Manual TIG Welding is Our Specialty
Axenics’ welding technicians have more than 30 years of experience in the Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding field, joining both ferrous and non-ferrous materials. TIG welding is often used when there is a need for high-quality, precision welding services since it allows for accurate and refined welding.
Our team utilizes 300-series stainless steel, aluminum, Inconel and titanium. Our expert welders are ASME-certified to perform TIG welding with or without filler metal (autogenous welding) depending on the size of the weld.
Manual TIG welding is a precise solution which allows for more accurate and refined weldments in cases where orbital welding isn’t feasible, such as hard-to-reach welds (where the apparatus doesn’t fit) and open root passes, for example.
Benefits of TIG Welding
TIG welding is ideal for fillet-welded joints such as tee, lap and corner joints, in addition to butt welded joints that are too large for the orbital welder. TIG welding is also the best way to perform extremely small welds, such as for welding components for the aerospace industry.
TIG welding is also often used for joining root passes which are the most important part of a weld, and, therefore, the integrity and cleanliness of this type of is critical. When done properly, TIG welding is also a very clean process.
To avoid oxidation or “sugaring,” Axenics flows ultra-high-purity argon inside the tube and through the torch, which prevents splattering. All of our completed welds are then leak-tested to ensure optimal integrity.
In TIG welding, an arc is formed between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the work (base metal) to create a coalescence between two or more metals. Non-consumable electrodes come in various sizes and lengths and are typically made of pure tungsten or an alloy of tungsten and other elements and oxides, since tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, at 3,410 degrees Celsius.
TIG Welding Know-How
TIG welding only should be performed on clean metals since welding dirty metals will result in a weaker weld quality, and though TIG welding is known for producing the best quality welds, the process has a low deposition rate, which means that you can’t TIG-weld things quickly; there is a set pace at which TIG welding occurs.
It also takes a high level of skill and dexterity to perform TIG welding when compared with other types of welding. TIG welders typically use both hands and one of their feet to perform their work, leaving them standing on one leg! Most other types of welding don’t require as much nimbleness.
Many people don’t necessarily think of welding as a form of art but simply as a trade. Our staff of welders at Axenics, however, would have to disagree. We like to think of welding as a complex process that requires not only the right set of skills but also a strong passion for continuously learning how to improve those skills. Therefore, art seems to be a more fitting word for the trade that we are all so passionate about.
By using this process, we are able to consistently produce high-quality and high-purity welds that meet or exceed our customer specifications.
Why use argon as a shielding gas in TIG welding?
With TIG welding, a lightning bolt-type electrical current is used to fuse metal to metal. Due to its intricate nature of creating tiny, precise welds, TIG welding is one of the most-challenging types of welding to master, partly because of the components involved. Stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant metal alloys are very sensitive to the presence of hydrogen, air, water and oxygen.
Those impurities in the atmosphere can combine with a weld puddle causing defects in the weld such as cracks, reduced corrosion resistance, carbide precipitation and brittleness, resulting in a bad weld.
Our expert welders prefer using 99.9999% pure argon when performing TIG welds, as the higher purity rating ensures a superior weld. Argon gas envelops and stabilizes the electrical current of the welder to keep the metals from getting oxidized. It’s an important element in high-purity welding.
TIG welded components performed with argon result in:
- A weld quality with the bare minimum of porosity
- An optimal weld bead shape
- A strong, stable weld
Do you need highly precise and clean welding services?
Contact Axenics to find out how our experts can help with your next project.
