TABLE OF CONTENTS Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.
Nikki Giovanni
Gas tungsten arc welding was developed by Russell Meredith at Northrop Aviation in the early 1940s and came into widespread use during WWII with the need to replace riveting for aluminum and magnesium in aircraft. Although this process requires more skill than most other processes and does not have high metal deposition rates, improvements in shielding gas mixtures, torch design, and power supply electronics have made it an indispensable tool in many industries where high quality welds are essential on aluminum, magnesium, or titanium. It can weld most metals, even dissimilar ones. Plasma arc welding is a close relative of gas tungsten. Although scientists had been working on plasma for welding applications since the early 1900s, it was not until the 1960s that commercial equipment was introduced. This equipment can weld nearly all metals in all positions and offers better directional control of the arc than gas tungsten arc with a smaller heat affected zone. We will cover the theory, equipment, setup, applications, troubleshooting, and safety for these two processes.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
What is the AWS designation for gas tungsten arc welding?
GTAW from the initials of the process name is the AWS designation.
What are other common names for GTAW?
GTAW is commonly called TIG welding from tungsten inert gas welding. It was also called Heliarc early in its development. In Europe...
