The abbreviation TIG stands for Tungsten (tungsten) Inert (inert) Gas (gas). That is, TIG welding means welding with tungsten electrodes in an inert gas environment. In this case, the metal (in the form of a rod) to fill the seam (if necessary) is fed with the second hand. Argon is more often used as an inert gas, it protects the metal, heated by an arc to a high temperature, from air gases - oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor. An inert gas is continuously supplied to the arc burning zone. It looks like this:

Helium is used less often, due to the high cost and more expense(due to lower density). However, at the same current value, the arc in helium releases 1.5-2 times more energy than in argon. This contributes to a deeper penetration of the metal and significantly increases the welding speed. Therefore, when welding refractory metals, helium is preferred. A mixture of argon and helium (optimum composition contains 35-40% argon and 60-65% helium) has the advantages of both gases: argon provides arc stability, helium - a high degree of penetration.

Advantages

• TIG welding features a clean, neat and precise weld.
• TIG welding can weld more metals than any other welding method. Corrosion-resistant steel, aluminum, magnesium, copper, bronze, etc. are welded with high quality.
• TIG welding allows for better control of the weld pool and the entire process, resulting in neat and precise welds. There are no sparks and splashes during the welding process (if everything is done correctly), because. filler metal is supplied without excess. There is no slag on the seam, and the air does not smoke, as when welding with coated electrodes.

Selection and sharpening of tungsten electrodes

As the name implies, tungsten electrodes are made from tungsten, which is 97-99.5% in them. In this case, depending on the conditions of use, various additives are used. Tungsten has a very high melting point (3380°C), the highest of the metals. Therefore, electrodes made from it are able to relatively successfully withstand the high temperature of the arc.

* - the number in the marking indicates the concentration of oxide, and there are electrodes with lower concentrations, for example WL-15 (golden), containing about 1.5% lanthanum oxide. They also have a different color code.

Even if two electrodes are of the same type and have the same dopant concentration, but are produced by different companies, they can differ markedly in performance. Of great importance is the grain size, structure and distribution of the oxide. Therefore, choose the manufacturer carefully.

Choice of electrode diameter:

Of great importance is the sharpening of the electrode, and over time, the electrodes are deformed and sharpening needs to be updated. When welding with direct current, a cone-shaped sharpening is used, with alternating current, a rounded tip is made.

The length of the sharpening affects the depth and width of the seam during welding, its size is about 2-0.5 of the electrode diameter. The width of the penetration zone decreases with an increase in the length of the sharpening, and with a small length of the sharpening, the penetration depth noticeably decreases. The stability of the arc is also affected by the risks formed during sharpening. For stable arcing, the risks must be located strictly along the axis of the electrode, and their value must be minimal. The best option is to polish the electrode after it has been sharpened. Also, arc burning is affected by blunting at the tip. The blunting diameter is selected depending on the diameter of the electrode and the magnitude of the welding current.

Performing TIG welding

Most metals are welded with direct current of direct polarity (minus on the electrode). Welding of aluminum and its alloys, magnesium, copper alloys with a significant content of aluminum (for example, aluminum bronze) is performed with alternating current.

The welding current is selected according to the electrode diameter. The magnitude of the current also depends on the type of current. The table shows approximate current values ​​(when using argon), the last word is up to the manufacturer of the selected electrode. If you focus on the lower limit, then if the current strength is too low, the arc will wander, and you just need to increase the current strength (provided that the electrode is properly sharpened).

If the current strength is excessive for a given electrode diameter, the electrode will melt. If too small, the arc will be unstable.

The voltage across the arc depends on its length. It is recommended to weld on the shortest possible arc, which corresponds to the reduced voltage on it. With an increase in length, the width of the seam increases, the depth of penetration decreases and the protection of the welding zone deteriorates. The optimal length of the arc is 1.5-3 mm, which corresponds to the voltage on the arc 11-14V (open circuit voltage is about 50-70V).

Departure of the tip of the electrode when welding butt joints should be 3-5 mm, and angular and tee 5-8 mm.

The outflow of gas over the entire cross section of the nozzle must be uniform. To do this, gas lenses are installed inside the burner, which support laminar flow. In case of wind or draft, the effectiveness of protection is determined by the hardness of the gas jet and its size.

The rigidity of the jet depends on the gas (argon, helium, their mixture) and increases with increasing velocity of its outflow. Therefore, with an increase in the nozzle diameter, it is necessary to simultaneously increase the gas flow rate. To improve protection when welding in windy conditions and at higher speeds, it is recommended to increase the gas flow and nozzle diameter, and move the torch closer to the part. To protect from the wind, the welding zone is covered with small-sized screens. The gas supply is turned off after 10-15s (approximately one second for every 10A of welding current) after the arc breaks. For better protection of the metal, for example, when welding titanium, special devices are used (see article Welding Devices).

There are two ways to ignite the arc: non-contact (the arc is ignited using a high-frequency and high-voltage discharge created by the oscillator) and contact (the arc between the electrode and the workpiece occurs as a result of a short circuit of the electrode to the workpiece). The non-contact method of arc ignition is used when surface burns and tungsten ingress into the seam are unacceptable, for example, when welding high-alloy corrosion-resistant steels and alloys (tungsten can impair the corrosion resistance of steel). The contact method is used when welding low-responsibility structures, when quality requirements are less stringent. However, when welding critical metal structures in the absence of an oscillator, contact ignition of the arc and access to the welding mode can be performed on a carbon or copper plate. Modern devices greatly limit the short-circuit current when the electrode touches the product, and when the electrode is raised, the microcontroller provides a smooth increase in current.

When welding, only one movement is made - along the axis of the seam. The absence of transverse vibrations leads to the fact that the seam is narrower.

So that the weld metal is not saturated with oxygen or nitrogen from the air, it is necessary to ensure that the end of the filler rod is constantly in the shielding gas zone. To avoid spattering of metal, the end of the bar is fed into the weld pool smoothly. The degree of penetration is judged by the shape of the bath of molten metal. A good penetration corresponds to a pool stretched in the direction of welding, and a bad one is round or oval.

Welding is usually done from right to left. When welding without filler material, the electrode is placed perpendicular to the surface of the metal being welded, and with filler material - at an angle. The filler rod is moved in front of the burner without transverse vibrations.

When surfacing horizontal weld beads in the lower position, the filler rod is given two directions of movement: down and forward along the edges to be welded. This must be done in such a way that the metal enters the weld pool in uniform portions.

Errors in TIG welding

When using the content of this site, you need to put active links to this site, visible to users and search robots.

Among the variety of types of welding of two metal products, TIG welding stands out. It is used in various industries and car services. This type is ideal for both neat thin seams and reliable penetration of thick joints. What is TIG welding? What are its advantages and disadvantages? How is the arching process carried out and what equipment is used?

The abbreviation used to refer to this type of welding of metal elements has a translation from English as “tungsten and inert gas”. This reflects the essence of the welding process - an electric arc burns in an inert gas environment.

The main element is a tungsten electrode. Its melting point is slightly less than 4000°C. This makes it possible to work with almost all types of steel. The electrode is not consumable, but only requires periodic sharpening for accurate and accurate work of the seam. The tungsten element is placed in a special collet and fixed in the burner. The excess length of the electrode, not used in the process of making a seam, is in a special cap to prevent ground short circuits.

At the end of the burner there is a ceramic nozzle, in the center of which there is an electrode, and an inert gas is supplied around the circumference. The role of the latter is performed by argon. Without its participation, ambient air enters the weld pool and this leads to the release of hydrogen and the porosity of the weld during the crystallization of the solidifying metal. Similar phenomena can be seen on the video on the Internet. The button on the burner starts the supply of gas and voltage.

The ignited arc begins to melt the edges of the metal being welded. If two parts of the product are located close to each other, then only this metal is enough to obtain a sealed seam. If there is a gap between the plates, or a strong seam is required for resistance to tearing and fracture, then a filler wire is additionally used. It is fed into the melting zone with the free hand of the welder.

Application

TIG welding is widely used due to the high temperature of the arc. This allows it to be used both for welding conventional carbon steel, and for working with non-ferrous metals: copper, cast iron, titanium, aluminum and precious alloys. Very beautiful seams are obtained with argon welding of stainless steel. Unlike MMA welding, which requires slag removal and is performed at a lower speed, TIG leaves a clean weld immediately.

The filler wire uses the same type of material as the sides to be welded. In addition to preventing porosity, TIG welding makes possible the welding process for joining aluminum. Without an inert gas, this molten metal, when interacting with oxygen, is strongly oxidized. A film is formed that does not allow creating a liquid weld pool and leading a seam. But thanks to the protective environment, as can be seen in the relevant videos on the network, the aluminum is evenly melted and the seam is formed.

These advantages of TIG welding find application in:

• mechanical engineering;
• production of utensils for the food industry;
• production of containers for the chemical and oil refining industries;
• production of heated towel rails;
• car services.

Advantages of argon TIG welding

The use of a tungsten electrode and shielding gas has certain advantages compared to other types of welding. Among them:

• a small heating zone of the welded product, which avoids significant deformations;
• complete displacement of external air from the weld pool due to the supply of argon, which is heavier than oxygen;
• high speed of work;
• a simple method of learning the process;
• neat seam that does not require machining, as in MMA;
• variety of welded metals;
• less emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

Execution technology and parameters

There are many videos of metal welding in various TIG modes. First you need to clean the edges of rust, oil or paint. The value of the welding current, the thickness of the electrode and the pressure in the argon supply are selected.

The electrode is sharpened so that the risks remain parallel to the axis of the rod. The smaller they are, the better the seam will be. After the emery wheel, it is recommended to polish the tip of the electrode. When thin metals are to be welded, the appropriate electrodes are selected and their tip sharpened. When working with thick welded parts, the sharpening angle can be increased.

The current strength directly affects the degree of penetration and the width of the seam. Here are some guidelines for basic situations:

Among the types of ignition of the arc, three methods are distinguished:

• holding a needle on metal;
• point touch, called Lift TIG;
• contactless ignition.

The arc is guided in different ways, depending on the desired result. To obtain a thin and even seam, it is necessary to maintain a gap between the needle and the surface of 3 mm. Increasing this distance will lead to an expansion of the weld pool, and a decrease in the degree of penetration. The seam is performed from right to left, without oscillatory movements. This technology is used to connect thin parts.

When working with thick plates, the edges are cut at 45 °. The root seam is carried out evenly. Filling and overhead seams are performed by transverse oscillatory movements with an additional wire filler. The needle protrusion for butt joints should be 5 mm. For corner pieces, it is set individually, based on the diameter of the nozzle and accessibility to the welding zone. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase the supply of argon in order to protect the weld pool.

Disadvantages of TIG mode

Argon welding is very versatile, but not without drawbacks. Common cons can be:

• Displacement of inert gas by wind when working outdoors. To prevent this, it is necessary to set up special shields that cover the workplace and increase the supply of argon, which leads to excessive consumption of gas.
• Preliminary cleaning of the surface. Unlike MMA, TIG requires a thorough cleaning of the welded edges from oil and rust, as well as paint. Without this, pores in the joint structure are guaranteed.
• The nozzle and cap on the torch can make it difficult to seam in hard-to-reach places. This applies to low degree corner joints or working inside small hand spaces. In the first case, the needle overhang is increased, which leads to its overheating, and in the second, the small cap is rearranged, but for this it is necessary to cut the tungsten electrode.
• TIG lift, when fired outside the seam area, may leave a small mark on the surface, requiring cleaning if it is the front side of the product.

Equipment for TIG

To perform this type of welding, you need a machine that supports various TIG modes, a ground cable, a gas cylinder and a gearbox. An important element is the burner, which is of two types: No. 1 and No. 2. The first is used when working with metal up to 3mm thick. The maximum current strength is not very high, so the burner cools down naturally. The second is used for welding materials from 3 mm and above. Water cooling is built into the handle, circulating through the entire cable channel from the apparatus to the burner. The composition of the fluid uses disciplined water and ethyl alcohol to prevent freezing.

Argon welding (TIG) is a common welding technology, which is the best way to join aluminum parts and structures. Welding of this metal under normal conditions is extremely problematic, since when heated aluminum comes into contact with oxygen, an oxide film is formed on its surface, which degrades the quality.

TIG welding of aluminum involves the supply of a protective gas, argon, to the point of contact between the electrode and the metal, the pressure of which displaces oxygen, which allows you to make the connection of the best quality. This article discusses the features of this method, provides instructions for its implementation with your own hands and shows a home-made apparatus for TIG welding.

1 Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Argon arc welding, in addition to joining aluminum structures, is also widely in demand when working with other metals, which include steel, copper, cast iron and titanium, as well as precious alloys - gold and silver. This argon welding is indispensable in cases where it is necessary to join difficult-to-weld metals.

The advantages of this method include:

• the minimum heating zone of the part, which allows you to save its original shape;
• argon is an inert gas that has a greater weight than air, which allows it to completely displace oxygen from the heating zone of the workpiece;
• the thermal power of the arc when using argon increases, due to which the speed of work increases;
• argon arc welding is quite simple to implement, learning the process does not take much time;
• the weld is neat and minimal in size, it does not spoil the appearance of the workpiece.

However, the technology also has disadvantages. The key one is the risk of deterioration of the quality of the joint when working in a draft or wind, since part of the supplied argon can be blown away by an air stream. We also note the rather high complexity of setting up welding equipment with your own hands and the need for additional cooling in the high-temperature arc mode.

1.1 Technology features

A characteristic feature of the TIG method is the use of a refractory tungsten electrode - tungsten is a metal whose melting point is 3410 degrees. In the process of joining, a hundredth of a gram of tungsten is enough to penetrate a seam 1 meter long, which leads to a minimum consumption of electrodes during operation.

Special electrodes made of tungsten coated with a doping layer of oxides of rare earth metals can also be used, due to which it receives additional temperature stability. These metals include cerium, zirconium, lanthanum and yttrium.

TIG electrodes are designed for reusable use. Whichever consumable is chosen, during the welding process, it is inserted inside the ceramic nozzle of the apparatus, through which a protective gas, argon, is blown out.

In a simplified outline, the process is as follows: initially, a welding machine is connected to the part and a mass is supplied, after which the welder takes a torch with an electrode and an additive (a wire made of aluminum or a special alloy), the torch turns on and an electric arc occurs between the tip of the tungsten electrode and the mating parts. The arc melts the filler wire and the edges of the joining structures, which leads to the formation of a weld that becomes solid after solidification.

At first glance, everything is extremely simple, but the final quality of the weld depends on many factors - power, the quality of the electrode used, the degree of protection of the melting zone with argon, the experience of the welder. In fact, TIG welding is a hybrid technology that combines the methods of gas and electric arc welding.

1.2 Welding equipment

Requirements for the equipment used in TIG welding are specified in the regulatory document GOST No. 5.917-17. According to the provisions of the standard, burners of the RGA type should be used for implementation. The most common 2 models - RGA-150 and RGA-400.

The 150th model is designed for a welding current of 200A, the electrode is naturally cooled, the weight of the burner is 350 grams. The device is produced in different modifications with a nozzle diameter from 0.8 to 3 mm.

When using a welding current of 500A, an RGA-400 torch should be used, the weight of which is 625 g. It implements water cooling of the electrodes, the nozzle diameter is 4-6 mm.

There are also requirements for the shape of the burner nozzle, which can be cylindrical, conical or profiled. As a rule, when welding indoors, cylindrical nozzles are used, when working outdoors - profiled nozzles with a large outlet diameter. If it is necessary to work in hard-to-reach places, elongated nozzles can be used.

Kedr TIG 200P - equipment for welding

There are quite a number of TIG welding machines on the market. Most of them are combined and have the ability to work in two different modes - argon-arc (TIG) and manual arc (MMA) welding.

Among the devices of the middle price category, we single out the following devices:

• Cedar TIG 200R;
• Resanta SAI 230 AD;
• Svarog TIG 250R.

In terms of price-quality ratio, as evidenced by consumer reviews, the best option is Cedar TIG 200R, the cost of which is 40 thousand. This unit has a power of 6.2 kW, the range of operating currents is from 4 to 200 A. The device operates from a 220 V power supply. The diameters of TIG electrodes are 1-4 mm, MMA are 1.6-5 mm. The kit comes with an argon burner with a 4 meter hose.

It is quite possible to assemble a device for argon-arc welding with your own hands. The self-made unit will consist of the following nodes:

• current source - a conventional device for electric arc welding with AC or DC current is suitable;
• a cylinder with argon, ideally with a built-in pressure gauge;
• gas reducer and valve;
• argon burner (sold separately in specialized stores);
• oscillator.

The key component in terms of importance is - this is a device that is necessary for non-contact ignition of the arc. Due to the fact that ignition in TIG welding cannot be performed by touching the electrode to the surface on which the mass is applied, a high-voltage charge (power from 4 to 8 kW) that breaks through the arc gap must be generated by an oscillator.

1.3 Features of TIG welding (video)

2 DIY TIG welding technology

The key to the correct implementation of the TIG method is a properly selected welding mode. It is necessary to choose the mode based on the thickness of the surfaces to be welded. We present to your attention a normative reference table.

Do-it-yourself argon arc welding is quite difficult to perform, in order to implement the technology, follow the following recommendations:

1. The electrode must be kept as close as possible to the mating surfaces in order to ensure the shortest arc - with an increase in its length, the width of the weld will increase and, as a result, the reliability and quality of the joint.
2. In the process of making a seam, the burner must move along its axis, transverse movements are not allowed. Due to this orientation, it provides an aesthetic seam of minimal thickness.
3. In order to prevent saturation of the weld zone with oxygen, it is necessary to strictly ensure that the filler wire and electrode do not leave the shielding gas supply area.
4. The wire should be fed extremely smoothly, with a sharp feed, there is a high risk of metal splashing.
5. The filler wire must be placed in front of the burner, at an angle to the mating surfaces, and to prevent transverse vibrations.
6. At the preparation stage, it is necessary to degrease the surfaces to be joined and clean them from oxides and contaminants.

The TIG welding machine is designed to perform manual arc welding using a non-consumable electrode in a protective atmosphere of inert gases. Since tungsten rods are used for welding as a non-consumable electrode, the most common designation of welding machines TIG (Tungsten Insert Gas) is used in the English segment, in German the abbreviation WIG is used, which corresponds to the name Wolfram Inert Gas and has the same technical meaning.

Much less often, for this class of equipment, the general name Gas Tungsten Arc or abbreviated GTA can be used, which will say that the welding machine can additionally carry out manual or automatic supply of filler material during operation.

In any case, TIG technology is one of the varieties of argon-arc welding and is designated in our technical literature as ADS.

The TIG technique is a technological development of argon-arc welding and, according to the basic principles of operation, is very similar, only more advanced and universal, covering the ability to thermally connect all existing metals and their alloys.

The main difference between simple ADS and TIG methods lies in the welding technology and in the design of the welding torch. So, for TIG welding machines, the burner design provides for a fixed tungsten electrode with the possibility of a small adjustment range, which is associated with its burnout from a high-temperature arc during the welding process.

Also, equipment for tig welding can differ in the possibility of using alternating electric current (AC) for joining ferrous metals, aluminum and its various alloys, or direct current (DC) for welding parts made of alloyed and stainless steels, as well as various non-ferrous metals. It is considered more a norm than an advantage, the presence of two operating modes AC and DC for TIG welding machines.

Any tig welder consists of several main blocks:

• rectifier, in the form of a powerful diode bridge;
• high-frequency powerful transistor inverter, which serves to convert direct current into alternating current;
• high-frequency power transformer;
• electronic control unit for the possibility of adjusting the strength and frequency of the welding current.

Additional functionality

Depending on the functional saturation of these blocks, devices for tig welding can also have a number of very useful additional functions, such as:

• squarewave technology that reduces AC arc instability to improve weld quality;
• HF technologies for non-contact ignition of the arc, since in the absence of an HF oscillator, the arc is ignited by contact, which reduces the initial quality of the weld;
• Lift-Arc technology, which allows, when the electrode touches the part, to gradually increase the arc current until the working value is obtained.

Today, the market offers universal welding machines that are capable of operating when changing fixtures and setting the appropriate modes:

• according to TIG technology with a fixed tungsten electrode;
• according to conventional GTA technology with automatic filler wire feed;
• using simple MMA technology with piece coated electrodes.

Device selection criteria

When choosing a machine for tig welding, you need to decide where and for what it will be mainly used and used, therefore, first of all, you should pay attention to the main functionality:

• type of power source for a voltage of 200 or 380 V;
• availability of welding modes with alternating AC and direct DC current;
• the possibility of changing the polarity of the welding current from direct to reverse;
• the presence of a pulsed PULS mode for welding stainless steel with increased viscosity;
• the ability to work for a long time at currents of 180 A and above for welding metal with a thickness of more than 6 mm;
• complete set with a water-cooled burner and the presence of a stationary water-cooling device for it;
• the presence of a digital display for visual control of operating modes;
• the possibility of two or four-stroke operation;
• the possibility of using on automated or robotic production lines;
• the ability to work in various modes of welding TIG, GTA and MMA.

If you have decided on the main criteria when choosing a welding machine, then the presence of additional functions in the description will be significant advantages and will positively affect the quality and productivity of work, namely the presence of:

• an HF-oscillator block or a non-contact arc ignition function that allows you to pierce the arc gap with a high-frequency electric current pulse without touching the surface to be welded;
• POST GAS functions to adjust the air delay after the arc is turned off;
• DOWN SLOP functions to gradually decrease the arc off, which allows to reduce the crater at the end of the weld;
• BALANCE function or polarity balance change for automatic adjustment of the main sinusoidal characteristics when welding with alternating current.

The TIG welding machine is a complex technological equipment and is intended for work on them only by specially trained experienced welders.

Brief overview of models for TIG welding

The market leader for compact TIG welders is the German-Belgian company TIGER®. Versatile and efficient, the TIGER 170 DC is unrivaled in terms of weight to performance capabilities. This device can weld both a thin-walled steel sheet with a thickness of only 0.2 mm, and sheet material up to 6 mm inclusive, while it has a set of additional functions for adjusting the arc ignition currents, which allows welding thin sheet material without burns. Despite its small size and weight of only 5.4 kg, it is equipped with microprocessor control and memory to save the set welding modes for 99 cells. Setting parameters and operating modes is carried out using a simple and accessible interface, consisting of individual control knobs and a digital display. The advantages of this model include the presence of additional functions: Intelligent Ignition Energy, high-frequency Lift-Arc ignition and the ability to weld using conventional MMA technology with simple electrodes up to 4 mm in diameter.

TIGER 210 AC/DC

The TIGER 210 AC/DC model belongs to more advanced and high-performance models. It is not only capable of welding in two welding modes with alternating AC and direct DC current almost all types of metals and their alloys, but can also work on automated or robotic production lines. With a weight of 8.4 kg, this welding machine has all the advantages inherent in the younger model, as well as the Electronic Stabilized Arc function, thanks to which it is able to compensate for voltage drops for the MMA mode of operation with a total length of welding cables of 100 meters and with electrodes up to 5 mm.

HAMER TIG-200DC

Apparatus HAMER TIG-200DC is also designed to work in two main modes, including MMA welding with simple electrodes. It is ideal for working with ferrous metals and stainless steel and is adapted for use in garages, private houses, villages and summer cottages, i.e. where mains voltage fluctuations are possible. This model is designed to operate on constant welding currents from 10 to 200 A from a mains voltage of 230 V with a weight of 9 kg. Its main advantage is a relatively low price with all the necessary functions of tig welding.

ELAND TORS-200

The Chinese-made ELAND TORS-200 TIG welding machine has all the same main characteristics with the previously mentioned models. It has a weight of 9 kg and operating currents of 10-200 amperes, but differs for the better in a set of additional features, such as easy arc ignition, arc extinction delay, electrode anti-sticking, high-frequency and pulsed TIG operating modes. And also a distinctive feature of this model is the almost complete set of accessories and consumable spare parts for both TIG technology and MMA welding, while having a small increase in cost.

In any case, the choice is yours, and if you have your own experience with TIG welding, then share it in the comment block.

The primacy in the discovery of the connection of metal parts by welding belongs to the Russian scientist Bernados, who discovered this method in the 80s of the 19th century. Over time, various devices and techniques for welding various materials have been developed. One of these methods is tig cooking.

In the article, you can learn about what this function of welding machines is and what inverter tig welding is used for.

Whereas conventional structural steel can be joined using conventional arc welding, non-ferrous metals require separate processes.

Tig welding is a technology that allows you to join aluminum parts without any problems. The whole process takes place in a protective atmosphere of argon. If you use the usual method without gas, then the seam will turn out to be of poor quality. The thing is that when heated aluminum comes into contact with air, an oxide is formed that covers the junction. The oxide film of this metal has a higher melting point (2000° versus 650 for pure aluminum).

It is the equipment using argon that ensures the correct process and quality of the weld. The inert gas displaces oxygen during the feed and the molten aluminum is firmly bonded at the point of contact. In this case, tungsten non-consumable electrodes are used.

TIG welding with an inverter

The tig inverter is built on current conversion according to the AC-DC-high-frequency AC circuit. That is, the welding process occurs due to a higher frequency, in contrast to transformer samples.

The network receives alternating current with a frequency of 50 Hz. The inverter output gives 50 kHz. At the same time, the efficiency of the device increases to 90%.

But, if everything is clear with a conventional inverter, then how is welding done using a tig welding inverter?

The presence of such a function in the apparatus provides for the possibility of connecting a burner with argon (or helium) supply hoses in the design.

Using the tig inverter, it is possible to weld steel with direct current and aluminum with alloys with alternating current in an inert gas environment.

How to cook the TIG method using an inverter

As mentioned above, you need to take into account two factors:

1. Reconfigure the machine to the required current depending on the material to be cooked.
2. Connect the equipment for argon arc welding (gas supply and torch).

Be sure to make sure that the device is reconfigured for the required current.

Having set the current and connected the equipment, you need to adjust the volume of gas supply with a valve located on the burner.

Next, you need to ignite the arc and start welding by moving the torch in the desired direction. As the seam passes, filler material must be added. This will improve the quality of the welded joint. If you apply a lot of additives, then the tungsten electrode becomes dirty and the seam will lose strength.

Using an additive, it cannot be added to the middle of the weld pool; with light touches, the material is applied to the edge in the direction of movement of the electrode. Additives are required when welding aluminum so that cracks do not form in the seams.

When conducting a weld, the torch should be tilted approximately 15-20 degrees from the vertical. This will allow you to see the whole process and control the weld pool, and most importantly, a high-quality connection will be formed. With the correct inclination and speed of movement, the seam will turn out to be slightly wavy.

But these are just the basics. If you want to learn how to use a tig welding inverter, it is best to contact a professional welder.

Types of inverters

First, when choosing a device for home use, it is worth considering that they come in three classes:

• Industrial.
• Professional.
• Household.

If you do not plan to open a welding shop at home, then a simple household apparatus is sufficient for occasional use. The difference between them is mainly in the duration of the work and, of course, the price.

Secondly, when choosing an inverter, pay attention to the functions, they are usually indicated by markings: MMA, MIG-MAG, TIG.

• MMA is conventional arc welding using electrodes.
• TIG - welding using shielding gases.
• MIG-MAG - semi-automatic wire welding in argon.

There are welding inverters that combine all these four functions in one machine. Naturally, they will cost more. You should decide what will be more needed in the household. Usually two modes MMA and TIG are sufficient.

There are a huge number of manufacturers of welding inverters, including the well-known Tesla and Kaiser or domestic brands Svarog, and the cheapest Chinese ones, of which there are a lot.

Advantages and disadvantages of TIG welding

An inverter tig welding machine, like any other, will have its positive and negative points.

But, with such shortcomings, there are more advantages for using an inverter tig welding machine. Ten years ago, for welding non-ferrous metals, it was necessary to look for a specialist, which was not always possible. Today, a lot of samples of such devices at an affordable price have simplified the whole process. And, moreover, even a beginner is able to quickly learn how to weld in an argon environment in a very short time.

The inverter with the tig function has another huge advantage - compactness.

But, having decided to purchase such equipment, it is worth considering whether it is needed at all. Most cheap models are labeled tig, while they do not allow you to change the supplied current. That is, you can get an inverter with the TIG function, which welds only structural steel at direct current, and such a technological process will be completely provided by ordinary MMA welding.

Welding machines with truly versatile features are much more expensive, and you also have to factor in the additional cost of materials: tungsten, gas, and additives. For example, if the device is needed only to brew a pan, then it is easier to purchase a new one - it will be cheaper. A good welding tig inverter will be needed if you plan to develop serious work with different metals.

And one more thing - this is semi-automatic welding in an argon environment. An excellent choice if you need to do really delicate work. Such devices allow you to weld thin-walled parts without the threat of burning them. Indispensable for car repairs.

And what do you think about this, share your experience in choosing welding inverters with the tig function in the comments to this article. How expedient is the use of such inverters in the household and how expensive will it be to purchase a high-quality device with all the required consumables? And what are the best tig inverter type welding machines to buy for yourself.