When selecting a welding power source for your garage or jobsite, the first place to start is usually determining which processes will be used most often. If you plan on switching between semi-automatic processes such as GMAW (MIG) and manual processes such as GTAW (TIG), you may want to consider a multi-process welding machine. This is because these power sources can switch between constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) outputs with the press of a button.
If you plan on doing TIG welding almost exclusively, renting a dedicated TIG welder may be a more attractive route. While you lose some versatility, a dedicated TIG welder typically offers an improved feature set for TIG than is available on many multi-process power sources. For example, alternating current (AC) output is critical for easily welding aluminum and magnesium. On dedicated power sources, AC output may even be square wave and have variable balance for improved arc stability and improved fine-tuning of the arc characteristics, respectively.
A Little Secret
Did you know that even dedicated TIG welding power sources are, in a sense, “multi-process”? This doesn’t mean you’ll be able to easily switch between TIG and MIG with good results; wire-fed processes such as MIG or flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) require a constant voltage output for reliable operation. But stick welding performs best with the constant current output produced by dedicated stick and TIG welding machines. This means that, if needed, you can attach a stick welding electrode holder in place of the TIG welding torch and produce high quality welds.
Why Use a TIG Machine for Stick Welding?
There are two primary answers to this question: speed when infrequently welding thick materials and convenience when performing infrequent field repairs.
Welding Thick Materials
TIG is a comparatively low deposition-rate welding process. It can be used for welding thick materials with minimal preparation, but high amperage is typically required which necessitates the use of larger (and pricier) welding power sources and water-cooled torches. Using a smaller power source requires that thick materials be beveled for good joint access and that additional filler metal is added a dab at a time.
When a particularly thick weldment is to be welded, stick may be worth considering due to its higher deposition rates and good penetration characteristics for a given amperage. This means that the job can be completed with good quality in less time. Of course, it is important to balance the need for post-weld cleanup (slag and spatter removal) against the time savings afforded by the improved deposition rate.
Field Welding
Field fabrication and repair welding is often more involved than welding in the shop environment: the weld joint may be located outside, with less-than-ideal equipment access, and/or some distance from mains power. TIG is often not the first choice of process for these applications. This is primarily due to the shielding gas that is required. Shielding gas cylinders must be transported relatively close to the workpiece and the shielding gas itself is susceptible to disruption in drafty environments.
Instead, the self-shielded processes—like stick welding—are preferable since less effort is required to adequately shield the weld from the atmosphere. Since both TIG and stick welding utilize a constant current waveform, the only additional equipment required is an electrode holder and enough weld cable to provide good electrode and work connections.
An Example
You spend most of your time welding relatively thin aluminum sheet metal, but you have a need to weld a thick aluminum plate onto a piece of equipment that can’t be easily transported to your shop. You rent a generator and gather your equipment. You could use TIG, but as mentioned, shielding gas can be quite inconvenient in the field and you are looking to cut down on welding time.
Your TIG welding power source provides an additional benefit: AC output. This allows you to not only perform stick welding but use aluminum stick electrodes which are typically designed for AC output only. This combination will help you complete the job quickly and get back to your typical welding operations.
Conclusion
In short, using a TIG machine for stick welding is perfectly reasonable for the occasional field repair or when an occasional job requires tackling particularly thick base material. The capability is inherent to the constant current output of the machine; it is not using the proverbial “wrench as a hammer”.
So, rent a TIG welder for your next project with the knowledge that you aren’t pigeonholed into a single process. But remember, if stick welding is the only process you intend to use, the feature set of an advanced dedicated TIG welder may be a source of unnecessary cost. When selecting the best piece of equipment for your application, be mindful of how much of your time will be spent with the primary use while staying mindful of alternate uses.
With welding, as in many things, having the right tools is crucial. As a beginning welder, the appropriate equipment varies depending on the type of welding work you plan to accomplish. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all option; the proper welder for working in a steel mill or auto shop is often out of place on a construction site or in your personal workshop at home. A welder rental provides the opportunity to find the best fit for your needs.
To put your best foot forward, take the time to learn about the different types of welding and the equipment involved. As a newcomer to the field, you can discover the important facts in the following welder rental FAQ resource.
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Many businesses perform welding tasks every day, including parts manufacturers, vehicle makers, construction businesses and repair shops. People who enjoy do-it-yourself projects can handle automotive tasks or home repairs with a good arc welder. Thanks to welder rental options, you don’t even need to purchase welding equipment to get the job done.
Two popular types of arc welding equipment are metal inert gas (MIG) welding and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. What are the differences? How can you decide whether MIG or TIG welding is the right method for your application.
MIG Welding Process
MIG welding utilizes a welding gun with a machine-fed consumable wire. This metal wire serves as the electrode and provides the filler material for the weld at the same time.
While you work, the MIG welder delivers inert gas (usually argon) to shield the weld pool and protect the metal from contamination. The MIG welding gun automatically feeds more wire into the molten pool as you advance, so this option provides “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” welds that are easy to start, direct and control.
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In addition to portable stick, MIG, flux-cored and spool gun welding, the GX300XL also allows you to perform in-field Touch Start TIG welding with Pulse capability.
DC TIG Welding with Optional High-Frequency
For DC TIG welding without high frequency, the GX330XL is available with an air-cooled TIG torch, gas regulator, and a K780 Foot Pedal, and a K930-2 TIG Module can be included which enables high-frequency arc starting.
For AC TIG Welding, add a Square Wave TIG 200
For AC TIG welding with high frequency, you can power a Lincoln K5126-1 Square Wave TIG 200 (which includes a PTA-17 TIG torch and a K5126-1 Foot Pedal) from the 120/240 VAC dual voltage, full-power receptacle on the front control panel of the GX330XL.
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Aircraft repair is a huge business! In 2018, the worldwide economic impact for global aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) was over $75 billion (USD), with an estimated compounded annual growth rate of 4.7% through 2025. The commercial air travel industry’s near-term growth outlook is 6.5%, with 20-year traffic growth projected at 4.0%. Welding is a standard maintenance practice in aircraft repair as described in the FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B. As welding processes and procedures have improved over the years, some parts that were once non-repairable can now be repaired by welding.
TIG Welder Methods and Materials
Welding is the most prominent form of joining metals in aircraft without the use of fasteners. The five types of metals welded in aircraft are 4130 steel, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium, each used in different areas of the aircraft. For example, 4130 was a prevalent building material in tube-and-fabric construction but is now limited to mainly aircraft used in agricultural applications.
Magnesium Alloy
TIG Welding is revolutionizing aircraft maintenance for repairs that fall outside of the original equipment manufacturer’s scope. Magnesium alloy is common in constructing transmission cases in helicopters because it is very strong and light; weight is everything in aircraft (particularly helicopters). Yet transmission cases were never made to be a repairable item. The original intention was to simply scrap damaged cases and replace them. However, a new transmission case can easily cost more than $50,000. Companies specializing in aero repairs have pioneered proprietary repairs on transmission cases and gearboxes that pass the FAA’s rigorous muster. These repairs can save upward of 90% off the bill of a new case or gearbox.
The approved method for magnesium cases is predominantly tungsten inert welding (TIG) for the extreme heat necessary to join the metal. Oxyacetylene can be used for this method of joining metals but it is not the best method due to base metal oxidation, distortion, and the loss of elasticity.
Benefits of TIG Welding in Aircraft Repair
Tungsten inert welding (TIG, also known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) is an incredibly versatile welding method and can meet most of the demands of aircraft maintenance. Because of its relative simplicity and accessibility, oxyacetylene welding was the standard process for many, many years. Still, TIG welding has dethroned it as the go-to method in recent years, particularly as TIG equipment has become commonplace and come down in price.
Changing Technologies in TIG Welding
In the early years of TIG welding, the inert gas most commonly used was helium, which gave rise to the early trade names of Heliarc and Heliweld. In time, carbon electrodes made way for the modern tungsten rod. We now find a highly versatile technique that is further enhanced by the ability to run either alternating current or direct current.
A TIG welder set for DC current, straight polarity, is suitable for all mild steels, stainless steel, and titanium typically welded during aircraft maintenance. 4130 is a low-carbon, chromium-molybdenum alloy and is very common in the composition of aircraft structures. The signature standard alloy is used in a tubular form for aircraft fuselages that employ a truss-type of construction. In commercial aviation, agricultural application aircraft (“crop dusters”) use this construction method exclusively because it provides a strong, rigid airframe.
Low Carbon Steel
Low-carbon steel is also widely used in the industry in the production of engine mounts for piston engines. For these parts, welding is the only method of repair available to help operators avoid purchasing new replacement parts. Considering a used engine mount from an aircraft salvage yard runs in the ballpark of $1,000 for a simple Cessna 172, fixing a cracked weld whenever practical is a much more cost-efficient solution.
Engine Repairs
Historically, aviation has been a hobby for the wealthy, and this is not just talk. If you have ever wondered why airplane owners speak openly about rebuilding their engines rather than replacing them with new engines, the figures will make it clear. Consider that a brand-new four-cylinder piston engine easily runs in the $40,000–$50,000 range. That’s not a misprint. A rebuilt zero-time engine for a Cessna 172 is still more than $20,000, and these are engines without turbochargers or superchargers.
Engine cases on aircraft piston engines are also often made out of magnesium alloys, for the same reason that gearboxes and transmission cases are: excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Unlike an automobile engine, which routinely only runs around 10%–15% of maximum output, aircraft engines operate at about 75% output during the cruise. Accordingly, their crankcases are subject to high stress and are prone to cracking. Also, since the engines are often repeatedly overhauled, the cases may have several thousand hours of use as opposed to the pistons and cylinder jugs, which are replaced at overhaul intervals. A new engine crankcase is predictably quite expensive, so the option to repair a crack by welding is far less costly.
The more complex the aircraft, the higher the cost of replacement parts. Turboprop turbine engine rebuilds (Pratt & Whitney PT-6A, Honeywell TPE331, etc.) often exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fixing cracks and building up casting defects and damage is a cornerstone of cost-effective repair strategies.
Other Weldable Materials Commonly Used in Aircrafts
Aircraft are exciting machines. They are flown through turbulent air at hundreds of knots, blasted with rain and wind, only to just about drop out of the sky and slam onto a hard runway. They are strong, yet they have to be light. Corrosion is a silent killer, and weight is the constant nemesis. Stainless steel and titanium are used in aircraft construction in critical areas where low weight and temperature tolerance are paramount.
Titanium
Titanium is widely used in turbine engine compressors and stator blades, subject to constant high vibration, extreme heat, and foreign object debris (FOD) that routinely includes pebbles and rocks, rivet stems, screws, loose hardware, ice, and birds. It is a harsh environment where titanium components are easily damaged. TIG welding these damaged components to fill in and blend the damaged areas saves thousands of dollars and considerable time in commission spent waiting on parts. Instead, repairs can be performed often on-site, and the engine reinstalled quickly.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is ubiquitous on aircraft, often used in ducting and baffling throughout the aircraft, exhaust ducts or pipes, and a slew of other areas. When, for example, an exhaust duct on a turboprop crack (not uncommon), it can easily be removed and repaired, again saving a lot of money and a whole lot of time.
Conclusion
Aviation is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world. The threshold of entry to new designs is so burdensome that old technology prevails. Also, old aircraft are commonplace. Many airliners, particularly cargo aircraft, are 20 to 30 years old, which takes a toll on metals prone to fatigue. Rather than replacing parts, it is fiscally advantageous to repair whenever possible, and most repairs boil down to a weld to fix the metal. Welded repairs continue to keep operators in the black and safety compliant in a transportation market where controlling costs and maintaining safety standards are essential considerations.
Companies involved in the pipe welding industry are always looking for new ways to increase productivity and win more contracts. At Red-D-Arc, our goal is to provide the best possible solutions to address their needs. Staff at our Red-D-Arc Las Vegas branch recently did a demonstration of the Apex 2100 Orbital TIG Welding System. The demonstration was performed on a 6.5 inch piece of carbon steel pipe. The Apex 2100 captures data about the weld in real time and allows the user to monitor, adjust and control the welding parameters throughout the process. A compact, lightweight pendant allows for convenient one handed operation and the simple interface is intuitive and easy for operators to learn. The system is also easy to service and maintain, allowing for maximum up time and onsite maintenance.
Our experts can provide a demonstration of this and many other types of weld automation equipment. Contact us today about the advantages that orbital welding and other welding automation systems can bring to your business.
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