8.19.2006

A roundup of posts in Google's welding usergroup...

I like to browse this for convversation, tips and info. This is the most recent & interesting welder's conversations over there....

8.13.2006

Environmentally friendly MIG welding?

Welding is a fact in modern life. It touches just about everything everyone drives in, lives in, works with, or enjoys, but it isn't exactly "green" or optimized to save energy. It emits greenhouse gasses, and whether or not you believe that this is a big deal (I do), it's a good idea to conserve power and reduce pollutants from any activity done as broadly as welding is. The big heaping amounts of carbon dioxide MIG and GMAW use as shielding gasses and the power-hungry welders are a good market for someone who wants to market an idea, and maybe do some good.

The Ferret website is reporting on Australia's
Centre for Energy and Greenhouse Technologies efforts to inject some efficiency into welding by plunging $450,000 into a new company, MIGfast. They're trying to make welding contact tips that help make a weld take less time, which would naturally reduce energy use and gas emissions. The claim is that these tips would reduce the time by as much as half.

If they can do it, I know plenty of welders who'd use them whether they care about greenhouse gasses or not.