Stainless steel is a great material to work with. Welders can use them in many applications, including home appliances and industrial equipment. Stainless steel’s clean surface and bright anodized finish make it a popular choice for professionals and hobbyists alike. You can also find it in many cooking utensils. You won’t find stainless steel in use for more than a decade. A welding company like Topweld offers and supports stainless steel in metal fabrication and welding. This article will briefly overview the materials and components required for welding stainless steel. It will also list some of the most popular methods. While most welding techniques can weld stainless steel, the quality has some limitations.
TIG Welding (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding)
TIG welding differs from other methods because it doesn’t use a consumable electrode that melts into the weld. As the name suggests, it uses a tungsten electrode. The gun creates a shield of gas similar to MIG welding. You can also manually add filler metal to the weld. While TIG welding gives you more control over the process, it can also be more time-consuming and more tedious. This is the best method to weld non-ferrous metals and alloys. For aluminum fabrication, welding shops in Griffith use TIG welding for delicate or thin materials.
MIG Welding (Gas Metal Arc Welding)
Stick welding is similar to MIG welding. The electrode melts to fulfill the same function as the filler. MIG welding uses an automated feed system to feed a coated steel wire with copper to the welder. The arc melts the wire into the base metals. This acts as the filler. The wire is not required to be shielded with inert gases. They are also ejected from guns. MIG welding is the fastest method of arc welding. However, it can be slow and tedious as you need both power and gas tanks. MIG welding should not be done outside as the protective gas can blow away in the wind.
Flux core welding, a variation on Gas Metal Arc Welding, uses a wire electrode with an aluminum flux core. This creates a gas that shields the welding process and then produces a slag.
Arc Welding vs. Torch Welding
Welding is a metal fabrication method involving melting metals with specific tools that can generate very high temperatures. The process also requires flux and filler metal. Flux is a substance that lowers the melting points of metals to make them melt more quickly. Flux is necessary because molten metal is vulnerable to corrosion regardless of its material. The formation of slag is a way to prevent this from happening. There are other ways to protect the atmosphere that you can find, as discussed in this article.
There are two main methods to get the heat needed for welding. Arc welding uses heat from an electric surge (or an arc), which travels towards the base metals to be welded. In torch welding, however, oxygen-based combustion produces a hot flame that melts materials. They are neither superior, so the stainless-steel fabrication shop in Albury uses a mixture of both to ensure the best quality work.
Stick welding or Shielded Metal Arc welding
Stick welding is the most common method of welding stainless steel. Stick welding uses a special electrode that creates an arc between the electrode and base metals. A ground is attached to these base metals to make a circuit. Stick welding is unique in using both a consumable flux and filler metal as electrodes. This allows you to do the welding process with one tool. Flux is a gas that protects metals during welding. Stick welding is great for connecting large pieces of metal and is affordable for those with a tight budget. Stick welding is not recommended for complex fabrications, as it can become messy.
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Conclusion
There are many things you should consider when working with stainless. Using modern technology, anyone can attempt metal fabrication. TopWeld can help with any project you have at home or work. We offer metal fabrication and welding services beyond Orange, NSW.
