WELDING PROCESS 
WELDING PROCESS
CAN ALUMINUM BE WELDED WITH THE MIG/MAG PROCESS?
The answer is very simple: yes, it is possible. In fact, since the early development of the GMAW…
1. Compared to the SMAW process, deposition rates are up to four times faster, often reducing welding costs by percentages ranging from 50% to 75%.
2. It eliminates the flux recovery system used in the SAW process, and does not require the gas equipment system (depending on the wire), as in the GMAW process. The semiautomatic process is applicable where other mechanized processes would be too inefficient.
3. It has tolerance for elements in steel that normally cause weld cracking when welding with the SMAW process or when other mechanized welding processes are used. It produces crack-free welds in medium carbon steels, using standard welding procedures.
4. Under normal conditions, it eliminates the moisture pickup and storage problems that occur with low-hydrogen covered electrodes.
5. It eliminates losses due to covered electrode stubs and the time that would be required to change electrodes with the SMAW process.
6. It eliminates the need for wind protection required with gas-shielded welding processes in field construction; allows fans and high-airflow ventilation systems to be used for worker comfort in the shop in areas of high heat concentration.
7. It allows for “single-process” operation, and even “single-process, single-wire” operation, in some shop and field applications. This simplifies operator training, qualification, and supervision; equipment selection and maintenance; and the logistics of efficiently assigning personnel, materials, and equipment to the job.
8. It allows the application of the long electrode extension (stickout) principle to enhance deposition rates, while allowing the operator easy control of penetration.
9. It allows more joints to be welded in a single pass, saving welding time and the time that would otherwise be spent on interpass cleaning.
10. It is adaptable to a wide variety of products; it allows continuous operation at a welding station, even when a variety of assemblies with widely different joint requirements are being performed.
11. It provides rapid fill-in of gouged grooves often required when making repairs to welded components or steel castings.
12. It delivers mechanized welding speed in difficult spaces; it reaches points inaccessible to other semiautomatic processes.
13. It provides mechanized welding where it was previously impossible, such as in the connection of a beam web to a column in building construction.
14. It allows bridging of gaps in fit-up through operator control of penetration without reducing weld quality. It minimizes repairs, delays, and rejections.
15. The process efficiency is higher compared to the SMAW process, which has an efficiency of 62%; with FCAW, efficiency can reach up to 92%, making the process very economical.
