Oxford plasma cutters plus welding guides: A MIG welder uses a continually feeding spool of thin filler wire as an electrode fed by a wire feed gun to form an electric arc between a wire and the work-piece metal. This heats the work-piece metal and the electrode, causing them to melt and join together to create the weld. Mig welding can be either Gas or Gasless and each have benefits. Gasless welding is far more portable as there’s no gas bottle to carry around, saves cost on having to buy gas bottles and regulators, is easier on positional welds and can penetrate deeper than Gas MIG although the welding wire for a gasless MIG is more expensive than a gasless MIG. Gas MIG welding produces much cleaner welds with no slag or spatter, is slightly better on thinner metals and the welding wire is cheaper than gasless MIG wire.
Also a good quality basic MIG machine is electrically efficient in design so power consumption is about as low as it can go. Have a look at our single phase & three phase standard MIG range, Oxford MIGMaker, Oxford I-MIG, Oxford S-MIG. These models are really electrically efficient which means we can give you more output power for lower input. There are also many other quality made European & USA made machines you can consider, however we recomend avoiding the low cost imports, despite giving the impression of being made in the EU etc mostly the low cost machines are now made in the Far East, even some a the big names have gear made in Asia, they often weld quite badly & are not built to last. If you need a MIG welder with portability is the number one priority then we suggest consider a quality EU or USA made inverter machine. But beware, as many users know inverter based machines are not particuarly reliable or have a long life, (more on this subject to follow). Discover additional details on Oxford Mig Welders.
Keep in mind that heavy-duty MIG welding often produces a lot of heat, sparks and spatter, and requires a lower degree of dexterity than some other forms of welding. Therefore, using thick, stiff leather gloves that provide a higher level of protection is smart. Similarly, choose leather footwear that covers your entire foot and leaves as little room as possible for spatter to fall along your ankle line. High-top leather shoes and work boots often provide the best protection. Finally, always be sure you have adequate ventilation per OSHA recommendations and check material safety data sheets (MSDS) for each metal being welded and filler metal being used. Use a respirator whenever required by the MSDS.
Look for ways to create more efficiencies in the welding process. This includes examining such things as wire diameter, wire feed speed, voltage, travel speed, gas type, transfer mode, etc. For instance, if the shop is currently welding with a short arc process and a 75/25 blend of shielding gas, it may be more effective to switch to a different gas and a spray mode of transfer. Or, a change in process may be warranted based on the condition of the part. If there is oxide on the part, it may be easier to change to a process that will overcome contamination problems rather than try to clean each part before welding. Your welding supplier should be up to date on the latest technology and be able to advise you on new processes, machinery and consumables that can optimize welding at the shop. In some cases, it may be better to double bevel a joint to prepare it for welding rather than single bevel it. It is recommended to double bevel any material that is more than 3/4″ in thickness. Just this simple change in procedure can save quite a bit in weld metal. On a 3/4″ thick piece, a double bevel will use 1.45 lbs. per foot of weld metal while a single bevel will use 1.95 lbs. per foot. See additional info on www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk.