MIG welding is ideal for welding mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum and all thicknesses from 26 gauge sheet metal to heavy structural plate. MIG welding is not the first choice for welders because of the wide range of thicknesses that can be welded, but also provides the speed professionals need. It can also be used without any gas, called flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), for places where carrying gas is a bit difficult.

MIG/MAG welding is also known as metal gas arc welding (GMAW). A distinction is made between metal inert gas welding (MIG) and metal active gas welding (MAG). MIG/MAG is currently the most commonly used welding process and provides particularly high welding speeds. It can be used manually, mechanically, or robotically.

MAG welding uses active gases of different compositions, such as pure CO2 or a mixture of Argon+CO2. The MAG process is used for low alloy and high alloy materials such as mild steel, carbon steel, etc. On the other hand, MIG welding uses an inert gas, a non-reactive gas such as argon or pure helium. Or a mixture of argon and helium. This process is suitable for welding materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper, magnesium, and titanium.