What are the 3 Common Methods Used for Welding Stainless Steel?

Blog | June 11th, 2020

One common material that is typically welded is stainless steel. Stainless steel is known for its durability as it can resist many types of liquid, gas, and corrosive chemicals. It can also withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures, making it a great choice for the pipe and oil industry. Hospitality businesses also utilise stainless steel products since they can resist bacterial growth. Even medical equipment companies now rely on stainless steel because of the same benefit.

Stainless steel equipment, tools, and products are typically created through the welding process. And while welding stainless steel can be a little bit complicated, the products out of welding this specific metal still turn out to be fully functional and operational. What is required with welding stainless steel is the specific skills of the welder. Welders must also know the different types of welding so that the results will end up fine and usable for the further fabrication of helpful tools and devices.

The 3 common methods used for welding stainless steel are the following:

TIG Welding

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding, also known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, is one of the most used welding processes in the industry today. It combines metals through heating them with an arc between a tungsten electrode and the workpiece. This process maximises a shielding gas and may or may not utilise filler metal. This type of welding process can easily offer great control of root pass weld penetration and distinct control over filler metal additions and heat input. One limitation, however, of TIG welding is its low travel speed and deposition rate.

Resistance Welding

Resistance welding is believed to be one of the most cost-effective types of welding. This type of welding combines metals by applying pressure and electrical current through the metal material that will be joined. Metals with a low melting point can easily benefit from resistance welding since this type of welding can be modified to avoid metal distortion. Another great benefit of resistance welding is that it does not need any materials to create a specific bond. Equipment used for resistance welding is versatile, making it applicable for automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.

MIG Welding

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a type of welding that offers a strong pairing of two stainless steel pieces. It uses electricity and an argon rich shield gas in joining two pieces of metal. The popularity of MIG welding stems from the fact that it allows the welder to weld difficult to access spots on some stainless steel products. This type of welding is also known for its cleanliness, long-pass capability, and its applicability to a wide range of metals and alloys. Factories and metalworking workshops often choose MIG welding due to the mentioned benefits.

These common types of welding have their own respective benefits and features that can be helpful in specific applications. If you want to know more about these welding methods, feel free to contact us at McKean’s Sheetmetal Fabricators.

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