TIG vs MIG, In the world of welding, you are bound to come across two kinds of welding: Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding. Both of these techniques first heat up the metal until it turns to a liquid state. After this, a filler is used to join the ends of two separate metals. Now, which kind of welding should you go for? Well, this depends entirely on the kind of work you’re doing.
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Difference Between TIG Welding vs MIG Welding:
Now if you’re having a hard time choosing between the two kinds, let’s make things easier for you by discussing the common differences between TIG and MIG welding and determining which kind of work goes best with each.
MIG welding procedure:
In MIG welding, we feed a metal wire which is connected to one electrode which then joins together the project that you’re working on. The wire basically runs the filler electrode through the torch and finally onto the liquid metal. MIG welding utilizes short-circuit welding. To prevent the liquefied metal and filler from reacting with gases in the air, the inert gas is blown over the weld.
TIG welding procedure:
IN TIG welding, we use a Tungsten electrode that causes a current to flow through the metals that you’re working on. Once the metal turns to liquid due to the heat of the electrode, the welder then dips the filler into the liquefied metal so that the two pieces of metal meld together.
Now that you have understood how the procedures of TIG and MIG welding differ, let’s discuss some other differences.
1. The difficulty of work:
For beginners, handling MIG welding will be easier as you just have to hold the welder in one hand and it continuously feeds the electrode to the liquefied metals. However, in TIG welding, you have to hold the welder in one hand and use the other hand to feed the filler on the weld puddle.
2. Speed:
The speed of a MIG welding operation is much faster than TIG welding so for operations that focus on speed and efficiency, MIG welding is the better choice.
3. Precision:
TIG welding offers much better precision than MIG welding. It lets you have better control over the undercuts and also gives a very perfect finish.
4. Size of your project:
MIG welding is the better option for larger projects which take longer. On the other hand, TIG welding is better if you’re working on a small project which requires greater precision.
5. Cost:
MIG welding will cost you much lesser than MIG welding so if budget is an issue, go for MIG welding.
6. Environment:
TIG welding is a much cleaner process as compared to MIG welding which releases a lot of harmful gases. This makes TIG welding eco-friendly.
7. Metal thickness:
MIG welding works better with thick metals as compared to TIG welding because it welds thick metal easily and quickly. This is because it uses filler material to meld the two metals together so the metals don’t need to be completely liquefied for joining. On the other hand, TIG welding is better if you’re working with thin metals because it provides better precision.
8. Type of current:
TIG welding can be done with both DC and AC. However, for MIG welding you need DC.
Which welding should you choose for your job?
As mentioned before, choosing between TIG and MIG welding is entirely dependent on the specifications of your work. Here are a few things you should consider:
I. The electrical conductivity of metals:
TIG welding melts metals by running current through the metals and generating heat. If the metals is an insulator of electricity or is less conductive, it will generate more heat and so TIG welding will be the better choice. If you’re working with metals that are good conductors of electricity, then you should choose MIG welding.
II. Type of metals being welded:
If the metals you are trying to weld together are of the same type, then you can choose whichever kind of welding you want. However, when you are working with different metals, it is better to choose MIG welding as it welds the metals using a filler material which will be more convenient.
III. Cleanliness required:
If you want the end result to have a perfect finish without splatter then you should choose TIG welding as it creates minimum splatter. MIG welding on the other hand creates more splatter which you will have to clean out once you complete the welding operation.
TIG VS MIG Pros and Cons:
PROS AND CONS of TIG WELDING:
Finally, let us list the pros and cons of both the procedures for your better understanding.
- More eco-friendly
- Deeper welding
- Better finish
- Better for thin metals
- Don’t need to clean up afterwards
- Slower
- Filler wire needs to be hand fed
- Expansive
- Difficult
PROS AND CONS of MIG WELDING:
- Wire fed automatically
- Faster process
- Easier
- Cheaper
- Works better with thick metals
- Less precision
- Less penetration
- Finish not so perfect
- Lower weld quality
Conclusion:
Now that we have explained the differences between TIG welding and MIG welding to you, the choice of welding is entirely up to you. We cannot say that any of these is better than the other because each of them have their pros and cons and entirely different purposes. We have given you a detailed explanation of all these differences. We have also explained to you how you can choose which welding will work better for you. We hope you will make the best choice which will give you the perfect results!
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