TIG and MIG History

[Jim Smith]

Anybody have an idea of how long TIG and MIG processes have been around? Was also wondering who (company lays claim to the invention of each process. thanks, Jim

[cope]

I believe Linde invented the TIG process, calling it Heli-arc. MIG was around at least in the late 1940's and I have heard earlier than that. Rocky D was probably MIGing back in the stone age!

[Mike Sherman]

Arc welding origins go back into the 1800's (some claim the late 1780's) and didn't develope into what we know as SMAW until the early 1900's. In the 1930's submerged arc was developed with handheld semi-automatic guns by 1946. TIG was first played around with in the early thirties also. The first MIG was announced in 1948. Plasma arc came along in the fifties.

[John Stuckey]

The Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation has a very nice (and large and very affordable, about $10-15 if you buy it from the Lincoln site versus an eBay ripoff) book on welding. It is a 500+ page hardcover book.
John

[Rocky D]

Originally posted by cope
I believe Linde invented the TIG process, calling it Heli-arc. MIG was around at least in the late 1940's and I have heard earlier than that. Rocky D was probably MIGing back in the stone age!

Yep, it was me & Adam & Eve...we all had Hobarts!!!