Using TIG Welding

Welding is a method by which two materials are joined together by melting them at the contact points and letting the points cool down with them touching each other. A material called a filler is used to strengthen the joint. The filler is usually made of metal or in some cases special forms of plastic. The process is similar in some points with soldering. The main difference however lies in the fact that the materials to be joined in soldering are not melted only the material which is usually composed of something that has a lower melting point like lead. Since the materials to be attached to each other in soldering is not changed in any way it is a lot weaker than welding, where material becomes one. This is especially true in sheet metal welding.

For quite sometime the only process of welding that was available was the forge welding where the pieces to be connected are heated in the furnace while in contact with each other. When they reach a point just below melting they are then hammered together until their connection becomes secure. Although effective it took a vast amount of effort and time to do even small pieces of work with that kind of welding.

In the late 19th century new forms of welding were developed and introduced. One of the most promising is the TIG welding sheet metal. Tungsten Inert Gas welding uses tungsten electrode that is non consumable. developers of this form of welding recognized the potential of the process but there were a lot of technological difficulties that has to be surmounted first before it can be perfected. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that it was ti welding sheet metal was finally put i not use in the industry, especially in the aerospace industry, which needed a process that would give a strong weld to non ferrous metals. These non ferrous metals reacts quickly with oxygen in the air, that is why an inert gas like argon is needed to shield it from reacting with the air surrounding the working area.

TIG welding requires a lot of skill and may take years to be mastered. While it allows greater control on the work being performed it also needs greater skill in handling the equipment. Welders who can perform it are always on demand but they to be certified first.