Semi-automatic welding is one of the varieties of arc welding, where the welding process occurs due to the electrode wire supplied to the work area. Semi-automatic welding can be carried out not only in shielding gases, but also by means of a special flux-cored wire, without the use of active or inert gas. Gas protection during work is required from the negative effects of air on molten and heated electrode and base metals.
A promising direction in welding today is semi-automatic welding without the use of an inert or active gas using a special welding flux-cored or flux-cored wire. This is a steel tube containing flux or, in other words, welding powder, similar in composition to the coating layer.ordinary electrode. Under the influence of temperature, the flux burns out, creating a protective gas cloud in the welding area.
By the principle of operation, such welding resembles a welding process using a simple electrode. The advantages of this type of semi-automatic welding are a wide selection of welding wire having a different chemical composition, with the help of which the characteristics of the seam and the properties of the arc are formed, while there is no need to use gas cylinders. The disadvantages include the ingress of slag into the work area, which requires the application of an additional seam for a high-quality and reliable connection of the parts to be welded.
Semi-automatic shielded gas welding has become widespread in the last 20 years. This type of welding can be carried out using two technologies - when welding is performed using an inert gas (argon, helium or another type of gas mixture) and using active or carbon dioxide. The first technology was called MIG (Metal Inert Gas), the second - MAG (Metal Active Gas).
The obligatory presence of a gas cylinder reduces the possibility of using this type of welding in open spaces, but there are still no analogues of this type in terms of performance for stationary welding. Semi-automatic welding using welding or electrode wire, which contains manganese or silicon, is carried out with its constant supply to the place of work. Simultaneously with the wire, active or inert gas is supplied to protect against the negative effects of atmospheric air.
Today, semi-automatic welding, the price of which can vary significantly in various trade organizations and online stores, is sold in a large assortment. Pricing is primarily affected by the popularity of the manufacturer, the quality and technical characteristics of the devices, reliability and safety in use. Do-it-yourself semi-automatic welding, when all the necessary diagrams and instructions can be easily found on the Internet, allows you to save significant money on its purchase. As practice shows, home-made welding machines are practically in no way inferior to factory-assembled models in terms of their reliability and quality of the weld.
