Electric Arc, Mig, Tig and Oxy Welding Equipment: What are the Differences?

Welding is almost an art form of engineering that quietly keeps our entire world moving. Welding is used in just about every aspect of our lives, from the construction of buildings all the way to the planes that fly through our skies, but we still don’t know a whole lot about the process. When one mentions welding, typically the image that people drum up in their minds is of a person in a face mask with a torch in their hand. While this isn’t altogether incorrect, it is far from the entire story. Today, we are going to break down the different kinds of welding equipment that are commonly used in this industry. Put your facemask on, let’s begin!

Differences between the Major Welding Equipment

While welding is a fascinating industry, it is one that not enough people are informed about. So, in order to help spread some information we are going to discuss the key aspects of the major forms of welding equipment that are used in the industry. We are going to be looking at MIG, TIG, Oxy Welding and Electric Arc welding equipment. If you haven’t heard of half of the items on that last, don’t worry, we’ll get you a great foundation of information.

1. MIG Welding Equipment – MIG welding gear uses special inert gas in order to help protect the actual weld joint during the welding process. This process has a handle, a dispensing trigger, and an electrode. Argon or helium is typically used during the process but it is still a fundamentally electric one.
2. Electric Arc Welding Equipment – This is probably the most common type of welding gear and the one most people are familiar with. This welding getup relies upon metal housing that protects an electrical transformer. An electrical arc is created and resistive heat is used throughout the welding process.
3. TIG Welding Equipment – TIG Welding is a departure from MIG Welding in that it relies upon Tungsten as the primary heat-defying property. The tungsten electrode is non-consumable and works to deliver the current to our welding arc. This is a two-handed welding method that is more complicated than the prior entries on our list.
4. Oxy Welding Equipment – Our final welding method is a departure from the aforementioned options in that it does not rely upon electricity. Instead, oxy-welding uses flammable acetylene gas to mix with oxygen in order to create a blistering-hot torch.

As you can see above, welding is an intensely technical process. The four welding methods we laid out only touch the tip of the iceberg in the industry. If you are looking for help on your next welding project, turn to Sharp Welding and Crane Hire today. We have been in business since 1980 and have been steadily servicing all of Melbourne and the surrounding area.