MIG Welding Company

When did MIG start?

MIG came about during World War II. It was developed to help produce weapons and equipment faster. It was then used in the postwar booming economy, mostly in shops and factories.

What is MIG Welding - Metal Inert Gas?

MIG stands for metal inert gas. In stick welding the flux on the electrode melts and forms a gas to shield the puddle from the atmosphere. The atmosphere has hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases that will cause weld defects if allowed to get into the weld pool.

In MIG, a spool of solid-steel wire is fed from the machine, through a liner, then out of a contact tip in the MIG gun. The contact tip is hot or electrically charged, when the trigger is pulled and melts the wire for the weld puddle. This is accomplished in several ways. This article discusses short-circuit welding.

In short-circuit welding, small droplets of molten wire, heated when short-circuited, flow together to make a puddle as they touch the base metal. Inert gas flows out of the gun and keeps the weld puddle shielded from the atmosphere. Thus, metal inert gas. Inert means the gas will not combine with another element; so inert gases, like helium and argon, were used.