How does a MAG welding machine work?
MAG is the abbreviation for metal – active – gas – welding. This welding technology belongs to the inert gas welding processes. Welding takes place by means of an arc, which is generated by a welding wire and the applied current.
What requirements must a MAG welding machine meet?
The MAG welding equipment must have a wire spool which pushes the coiled wire to the end of the welding gun with the help of a wire feeder. The wire serves on the one hand as an electrode and on the other hand the material melts in conjunction with the current. The resulting arc between the workpiece and the wire generates heat which causes both components to melt and combine into one unit.
What types of gases are used in MAG welding and what are their effects?
MAG welding uses gas mixtures of helium or argon, which are mixed with either oxygen or carbon dioxide. The choice of the gas mixture can influence the desired weld seam. The gas mixture is actively involved in the formation of the weld seam by increasing the melting of the metals. The mixture leaves the welding gun together with the welding wire. It protects the materials to be joined from the oxygen supply from the ambient air.
Advantages of MAG welding
MAG welding is primarily used to join structural steels. For this reason, MAG welding equipment is used in bodywork and vehicle construction, among other areas. There it is considered the safest method to join workpieces in the required quality. It is also used in steel construction.
What must be observed for MAG welding?
The surfaces of the workpieces must be clean so that the connection is made without defects and unnecessary and disturbing slag formation is avoided. Two different techniques are used to create a weld seam in the MAG process. The workpieces can be joined with an overlap.
With this type of welding, the workpieces fuse together optimally. In the other possibility of producing a weld seam using the MAG process, the two workpieces lie close together and are thus joined together.
Work safety during MAG welding
The arc that makes welding possible is very bright and damages the eyes when looking into it. For this reason MAG welding is only possible with a special mask or welding helmet.
MAG welding at a glance
- MAG is an inert gas welding process, where electricity and gas must be availableThe weld seam is produced by means of an arcThe process is preferably suitable for structural steelsA distinction is made between two different weld seams in MAG weldingThe safety at work, especially eye protection, should be observed to avoid damage