{"id":2885,"date":"2026-07-07T13:47:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/knowledge\/tig-welding\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T13:47:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:47:38","slug":"tig-welding","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/tig-welding\/","title":{"rendered":"TIG Welding Explained: Precision for Stainless Steel and Aluminium"},"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> TIG welding (tungsten inert gas, process number 141) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode under argon; filler rod is fed by hand. It delivers the cleanest seam quality of all arc processes and is first choice for stainless steel, aluminium, pipework and visible seams. Its price is speed: TIG is several times slower than MAG, so it belongs where its quality is genuinely needed.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"fw-inhalt\">\n<h2>How does TIG welding work?<\/h2>\n<p>The arc burns between a tungsten electrode and the workpiece. The electrode does not melt; it only carries the arc. Argon shields the weld pool. The welder guides the torch with one hand and doses filler rod with the other, controlling heat and material addition independently; exactly this decoupling creates the superior control over the pool. Steel and stainless are welded with direct current; aluminium requires alternating current, whose positive half-wave breaks up the oxide layer that melts only above 2,000 \u00b0C while the metal beneath is liquid at 660 \u00b0C.<\/p>\n<h2>Where is TIG unbeatable?<\/h2>\n<p>In four situations. Visible seams: the fine, evenly rippled TIG seam is practically spatter-free and often needs no rework on stainless frames or panelling. Thin-walled parts from about 0.5 to 6 mm. Root passes in pipework and vessels, where the TIG root is dense, low-porosity and internally smooth. And materials that forgive nothing: high-alloy stainless steels, aluminium, titanium.<\/p>\n<h2>Where are the limits?<\/h2>\n<p>Speed and cost. A TIG welder deposits roughly a third to a fifth of a MAG process. On a machine frame with many metres of fillet weld TIG would be wasted money; such structures run under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/mag-welding\/\">MAG<\/a>. TIG also demands the most manual skill of all processes, which makes EN ISO 9606 qualifications particularly meaningful here.<\/p>\n<h2>What does TIG mean for distortion and rework?<\/h2>\n<p>Heat input per second is lower than MAG, but welding time is longer; thin sheets can still distort noticeably. For distortion-critical thin sheet, hand-held laser welding is worth evaluating; the physics are explained in the article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/knowledge\/welding-distortion\/\">welding distortion<\/a>. On rework, TIG shines: no spatter, nothing to grind. A practical tip: instead of prescribing TIG on the drawing, specify the seam requirement (visible seam, tightness, quality level to EN ISO 5817). The manufacturer can then TIG-weld the visible seams and run the rest economically with MAG.<\/p>\n<h3>TIG 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>141<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Electrode<\/td>\n<td>tungsten, non-consumable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Shielding gas<\/td>\n<td>argon, partly argon-helium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Current<\/td>\n<td>DC for steel\/stainless, AC for aluminium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Typical wall thickness<\/td>\n<td>approx. 0.5 to 6 mm, thicker multi-pass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Strengths<\/td>\n<td>seam quality, visible seams, root passes, thin walls<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Limits<\/td>\n<td>speed, cost, high skill requirement<\/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 TIG stand for?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>Tungsten inert gas: a tungsten electrode plus inert shielding gas. The process number to EN ISO 4063 is 141; the German term is WIG (Wolfram-Inertgas).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">Why is TIG so much slower than MAG?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>Because filler is fed by hand as a rod while MAG feeds an endless wire mechanically. In return, TIG offers separate control of heat and filler and thus the higher seam quality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">Is a TIG seam stronger than a MAG seam?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>Not fundamentally. Properly executed, both reach the strengths required by design and standard. TIG wins on purity, low porosity and appearance, not on strength.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"fw-faq-item\">\n<summary class=\"fw-faq-frage\">When should I prescribe TIG on the drawing?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fw-faq-antwort\">\n<p>Only when the requirement demands it, such as visible seams or root passes with tightness requirements. Otherwise specify the seam quality and leave the process choice to the certified manufacturer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<footer class=\"fw-cta\">\n<p>Fries Maschinen- und Anlagenbau TIG-welds stainless steel, aluminium and steel with welders qualified to EN ISO 9606, embedded in production certified to DIN EN 1090-2 EXC 2. Overview: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fries-gmbh.de\/en\/welding\/\">welding at Fries<\/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\":\"TIG Welding Explained: Precision for Stainless Steel and Aluminium\",\"description\":\"How TIG welding (141) works, where its seam quality is unmatched and when it becomes too expensive. 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