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Welding, in engineering, is any process in which two or more pieces of metal are joined together by the application of heat, pressure, or a combination of both. Most of the processes may be grouped into two main categories: pressure welding, in which the weld is achieved by pressure; and heat welding, in which the weld is achieved by heat. Heat welding is the most common welding process used today.

With the development of new techniques during the first half of the 20th century, welding replaced bolting and riveting in the construction of many types of structures, including bridges, buildings, and ships. It is also a basic process in the automotive and aircraft industries and in the manufacture of machinery. Along with soldering and brazing, it is essential in the production of virtually every manufactured product involving metals.

The welding process best suited to joining two pieces of metal depends on the physical properties of the metals and the production facilities available. Tri-State Fabricators utilizes all type of welding processes.

Arc-welding processes, which have become the most important welding processes, particularly for joining steels, require a continuous supply of either direct or alternating electrical current. This current is used to create an electric arc, which generates enough heat to melt metal and create a weld.  We at Tri-State Fabricators use a wire fed arc-weld process normally called MIG welding.

Arc (MIG) welding has several advantages over other welding methods. Arc (MIG) welding is faster because of its high heat concentration, which also tends to reduce distortion in the weld.  The most widely used arc-welding processes are shielded metal arc, gas-tungsten arc, gas-metal arc, and submerged arc.

In gas-metal (MIG) welding, a bare electrode is shielded from the air by surrounding it with argon or carbon dioxide gas or by coating the electrode with flux. The electrode is fed into the electric arc, and melts off in droplets to enter the liquid metal that forms the weld. Most common metals can be joined by this process.