The shielding gas often plays an important role in the productivity and quality of welding. Not only do shielding gases protect the finished weld from the effects of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere, they can also have a positive effect on weld metal properties such as strength, corrosion resistance and toughness. And that’s not all – shielding gases can increase your productivity by accelerating the welding process and minimizing the amount of spatter.
The shielding gas can be inert or active. Inert gas is used in MIG welding (metal-arc inert gas welding) while active gas is used in MAG welding (metal-arc active gas welding).