MIG and TIG welding systems use inert shielding gas for the electrode, but differ in filler materials and electrode wear. MIG is faster and easier to learn, but messier and produces weaker welds. TIG is cleaner and stronger, but more expensive and slower. Both were developed in the 1940s for different industrial uses.
A Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding system and a Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding system both have many similarities, but their key differences are what make them suitable for specific applications. MIG and TIG welding machine both use an inert shielding gas for the electrode, but, in inert gas welding of metals, the electrode wears out slowly and, in tungsten inert gas welding, it does not. Systems also vary in that the MIG and TIG welder use different filler materials for the weld joint or weld assembly as it is called. In the case of TIG welding, autogenous welds can be made using only the metal of the parts without the need for any filler. MIG and TIG welding equipment can be substituted for each other in common low-stress applications where convenient.
MIG welding is considered a more general purpose than welding commonly used in the automotive industry. It is faster than using TIG welding machines and can be easily automated. Because it’s an easier and more forgiving process to learn, setup times are reduced and errors can be fixed more easily. The downside to a MIG welder is that it is a messier form of welding and produces more spatter and smoke than using a TIG system. Hidden weak spots in a weld are also more common with a MIG welder due to smoke and hot particles obscuring the weld as it is being performed, and this can lead to welds that look fine on the surface, but may have hollow insides.
TIG welding typically allows for a much cleaner welding and working environment and as a result is commonly used in the aerospace industry. The welds themselves can be stronger when the metal of the parts is used to form them instead of an intermediate filler, and the contamination levels are significantly lower than with MIG welding. Thin metals are commonly welded by a TIG machine as well due to this increased accuracy. The biggest disadvantage between a MIG and TIG welder if you choose a TIG is that the equipment is significantly more expensive and the welding process is slower and more involved.
Both MIG and TIG welding machine were developed in the 1940s for different industrial uses. The TIG welder was built specifically for the aerospace industry and was known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) to distinguish it from MIG’s gas arc welding system which does not use a tungsten electrode. The original use for MIG welding was to join aluminum and other non-ferrous metals, and was referred to as gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Improvements in the design of MIG welding, including the incorporation of inexpensive inert gases such as carbon dioxide and other developments in the 1960s, made it a more versatile welding system that could be used on steel in a wide variety of industrial environments.
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