Here at Hi-Tek Balancing, welding is just one of the many services we offer. Strike that- we offer way more than just ONE welding service. However, we want to make sure our audience understands exactly what welding is. There’s a reason we can offer so many different services – welding can be done in a variety of ways!
The only welding process until the late 1800s was a process called forge welding, which for centuries had been primarily used by blacksmiths to join metals like iron and steel. This was done by heating the metals and then hammering them together. A few new manual methods became popular before welding technology really began to advance quickly during the World Wars in the beginning of the 20th century. This led to the invention of another manual method and several types of automatic processes. Today, researchers continue to study welding and are confident that new methods can be created to increase efficiency and strength.
The types of welding services that we offer are specific, different ways to join metals. The differences between the methods can be kind of subtle, so here are a few explanations to help you figure out welding !
GMAW is an acronym that means Gas Metal Arc Welding. Sometimes people refer to this method by the subtypes MIG (metal inert gas) welding or MAG (metal active gas) welding. Arc welding in general means that concentrated heat from an electric arc is being used to join metals by fusion of the parent metal by a consumable electrode. This process uses a filler metal as the electrode that becomes part of the object being welded, so the arc is created when the filler metal comes into contact with the work surface.
GTAW stands for Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. It is also known as TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding. This process is not as fast as MIG welding and also requires more skill. If you plan to learn how to weld, it is best to learn how to MIG weld before you attempt any TIG welding. This method of welding means that the arc is created between a tungsten electrode in a handheld torch and the work surface. A rod made of the filler metal is applied by hand as the torch heats the joint being welded.
The main difference between these two processes is the way the filler metal is applied.
SMAW stands for Shielded Metal Arc Welding, also known as MMA (manual metal arc) welding. This is a popular type of welding due to its simplicity and versatility. Basically an electric current flows through the filler metal electrode rod and creates an arc with the metals to be joined. The rod is consumable and has a flux coating that disintegrates during the welding and become a shielding gas.
These are not all of the welding services we offer, so stay tuned for a future blog article about some of the other types of welding. As always, contact us today if any of these services sound helpful or if you want to learn more about our company and how we can help you.
