Welding processes
MMA, MIG/MAG, TIG and the rest — how each one works, what it is for, where it stops being the right choice.
Three processes cover almost all manual welding, and the numbers in EN ISO 4063 are what you will see on a WPS: 111 for stick, 131 and 135 for MIG and MAG, 141 for TIG.
The honest way to choose between them is by what limits you. Outdoors and on dirty or rusty steel, MMA wins because it carries its own shielding in the coating. Where there is a lot of metal to deposit and a roof over your head, MIG/MAG wins on deposition rate and arc-on time. Where the joint is thin, visible or has to be right the first time, TIG wins because it is the only process that separates the heat from the filler.
Each article covers the same ground: how the arc actually behaves, what the settings do, where the process fails and the mistakes that show up in every weld test.
- MMA — stick welding Manual metal arc welding from the inside: the arc, the coating, polarity, current selection, and where MMA still beats MIG/MAG.
- MIG/MAG welding How semi-automatic welding works: short arc, globular and spray transfer, gas mixtures, wire choice and typical machine settings.
- TIG welding Gas tungsten arc welding step by step: polarity, tungsten choice, gas flow, filler wire, and what changes on thin stainless.
Frequently asked questions
Which process should a beginner learn first?
MMA, for two reasons. The equipment is one box and two leads, so there is less to go wrong; and because everything is visible and slow, you learn to read the pool. A welder who can run a decent stick bead picks up MIG in an afternoon. The reverse is not true.
What do the numbers 111, 135 and 141 mean?
They are the process numbers of EN ISO 4063, and they are what appears on a WPS and on your certificate rather than the trade names. 111 is manual metal arc, 131 MIG, 135 MAG with solid wire, 136 flux-cored, 141 TIG.
Can I weld outdoors with MIG?
Only behind a screen. About 2 m/s of wind strips the gas shield, and that is a light draught. Outdoors the practical choices are MMA or self-shielded flux-cored wire, both of which carry their protection in the consumable.