Red Seal Welder Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

MIG welding, or Metal Inert Gas welding, utilizes a continuous solid wire electrode, which is fed through a welding gun. This process allows for a smooth and efficient welding operation as the wire acts as both the filler material and the electrode, creating an arc between the wire and the workpiece. The continuous feed of the wire means that the welder can maintain a steady hand and reduce downtime for reloading material, making it suitable for various applications in fabrication and assembly.

The characteristics of MIG welding make it distinct in the realm of welding techniques, especially when compared to others. In TIG welding, another popular method, a non-consumable tungsten electrode is used, and the filler material is only added as a separate rod, which is not continuously fed. Stick welding employs a consumable electrode that is coated, which produces slag and requires a different approach than the clean and efficient wire feed of MIG. Plasma cutting, while a valuable cutting technique, does not fall under the category of welding as it is used to sever metals rather than joining them. Thus, the nature of the continuous solid wire electrode is fundamental to the MIG welding process.