MetFab - Air Products Welder's Handbook - Flipbook - Page 8
Which process?
A large number of welding processes
and techniques are available. The most
common are:
• Manual metal arc (MMA) welding also
known as shielded metal arc welding
(SMAW) or stick welding
• Tungsten inert gas (TIG) also known as
gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
• Metal inert gas (MIG) / metal active
gas (MAG) also known as gas metal arc
welding (GMAW)
There is no single process that is
universally better than another, each
process has its own special attributes
and must be matched to the application.
Choosing the most suitable process
requires careful consideration of a number
of factors including:
• Type of material to be welded
• Availability of consumables
and equipment
• Joint configuration and position
• Material thickness
• Production quantity
• Quality assurance and quality
control requirements
• Skills and qualifications of
available labour
• Working environment and conditions
• Health, safety and environmental
considerations
4
