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Chapter 10: Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

A welder in a black sweatshirt and helmet uses Gas metal arc welding on a pipe in the 5G position
Gas metal arc welding being used on pipe / Photo Credit: Weldscientist, CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

In today’s industries, the ability to produce quality welds quickly is vital. Whether you are planning to weld thin sheet steel for an automobile restoration, a 2-inch-thick lug on a bulldozer, or a new winch on the deck of an aluminum fishing boat, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) has a great deal of versatility.

GMAW can weld thin sheets, thick plate, pipes, as well as many other items. It can be used to weld many materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, copper alloys, nickel alloys, titanium alloys, and others. Its multitude of applications is vast and, therefore, makes learning this process a valuable asset to any welder’s skill set. As you explore GMAW further in this chapter, you will learn more about its equipment, functionality, and limits.

Objectives

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

  • List the uses of the GMAW in industry.
  • Identify equipment associated with GMAW.
  • Recall techniques and variables for setting up and using GMAW.
  • Define the different modes of transfer associated with GMAW.
  • Name shielding gasses used for GMAW.
  • Identify GMAW consumables.
  • Recall basic troubleshooting for GMAW.

Key Terms

  • Buried arc
  • Metal inert gas (MIG)
  • Metal active gas (MAG)
  • Globular transfer mode
  • Gun securing knob
  • Pressure adjustment knob
  • Pulsed spray transfer mode
  • Short circuit transfer mode
  • Spray transfer mode
  • Transfer mode
  • Transition current
  • Wire-feed speed (WFS)

Attributions

  1. Chapter opening image: Migpipe by Weldscientist is released under CC BY-SA 4.0

License

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Introduction to Welding Copyright © by Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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