Welding is the process of bonding materials by melting metal or thermoplastic surfaces. Arc welding is a common metal welding process that uses a high energy power supply to create an electric arc between the welding tool and the material being welded. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux core arc welding (FCAW) are two popular categories of arc welders, with GMAW being mostly automatic and using gas for shielding, while FCAW uses electrodes with inert ingredients for shielding and can produce even more intense heat for faster welding.
Welding, simply put, is any process that bonds material by melting metal or thermoplastic surfaces. Typically, the cast edges are also bonded with a filler material, often a fusible metal alloy. In the case of metal welding processes, arc welding is quite common due to its predominantly automatic welding, allowing for quick welding jobs. Metal arc welding differs from other forms of welding in the use of a high energy power supply.
This power source creates an electric arc between the tip of the welding tool – technically referred to as an electrode – and the surface of the material being welded. The high energy arc effectively melts the metal surface and any filler metal used during the bonding process. It’s a relatively simple soldering process, but it requires skill and dexterity to work effectively.
Within the metal arc welding genre there are several sub-categories. Arc welders vary in their construction and ideal use. While there are literally dozens of varieties of metal arc welders, the two most popular categories of arc welders are gas metal arc welders (GMAW) and flux core arc welders (FCAW).
Gas-to-metal arc welding units are very common because the welding unit’s consumable electrodes are continuously and automatically applied to the weld. This makes GMAW welding a mostly automatic process. This is usually simple and easy for any experienced welder to do.
As an arc welder, GMAW heat is created by the power supply; the gas component of a GMAW unit is not for combustion, but rather for shielding. Pure argon or helium gas emitted near the electrode of a GMAW machine is designed to purge the metal surface of atmospheric nitrogen or oxygen. Atmospheric gases can cause weld gaps or defects in the metal casting; therefore, it is best to shield the area with an inert gas.
Most GMAW units use argon or helium, a gas more suitable for shielding non-ferrous metals. GMAWs, therefore, are typically used for aluminum, a common non-ferrous metal. However, there are other models with different shielding gases, making this type of metal arc welder useful for other metal compounds as well.
Flux core arc welding units are similar to GMAW units, but their differences make them more prone to use with alloy metals such as steel. As with GMAWs, FCAW electrodes are continuously fed for semi-automatic welding. FCAW units typically do not have an externally supplied shielding gas; instead the FCAW models have inert ingredients already incorporated in the electrodes which vaporize in a shielding gas at high temperatures. Essentially, a flux-based metal arc welding unit delivers its shielding gas onto the electrodes themselves.
While most FCAWs rely entirely on vaporization flow for gas shielding, for even more protection, some FCAW units also feature additional gas shielding, resulting in crisp, clean, and near-perfect welds. Such units are often called “double shielded” welders. In addition to a convenient built-in shield mechanism, FCAW machines produce even more intense heat for faster welding. Unfortunately, this speed comes at a price, as FCAWs are often more expensive than competing GMAW models.
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