MIG Welding Carbon SteelToday MIG welding is the most widely used process for welding carbon steel. Although the exact percentage of use varies by country, for developed countries it is typically between 55 and 65%. This high level of use is because the process is versatile, and can be used for welding sheet metal from about 0.6mm to thick plates in excess of 100mm. Welding can be carried out manually, automatically or robotically. Carbon steel covers a wide range of different material types include mild steels, carbon-manganese steels, structural steels, HSLA steels and Q&T Steels which includes HY and QT types. Filler wires for carbon steels are usually selected to match the mechanical properties of the parent plate, and this usually entails matching the chemical composition as closely as possible. There are several shielding gas types available for MIG welding carbon steel. These may contain argon, helium, carbon dioxide or oxygen, such as the Argoshield range, but will not include hydrogen or nitrogen because of the inherent susceptibility of steel to these gases.
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