{"id":2884,"date":"2026-07-07T13:46:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T13:46:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:46:46","slug":"mag-welding","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/","title":{"rendered":"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"fw-zurueck\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/\">\u2190 Back to the knowledge base<\/a><\/p>\n<article class=\"fw-artikel\">\n<header class=\"fw-kopf\">\n<p class=\"fw-kicker\">Knowledge \u00b7 Welding in contract manufacturing<\/p>\n<aside class=\"fw-kurzantwort\">\n<p><strong>In short:<\/strong> MAG welding (metal active gas, process number 135) is an arc process in which a continuously fed wire electrode melts under active shielding gas. It is by far the most important process for steel in mechanical and structural engineering: fast, reliable and approved for load-bearing structures to EN 1090. Its limits are non-ferrous metals such as aluminium and applications demanding perfect visible seams without rework.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"fw-inhalt\">\n<h2>How does MAG welding work?<\/h2>\n<p>A wire feeder pushes the electrode (typically 0.8 to 1.6 mm diameter) through the torch at constant speed. The arc burns between wire and workpiece, the wire melts and forms the seam together with the molten base material. The shielding gas is called active because it takes part chemically: pure CO\u2082 or mixed gases such as M21 (82 % argon, 18 % CO\u2082) stabilise the arc and shape penetration and seam profile. Depending on parameters, the process runs in short arc (thin sheet, positional welding), spray arc (thick sections in flat position) or pulsed arc, which combines the advantages of both on modern power sources.<\/p>\n<h2>Which materials and thicknesses does MAG cover?<\/h2>\n<p>Practically all weldable steels from about 0.8 mm upwards, with no practical upper limit thanks to multi-pass welding. Structural steels such as S235JR and S355J2 are the standard case, plus fine-grain steels and, with adapted low-CO\u2082 gas, stainless steels. MAG is unsuitable for aluminium, copper and brass; those run under MIG or TIG.<\/p>\n<h2>Why is MAG the most economical process for steel?<\/h2>\n<p>Because deposition rate translates directly into money. The endless wire feed allows several kilograms of weld metal per hour, a multiple of what a TIG welder achieves with a hand-fed rod. On long fillet welds of a machine frame that adds up to hours. A practical tip for designers: fillet weld volume grows with the square of the throat thickness. Specifying a = 3 where statics allow it, instead of a habitual a = 5, cuts welding time, heat input and distortion substantially.<\/p>\n<h2>What do EN 1090 and ISO 9606 regulate?<\/h2>\n<p>Load-bearing steel components may only be welded by companies certified to EN 1090-1, executing to EN 1090-2; execution class EXC 2 is the usual standard in machine building. Welders prove their skill through EN ISO 9606-1 qualifications, separated by process (135), material group and position, and a qualified welding coordinator is responsible for procedures and supervision. For buyers this means: no certificates, no load-bearing parts.<\/p>\n<h3>MAG at a glance<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Value \/ classification<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Process number (EN ISO 4063)<\/td>\n<td>135<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Shielding gas<\/td>\n<td>CO\u2082 or M21 (82 % Ar \/ 18 % CO\u2082)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wire diameter<\/td>\n<td>0.8 to 1.6 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Materials<\/td>\n<td>structural steel (S235, S355), fine-grain steels, stainless with adapted gas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Strengths<\/td>\n<td>speed, economy, EN 1090 suitability, automation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Limits<\/td>\n<td>aluminium\/non-ferrous, visible-seam finish, heat input<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Typical parts<\/td>\n<td>machine frames, beams, brackets, welded assemblies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"fw-faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">What does 135 stand for in MAG welding?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>It is the process number to EN ISO 4063, the international classification of welding processes. 131 is MIG, 141 is TIG. Drawings and welding procedure specifications identify the process by this number.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">Is MAG welding approved for load-bearing structures?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>Yes, MAG is the standard process for load-bearing steel components to EN 1090-2, provided the company is certified, welders are qualified to EN ISO 9606-1 and a welding coordinator supervises execution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">Which gas is used for MAG?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>For structural steel usually M21 mixed gas (82 % argon, 18 % CO\u2082), a good compromise of penetration, low spatter and appearance. Pure CO\u2082 is cheaper with deeper penetration but more spatter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">How much faster is MAG than TIG?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>As a rule of thumb three to five times the deposited weld metal per hour, depending on seam type and position. TIG is therefore reserved for seams that need its quality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<footer class=\"fw-cta\">\n<p>Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau MAG-welds structures up to 25 t and 12 m to DIN EN 1090-2 EXC 2, with welders qualified to EN ISO 9606 and in-house welding coordination. More on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/welding\/\">welding page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<p class=\"fw-zurueck\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/\">\u2190 Back to the knowledge base<\/a><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"headline\":\"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits\",\"description\":\"How MAG welding (135) works, which materials and thicknesses it covers and where its limits are. Practical knowledge from certified production.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Mika Fries\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/company\/\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Fries-Logo-weiss-1-e1648995713371.png\"}},\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-07\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-07\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/\"},{\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does 135 stand for in MAG welding?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It is the process number to EN ISO 4063, the international classification of welding processes. 131 is MIG, 141 is TIG. Drawings and welding procedure specifications identify the process by this number.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is MAG welding approved for load-bearing structures?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, MAG is the standard process for load-bearing steel components to EN 1090-2, provided the company is certified, welders are qualified to EN ISO 9606-1 and a welding coordinator supervises execution.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which gas is used for MAG?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"For structural steel usually M21 mixed gas (82 % argon, 18 % CO\u2082), a good compromise of penetration, low spatter and appearance. Pure CO\u2082 is cheaper with deeper penetration but more spatter.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much faster is MAG than TIG?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"As a rule of thumb three to five times the deposited weld metal per hour, depending on seam type and position. TIG is therefore reserved for seams that need its quality.\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Knowledge\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/\"}]}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<style>.fw-artikel{max-width:860px;margin:0 auto;line-height:1.65}.fw-kicker{text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.1em;font-size:.8em;opacity:.7}.fw-kurzantwort{border-left:4px solid currentColor;padding:14px 18px;background:rgba(0,0,0,.04);margin:20px 0}.fw-inhalt table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:18px 0}.fw-inhalt th,.fw-inhalt td{border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.2);padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}.fw-faq-item{border-bottom:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.15);padding:10px 0}.fw-faq-frage{font-weight:600;cursor:pointer}.fw-cta{margin-top:32px;padding:20px;background:rgba(0,0,0,.04)}.fw-zurueck{max-width:860px;margin:0 auto 18px;font-weight:600}.fw-zurueck a{color:#4a7c48;text-decoration:none}h1{font-size:2.2em !important;line-height:1.25 !important}<\/style>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2190 Back to the knowledge base Knowledge \u00b7 Welding in contract manufacturing In short: MAG welding (metal active gas, process [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":2878,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2884","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits - Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits - Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2190 Back to the knowledge base Knowledge \u00b7 Welding in contract manufacturing In short: MAG welding (metal active gas, process [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Fries-Maschinen-und-Anlagenbau-GmbH\/303228306853341\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AdobeStock_12730836.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2025\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/knowledge\\\/mag-welding\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/knowledge\\\/mag-welding\\\/\",\"name\":\"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits - Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-07T11:46:46+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/knowledge\\\/mag-welding\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/knowledge\\\/mag-welding\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/knowledge\\\/mag-welding\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Knowledge\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/knowledge\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\",\"description\":\"Fries GmbH\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/02\\\/AdobeStock_12730836.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/02\\\/AdobeStock_12730836.jpeg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":2025,\"caption\":\"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fries-gmbh.de\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/pages\\\/Fries-Maschinen-und-Anlagenbau-GmbH\\\/303228306853341\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/fries_gmbh\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits - Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits - Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH","og_description":"\u2190 Back to the knowledge base Knowledge \u00b7 Welding in contract manufacturing In short: MAG welding (metal active gas, process [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/","og_site_name":"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Fries-Maschinen-und-Anlagenbau-GmbH\/303228306853341","og_image":[{"width":2500,"height":2025,"url":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AdobeStock_12730836.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/","url":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/","name":"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits - Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-07-07T11:46:46+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Knowledge","item":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"MAG Welding Explained: Process, Strengths, Limits"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/","name":"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH","description":"Fries GmbH","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/#organization","name":"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH","url":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AdobeStock_12730836.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AdobeStock_12730836.jpeg","width":2500,"height":2025,"caption":"Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Fries-Maschinen-und-Anlagenbau-GmbH\/303228306853341","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fries_gmbh\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2884\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}