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Welding Machine Type |
Process |
Material |
Use Cases |
Notes |
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Stick Welding (SMAW) |
Shielded Metal Arc Welding |
Mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, cast iron |
General purpose welding, fabrication, repair, pipe welding, shipbuilding |
Robust and portable, works outdoors, requires manual dexterity |
|
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding (GMAW) |
Gas Metal Arc Welding |
Mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, nickel |
General purpose welding, fabrication, automation, thin sheet metal |
Fast and efficient, requires shielding gas, good for beginners |
|
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding (GTAW) |
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding |
Aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, magnesium |
Precision welding, thin sheet metal, critical welds |
Clean and precise, requires manual dexterity, slow process |
|
Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) |
Self-shielded or Gas-shielded |
Mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum |
General purpose welding, fabrication, out-of-position welding |
Versatile and portable, self-shielding option for outdoors, splatter can be higher than MIG |
|
Pulse Arc Welding (PAW) |
Variation of MIG or TIG |
Mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum |
Advanced applications, thin sheet metal, dissimilar metals |
Creates high-quality, controlled welds, requires specialized equipment and skill |
|
Spot Welding (RW) |
Resistance Welding |
Mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum |
Joining sheet metal, automotive industry, mass production |
Fast and automated, limited to specific applications and thicknesses |
|
Stud Welding |
Arc or Capacitor Discharge |
Steel, aluminum |
Attaching studs to metal surfaces |
Fast and efficient, used for construction, fasteners, etc. |
|
Laser Beam Welding (LBW) |
Laser Beam |
High-alloy steels, titanium, aluminum |
Precision welding, thin sheet metal, dissimilar metals |
Clean and precise, high power consumption, expensive equipment |
|
Electron Beam Welding (EBW) |
Electron Beam |
High-alloy steels, titanium, reactive metals |
Precision welding, vacuum environment, aerospace applications |
High power consumption, expensive equipment, limited access |
