7 Tips for Improving MIG Welding Process

The process of welding deals with intense heat and molten metal so the welder is always exposed to this menace. As a welder, anyone realizes, that it is not a safe profession. To make this career as a happy and safe then keep the welding safety as your top concern. By following these seven tips, one can make the MIG welding operation as a safe and to the next level. It ensures to make the profession safe, and efficient. The patience and practice to master any skill is the key to make MIG welder as a safe profession.

Ways to Improve MIG Welding Process

1. Safety as a Priority– The safety of the welder always come as a first priority and it is the most important issue in the MIG welding process. The welding can be turned out to a dangerous procedure if all the precautions are not kept in the mind as the MIG welding deals with, extreme heat, electric current, hot sections, and molten metal. The proper use of welding glasses and gloves saves eyes and skin from ultraviolet lights. The uses of helmets and safety shoes further make the MIG welding a safer procedure. Make sure to use the material from denim or leather, flame-resistant only as synthetic material may catch fire in the process and make it dangerous. The shirts with pockets and cuff and pants with flap and pocket may make you susceptible to catch sparks during welding and can lead on to injuries. Once dealing with heavy-duty MIG welding which may create a lot of heat along with spattering, hence the use of thick gloves, flame resistant clothes may help to avoid injuries. The leather shoes or gumboots may be better protection for the legs. They are most important in the welding is to follow the safety instructions mentioned in the user manual. Maintain the safety data sheet judiciously. Observe the ventilation which should be adequate to prevent any intoxication.

2. Setting up the Machine after Intensive Research– Work out clearly the need and study the manufacturer manual about the machine. The user manual is a must requirement to learn accurately about the machine and get the details about the best gas to be used. The type of filler material to be used in the welding must be ascertained with the help of the user manual. The instruction manual supplied with electrode wire will also give an idea of wire feed speed proper voltage, and mixing of the gas. If you use a stick which is too long, then the penetration will not be deep, so always tend to use a shorter wire to obtain a stable arc with better penetration.

3. Ensure Proper Connections before Getting Started– The all connections in your MIG machine to be connected properly. The electrode wire should be fixed properly in the MIG gun. The right polarity to be used to prevent any spatter. We must have clean base metal, good ground cable connection near to work piece and ground cable to be hooked to the base material. The ground or base under the machine should be flat and stable otherwise it will impact the life of contact tip leading on to improper welding and spatter build up initiated as a nuisance.

4. Select the Proper Drive Roll and Tension Setting – The selection of proper drive roll and tension setting to avoid the poor wire feeding leading to poor weld quality. Before choosing the drive roll, choose the electrode wire to be used in the welding process, and then match the drive roll accordingly. In use with flux-cored wire, the drive roll that is knurled and with a teeth to catch hold of wire is used while in solid wire V or U groove drive roll can give you the optimal results.

5. Use the Correct Contact Tip for the Application – The correct size of contact tip may give you the best MIG welding result while improper size will impact the MIG welding performance very badly. The contact tip is the one which helps to create a stable and precise arc and its position in the nozzle in the correct place helps to eliminate porosity and spatter to a great extent. When you use a higher current then you increase the recess. Normally the contact tip is one size bigger than the wire to prevent the wire from stuck up and ruin the tip.

6. Proper Shielding Gas as per Electrode Wire – The instruction book to be followed religiously which is supplied by the wire manufacturer. They provide minute details about the gas and mixture of the gases to be used with the electrode wire. If you want a proper penetration then go for the gas mixture which uses 75% argon and 25% CO2 which gives you a cleaner weld and less spatter than regular CO2.

7. Keep the Wire Directed at the Leading Edge of Weld Pool– To make the better weld bead, make sure wire directed at the leading of the weld pool. If your bead is thin and small then increase the voltage or lower the speed of the feed