GTAW, commonly called TIG welding, began in the late 1890s with C.L. Coffin's idea.

He was
experimenting with arc welding in an inert gas atmosphere and created the earliest form of GTAW. His
process was refined in the 1940's by V.H. Pavlecka and Russ Meredith while they were working for
Northrup Aviation Company. They were searching for a means to join magnesium, aluminum, and nickel.

TIG welding was developed during World War II to meet wartime production demands for aluminum and
magnesium welding in aircraft frames.

In TIG, or tungsten inert gas welding, an electrical arc between the electrode and the workpiece
generates the heat needed to weld. The formal name for this process is gas tungsten arc welding, or
GTAW, but TIG is the more commonly used name.

The heat necessary for GTAW is produced by an electric arc that's maintained between a non-
consumable tungsten electrode and the work piece.

The heat-affected zone, the molten metal, and the tungsten electrode are all shielded from the
atmosphere by a blanket of inert gas that's fed through the GTAW torch. Torch for the GTAW can be air
cooled or water cooled.

The Shielding gas blankets the weld and excludes the active properties in the surrounding air from
reaching the weld. It doesn't burn and has no effect on the metal. In addition, inert gases such as argon
and helium don't chemically react or combine with other gases. They have no odor and are transparent,
which provides the welder with maximum arc visibility.
Because the welding power source regulates the current, it's considered a constant current welder.

It may produce Alternating Current (AC) or Direct current (DC), and most GTAW machines are also
capable of Shielded Metal Arc Welding.

TIG welding can be used for most welding applications and is especially well suited for particular types of
work because of its advantages and capabilities.

TIG is a good choice for welding industrial piping and tubing. A TIG welder has precise control. And since
TIG is a clean process, little post-weld cleaning is required.

The quality of welds that TIG produces make it appropriate for welding pressurized tanks and piping,
where high-strength joints and repairs are necessary for safety and performance.

TIG welding is well-suited for accurate work because it provides superior control of arc temperature and
concentration.

Many applications require a good appearance on welded seams and joints. TIG's clean process and
concentrated arc provide a practiced operator the ability to produce smooth, high-quality, good-looking
welds that require little post-weld cleanup.

GTAW, or TIG, is one of the most useful and also one of the cleanest welding processes. It has six main
advantages.

The greatest advantage is its versatility. GTAW allows you to weld more kinds of metals and metal alloys
than any other arc welding process. It can be used to weld most steels including stainless steel, nickel
alloys such as Monel and Inconel, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, copper, brass, bronze, and even gold.
GTAW can also weld dissimilar metals to one another such as copper to brass and stainless steel to mild
steel.

Unlike other welding processes, where heated flux produces slag, GTAW welding requires no flux and
produces no slag. Other processes use slag to shield the weld pool from contaminants. In GTAW, the
inert shielding gas serves this function. Because flux isn't required, there's no slag to obscure the
welder's vision of the molten weld pool. It also means there's no slag to remove between passes and
slag entrapment is seldom seen.

Since there is no transfer of metal across the arc, GTAW produces no molten globules of spatter and no
sparks, as long as the work piece is free of contaminants. Also, under normal conditions, the GTAW arc
is quiet without the usual cracks, pops, and buzzing of SMAW or GMAW. Generally, there is only noise
while using a pulsed arc or the AC welding mode.

By itself, the GTAW process doesn't produce any smoke or fumes. If the base metal contains coatings or
elements that produce fumes, such as lead, zinc, nickel, or copper, these must be contended with as in
any fusion welding process. Oil, grease, paint or other contaminants on the base metal can also produce
smoke and fumes as the heat of the arc burns them away. The base material should always be cleaned to
reduce the amount of smoke that's produced.

The concentrated nature of the GTAW arc permits pinpoint control of the heat input to the workpiece,
which results in a narrow heat affected zone. This high concentration of heat is an advantage when
welding metals with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum and copper. It also allows you to adjust
the current to control the weld characteristics. More current increases the penetration of the weld, while
less current decreases penetration.

The result of these properties is the high-quality welds that GTAW produces.

The GTAW process produces very high-quality welds, however when compared to Stick or MIG welding,
it does have a few limitations.

GTAW is a slow process with a low deposition rate . With a lower deposition rate comes lower
productivity and a longer time to produce the finished product. It is not the first choice for the high-
volume production.

It requires the operator to have a high skill level because it's a difficult process to learn . Welders need
to have excellent hand-eye coordination and a high degree of patience because the process is much
slower. GTAW also forces the operator to work more precisely than other types of welding.

GTAW is also very susceptible to contamination from external sources. Any oil, grease, dust, dirt, paint,
and debris have to be removed before welding to prevent weld failures or weld discontinuities.

The arc rays produced during the GTAW process tend to be brighter because it doesn't produce as
much smoke as SMAW and GMAW. The increased amounts of ultraviolet rays from the arc also cause
the formation of ozone and nitrous oxides. Welders need to protect their skin with the proper clothing
and protect their eyes with the correct shade lens in the welding hood. When welding in confined areas,
concentrations of shielding gas may build up and displace oxygen. Make sure that these areas are
ventilated properly. Always read and follow all applicable safety standards, especially ANSI Z49.1, Safety
in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes, which is available for free from the American Welding Society
at: www.aws.org.

Finally, GTAW is less portable than other types of welding because it requires an external shielding gas
like argon or helium. All shielding gases come in heavy cylinders that can be difficult to move from place
to place.

Because GTAW is so versatile, it's used in many different industry segments. Welders prefer GTAW
anytime accurate work or good-looking welds are required. This includes using it in the aerospace and
motorsport industries, as well as for work on pressurized tanks and process piping.
It's important to remember that GTAW is a very clean process and is considered one of the most
metallurgically pure arc welding processes. Welders like the control GTAW provides so they can finesse
a weld until it looks just right.

The importance of cleanliness can't be overemphasized, particularly when working on titanium,

aluminum, and magnesium. These metals are more susceptible to contaminants than ferrous metals.
Porosity in aluminum welds can be caused by hydrogen, so it's important to eliminate all sources o
hydrogen contamination. This includes avoiding exposure to moisture and hydrocarbons in the form of
oils and paints.

Welders must maintain good welding conditions by properly cleaning the materials, using clean filler
metals, wearing clean welding gloves, and by keeping oil, dirt, and other contaminants away from the
weld area