavia recommends that they should ensure that all materials and tools are cleaned with a solvent like alcohol before they attempt to perform the weld. For the metals themselves, a steel wire brush is recommended to remove oxides from the surface, If there are rust spots on steel they can be removed by first grit blasting the affected area.
It is very important to perform these steps before the weld, especially when negative polarity is used. The reason for this is quite simple; there is no power supply used that can be used for cleaning during the process, meaning that impurities remain. To ensure that this does not occur and that a clean weld pool is maintained during the welding process, the welder needs to ensure that the shielding gas flow is sufficient enough to ensure that it blocks impurities that may be in the air. If Tig Welding Aluminum in windy or drafty conditions it is important to ensure that the amount of shielding gas is maintained to protect the weld, however, one should be aware that this will increase costs. Cost is insignificant when talking about a secure weld, but it is important to be made aware of this issue.
If welding aluminum, then the Tig weld may be all that you need to accomplish your goals. You should be aware that Tig welding of aluminum requires a master welder who has a lot of experience in this kind of welding, and so you want the very best in welding aluminum services.
While all metals can be Tig welded, this kind of weld is most closely associated with aluminum welding. This is especially true for gauge aluminum welding. While other types of welds can do the trick, Tig is ideal for aluminum. This has made it especially popular in automotive welding, especially for hot rods and motorcycles.
Tig welding is actually the most versatile of all the different kinds of welding that are available. This is why it is becoming ever more popular, especially among professional welders, auto makers, race teams, and car enthusiasts. It is a very precise kind of welding that can be used on a wide variety of metals, including stainless steel, nickel, carbon, magnesium, cobalt, copper and, of course, aluminum. For this reason it is imperative that for a welder to learn the Tig process. Failure to do so may leave you out of work.