Oxford welders with welding guides: TIG Welding / Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) — TIG welding is an arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. The weld area is protected from atmospheric contamination by a shielding gas (usually argon) and a filler metal, though some welds, known as autogenous welds, do not require it. A constant-current welding power supply produces energy that is conducted across the arc through a column of highly ionized gas and metal vapors known as plasma. TIG welding is most commonly used to weld thin sections of alloy steel, stainless steel and nonferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium and copper alloys. The process grants the operator greater control over the weld than other welding processes, allowing for strong, high-quality welds. TIG welding is comparatively more complex and difficult to master than other processes and is significantly slower.

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). Find additional info at Oxford Plasma Cutters.

Look for ways to support your hands. Having good support for your hands or arms is crucial for moving the torch with precise control. I do my best welding when the base of my hands or my wrists is supported in some way. Often you can rest your wrists on the part being welded. I keep an assortment of wood and metal blocks near my welding bench, and I often can get better support by positioning a block to rest my torch hand on. There are occasions where I rest my forearms, or even my elbows, on something for support. Many welders set up special support bars, positioned parallel to the joint being welded, and they slide their torch hand along the bar to help follow the joint with fine control. For some out-of-position work, I’ve had to rely on resting only my shoulder on something, and while not ideal, it’s better than having no support at all. Even placing my hip against something stationary can offer a bit of support, but I can’t weld very well when standing ‘free,’ with no support at all.

Many companies get completely “bogged down” in the paperwork required to run a business. But with today’s latest technological advances, there are items that can be a great help. For instance, Lincoln Electric offers something called ArcWorks software which can document procedures, create drawings everyone in the shop can access, keep track of welding operator’s qualifications, and many other things. Software such as this can be tailored to the individual company’s needs and provide great efficiencies and also eliminate mistakes. Adding Robotics or Hard Automation to the Operation: Today’s technological advances offer many options. Robotics can be justified when the volume of parts a company produces is so great that it can offset the monies spent on a robot. Robotics can also be considered if there are a number of different parts that are similar enough in nature to be able to be handled by the same robot. If robots are not justified, a company might determine that fixturing or hard automation could be used to increase efficiency or quality. One company incorporated fixturing and clamps to hold down a tank while the seam was being welded. In another case, an automotive manufacturer decided that automation was necessary because of the amount of parts and intricate angles and welding positions. See a few extra details on weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk.