The idea of TIG can be traced back to 1890 but it was perfected in the year 1941. Russell Meredith, a welder from Southern California invented this technique. Needless to say that it was an instant success because people could manufacture ships, build airplanes a lot faster than before, and opened other many opportunities.
What is Tungsten Inert Gas (GTAW or TIG) Welding?
TIG welding uses a tungsten electrode in an inert gas shield to produce the weld puddle. The heat source for this type of welding is generated by passing a current through the workpiece being joined causing it to become red hot. A filler rod made from pure tungsten is then fed into the molten pool where it melts and mixes with the surrounding metal creating a strong bond between them.
What Is TIG Welding Used For?
No matter what kind of welding you are into, TIG welding can be applied to almost anything. You can weld steel (or stainless steel for that matter), nickel alloys, aluminum, magnesium, or even gold. This welding process can be a good option if you want to weld door handles, wagons, or bike frames.
For Thin Pieces and Metal
When it comes to welding thin steel, Tungsten Inert Gas welding can be the perfect option. The thing about welding is that you need to control the heat input. If you can’t do that, then the thin metal will melt easily. This is where TIG is so useful because it comes with pulsing and a foot pedal. Basically, you’ll be able to do your job easily.
For Industrial Applications
This is the good part. As TIG applies to a large variety of metals, Its industrial application is almost limitless.
Let’s talk more about it so that you can understand more-
- Aerospace: TIG welding process is used to manufacture many parts of an aircraft or spacecraft. The complex mechanism of a plane or a spacecraft relies heavily on the TIG welding process.
- Auto industry: One of the key components of our modern civilization is vehicles. Without a doubt, you need to manufacture safe vehicles that can last for a long time. As you can see, TIG welding will help your case if you want to build a safe auto industry. TIG welding process can reduce corrosion. That’s the reason people implement TIG to weld car fenders. That way the car fenders won’t rust away.
- Repair Industry: TIG can also be used to repair stuff. If you want to fix things that are made of aluminum, then TIG can be pretty handy. With TIG, you can even repair toys for kids.
TIG Welding Benefits
If you are a welder, then you probably know that TIG welding has a lot of advantages. Let’s talk about some of the major advantages it offers-
- Ease of Use: If you are in the welding business, then you know that there are four types of welding- MIG (Metal Inert Gas), TIG(Tungsten Inert Gas), Shielded Metal Arc Welding, and Flux-cored Arc Welding.
Now, all of these welding processes have their own advantages and drawbacks. But if you are a welder, then you know for a fact that the TIG welding process is the most convenient one.
- Performance: TIG helps you to produce high-quality welds. With top-notch arc, TIG will help you to create clean welds. But this is just the beginning. TIG welding offers a lot more than that. With TIG, you will have no issues with sparks or spatter because you only need a fixed amount of filler metal.
- Productivity: It’s a no-brainer. As the welding process is convenient and allows you to achieve that top-notch performance. As it inevitably boosts your performance, your productivity will also increase. It’s a fact.
- Unique and Maverick: One of the many advantages of TIG welding is that it works really well on thin materials compared to all the other types of welding. From that point of view, it has to be said that the TIG welding process is actually better than all the other welding processes.
Disadvantages of TIG welding
While TIG welding does offer a lot of benefits, it’s not necessarily faultless by any means. The application methods of TIG can be a bit complicated compare to all the other styles. So that’s one issue with it.
Secondly, as it is not the easiest welding process, it will consume a bit of time. The bottom line here is that you need to be extremely skilled if you want to apply for TIG. In fact, you need to have the best TIG welders to do all the welding.
TIG Welding Careers
So is it a good idea to consider TIG welding as a profession?
Yes!!! absolutely. In fact, welding itself is a pretty decent profession. You don’t need a college degree to be a welder. So that kind of makes things easier. All you need to do is to complete a course that many companies offer. Then, you obviously need to work in the field to gain experience.
Now the real question is- “Do TIG Welders make good money?”
Well, it depends on various factors. For example, you need experience and skill to earn a decent amount of money. If you have that, you will surely earn a good chunk of money.
TIG Welding Careers in the United States
Now let’s talk about the job opportunities for welders in America.
The United States of America is definitely the most powerful nation and the main reason why it’s so powerful is that it has the most powerful technology. And we all know that technology leads to industrialization. You can pretty much guess why Americans will always need welders and they do have some of the best tig welders in the world.
An average welder in American earns $30,000-40,000 in a year. Now, if you are into TIG welding, then you should make a lot more than that. Moreover, the more experience and skill you have, the more money you will earn than an average welder.
Reference: protigwelders.com
