Considering the variety of High Frequency Welding processes available

Considering the variety of High Frequency Welding processes available, selecting the right one for your shop could be a confusing and difficult decision. In any manufacturing operation, matching the best process to the application can be the difference between profit and loss on a job.

Likewise, welding has many variables in terms of matching methods and materials. By properly selecting a welding process, many hours may be saved in production, repairs, polishing and grinding, or rejected welds.

The object of welding, whether it's done on a production basis or occasionally, is the same: to produce a quality weld in the least amount of time. Welding quality is determined by the success one has in creating a weld that penetrates sufficiently, without pores, pockets or gaps. Good surface finish is also a factor.

The most common welding processes include Stick, MIG/Flux-cored and TIG. Each process has its own unique set of benefits and limitations, works well in some welding applications, and not well in others. There’s no “one size fits all” — and as you will soon discover — for good reason.

Stick Welding — If you learned to weld years ago, you likely learned using an arc welder. Stick welding has, for many years, been the most popular method for most home-shop welding needs. Stick welding uses an electric current flowing from a gap between the metal and the welding stick, also known as an arc-welding electrode. Stick welding is an effective method for welding most alloys or joints and can be used both indoors and outdoors, or in drafty areas. It is also the most economical welding method and largely popular because of its ability to create an effective bond on rusty or dirty metals.

Arc welding is limited, however, to metals no thinner than 18-gauge, requires frequent rod changing, emits significant spatter; and welds must be cleaned upon completion. Stick welding is also more difficult to learn and use, particularly the ability to strike and maintain an arc. Arc welders are available in either AC or DC or AC/DC; with AC being the most economical. It is used for welding thicker metals of 1/16-inch or greater. They are a good choice for farmers, hobbyists and home maintenance chores.

MIG Welding / Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) — MIG welders use a wire welding electrode on a spool that is fed automatically at a constant pre-selected speed. The arc, created by an electrical current between the base metal and the wire, melts the wire and joins it together with the base, producing a high-strength weld with great appearance and little need for cleaning. MIG welding is clean, easy and can be used on either thin or thicker plate metals.

A slight variation of MIG welding — Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) — is similar in that it is also a wire-feed process but differs in that it does not require a shielding gas. This gas-free welding application uses Flux-Cored wire to shield the arc, and is a simple, efficient and effective welding approach, especially when welding outdoors, in windy con***ions or on dirty materials. The process is widely used in construction because of its high welding speed and portability.

Both MIG and Flux-Cored are very easy to learn and can create extremely clean welds on steel, aluminum and stainless. Both types have the capability to weld materials as thin as 26-gauge.

TIG Welding / Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) — TIG welding is an arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. The weld area is protected from atmospheric contamination by a shielding gas (usually argon), and a filler metal, though some welds, known as autogenous welds, do not require it. A constant-current welding power supply produces energy that is conducted across the arc through a column of highly ionized gas and metal vapors known as plasma.

TIG welding is most commonly used to weld thin sections of alloy steel, stainless steel and non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium, and copper alloys. The process grants the operator greater control over the weld than other welding processes, allowing for stronger, higher quality welds. TIG welding is comparatively more complex and difficult to master than other welding types, and is significantly slower.

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