| Acronym or term used | Description |
|---|---|
| GMAW | Gas metal arc welding aka MIG or MAG |
| MIG | Metal inert gas welding using inert gases such as argon and helium aka GMAW |
| MAG | Metal active gas welding using active gases such as carbon dioxide and/or oxygen aka GMAW |
| TIG | Tungsten inert gas welding using inert gases aka GTAW |
| SMAW | Shielded metal arc welding aka MMA, Stick |
| GTAW | Gas tungsten arc welding aka TIG |
| FCAW | Flux cored arc welding |
| PAW | Plasma arc welding |
| MMA | Manual metal arc welding aka SMAW, Stick |
| Weld face | The exposed surface of a weld on the side from which welding was done |
| Weld toe | The junction of the weld face and the base metal |
| Weld root | The points at which the root surface intersects the base metal surfaces |
| Weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) | The area that had its microstructure and properties altered by the heat of the welding process |
| Fusion zone | Area where the weld takes place |
| Power source AC | Alternating current |
| Power source DC | Direct current |
| Weld gun nozzle/shroud | A nozzle directs the flow of the shielding gas to the weld pool |
| Weld gun contact tip | A contact tip transfers the welding current to the wire as it passes through |
| Weld gun gas diffuser | Gas diffusers are designed to distribute the shielding gas |
| Weld gun tip adapter | The adapter in which the contact tip screws into |
| Weld gun liner (conduit) | The liner guides the welding wire from the wire feeder through the gun cable and through the contact tip |
| QC | Quality control |
| QA | Quality assurance |
| pWPS | Preliminary welding procedure specification |
| WPS | Welding procedure specification |
| WPQR | Welding procedure qualification record |
| NDT | Non destructive testing |
| Weld spatter | Drops of molten metal generated during MIG/MAG welding in close proximity to the welding arc |
| Weld porosity | Presence of gaps in the weld metal caused by contamination of the weld pool |
| Excess weld metal (or reinforcement) | Weld metal in excess of the required quantity |
| Gas cylinder | Bottle, bank |
| Abrasive wheel disc for grinders | Various terminologies for different products: Cutting disc, flap disc, grinding disc, slitting disc |
| Cutting disc | Slitting |
| Flap disc | Various grit counts & diameters |
| Grinding disc | Various diameters & thicknesses |
| Welding torch | Torch, gun, harness |
Welding gas selector guide
Helping you choose the right gas for your welding needs.
Select your material, welding type, wire type and material thickness and the tool which highlight our specific welding mixture suitable for your welding application.