![]() ![]() The American Welding Society's official term is gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Meredith named the process Heliarc because it used a tungsten electrode arc and helium as a shielding gas, but it is often referred to as tungsten inert gas welding (TIG). ![]() Russell Meredith of Northrop Aircraft perfected the process in 1941. A few years later, a direct current, gas-shielded welding process emerged in the aircraft industry for welding magnesium. To solve the problem, bottled inert gases were used in the beginning of the 1930s. Processes using flux-covered electrodes did not satisfactorily protect the weld area from contamination. Coffin had the idea of welding in an inert gas atmosphere in 1890, but even in the early 20th century, welding non-ferrous materials such as aluminum and magnesium remained difficult because these metals react rapidly with the air, resulting in porous, dross-filled welds. Īfter the discovery of the short pulsed electric arc in 1801 by Humphry Davy and of the continuous electric arc in 1802 by Vasily Petrov, arc welding developed slowly. A related process, plasma arc welding, uses a slightly different welding torch to create a more focused welding arc and as a result is often automated. However, GTAW is comparatively more complex and difficult to master, and furthermore, it is significantly slower than most other welding techniques. The process grants the operator greater control over the weld than competing processes such as shielded metal arc welding and gas metal arc welding, allowing for stronger, higher quality welds. GTAW is most commonly used to weld thin sections of stainless steel and non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium, and copper alloys. A constant-current welding power supply produces electrical energy, which is conducted across the arc through a column of highly ionized gas and metal vapors known as a plasma. ![]() ![]() When helium is used, this is known as heliarc welding. A filler metal is normally used, though some welds, known as autogenous welds, or fusion welds do not require it. The weld area and electrode are protected from oxidation or other atmospheric contamination by an inert shielding gas ( argon or helium). Gas tungsten arc welding ( GTAW), also known as tungsten inert gas ( TIG) welding, is an arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. ![]()
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