Gas lens and larger shrouds

[JayRS4]

Just having one of my strange pondering moments. If you can use larger ceramics or a gas lens with tig, why is there no equivilent for mig. For several reasons, tig generally seems to use a lower gas flow, so if the sheilding was more focussed with mig could it be cut down as well. Also, welding outside, surely a lens as such on mig might help. And with something like Ali or Stainless, surely a better sheilded area would help. And another, i`ve seen the clear/pyrex "ceramics" for tig, and again nothing similar for mig.

Now am i just going completely mad, or is some of this not a bad idea.

Maybe this should have been in the "welding in the wind" thread a while ago, but i didn`t think of it then.

Like i said, just pondering. Any thoughts?

 

[shenion]

My Tweco MIG torch has 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4" ID shrouds. You don't see it on the hobby torches, but most industrial type have them.

I doubt a lens would help outside as it is designed to use a slower gas speed (larger area.)

 

[Hitch]

If your running at higher power, you tend to use a bigger torch anyway, which has bigger shrouds, the whole shround of an MB15 would probably fit through a shroud off a MB36 or 40.

 

[Robotstar5]

We use necked down (bottle) shrouds on some of the robots but this is for access reasons, don't know how it affects the gas flow / coverage.

 

[rodofgod]

Hi All!

MIG/MAG welding is a much more 'violent' type of welding than TIG could ever be,any type of Gas Lens would become blocked with spatter in minutes. Hence the greater gas flow rates for MIG/MAG than for TIG. Speed of travel is also a factor, the weld is not covered by the gas shield for nowhere near as long with MIG as it is with TIG where forward speed of travel is much, much slower.

Nice Idea though!

Regards