A Comprehensive Report: How TIG Welding Was Invented and Developed

This report explores the historical development of Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, starting from C.L. Coffin's initial concept of using non-oxidizing gas for welding in 1890. It traces the refinement of this idea by H.M. Hobart, who proposed helium as a shielding gas, and P.K. Devers, who demonstrated the use of argon. The report highlights Russell Meredith's pivotal role in perfecting the process for joining light alloys in 1941, leading to the establishment of TIG welding, initially known as Heliarc. It further discusses the contributions of the Linde Division in developing essential accessories and the subsequent attempts to use carbon dioxide as an alternative shielding gas. The report concludes by emphasizing the significant impact of TIG welding on industries such as aircraft and aerospace, along with the continuous development of GTAW processes.

Running head: HOW TIG WELDING WAS INVENTED
HOW TIG WELDING WAS INVENTED
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Introduction
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding method employs a non-consumable tungsten electrode
as the primary component. A gas that is inert such as argon or helium is normally used to shield
weld area as well as the electrode. TIG as well is termed as Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).
The development of TIG began in the1800s.
Invention of TIG
TIG welding idea originated from C.L. Coffin when he proposed that a non-oxidizing gas
can be weld. Therefore, in the year 1890, his idea was patented. Later, H.M. Hobart refined the
concept by showing that an inert gas such as helium would be the best for shielding in the late
1920s (Bang et al., 2016). Consequently, P.K Devers as well demonstrated the use of argon for
the same purpose. As such, this method was ideal for welding metals such as aluminum,
stainless, and magnesium. However, welding these non-ferrous materials resulted in many
difficulties since such metals reacts quickly with the air leading to dross-filled and porous welds
(DeVore, 2015). The solution was to use bottled inert gases (the early 1930s) and direct current
in the process of gas shielding.
However, these techniques were insufficient in welding magnesium and aluminum.
Therefore, Russell Meredith perfected the welding act in the year 1941 by proposing joining of
light alloys (Jetly & Singla, 2014). Meredith was working with the Northrop Aircraft
Corporation, and it’s during this time that the TIG welding process was established in Southern
California. Since the method used helium as the sole gas for shielding, and a tungsten electrode
arc, Meredith named it Heliarc. However, it is usually termed as TIG (tungsten inert gas
welding). The American Welding Society, on the other hand, refer to it as GTAW (gas tungsten

HOW TIG WELDING WAS INVENTED 3
arc welding). Such developments made president Roosevelt write a letter to Winston Churchill
boasting of the new welding techniques in America that led to the development of ships with a
high speed never seen before in the shipbuilding history.
Afterward, Linde Division of the Union Carbide Corporation dealing with various Air
Products started to develop different water-cooled and air-cooled torches, gas lenses, and other
accessories (consumables and spare parts) that improved shielding (DeVore, 2015) and the
whole process, hence preventing overheating. The continual progression of this process led to its
popularity, and some people in 1950s tried to use carbon dioxide as an alternative to helium.
However, the idea was regarded as unacceptable as it reduced the weld quality. In 1953, a
plasma arc welding that is limited to automated systems was developed that uses a nozzle that
focuses on the electric arc. The method improved the weld quality and also offered greater
control (Singh, Dey, & Rai, 2017). After expiry of many of the patents, various companies came
in to make the GTAW torches. The CK Worldwide which is located in Seattle Washington and
the Weldcraft located in Burbank, Calfornia, however, sets the design standards and quality.
Conclusion
The invention of TIG has brought a lot of development in the welding industry. Russell
Meredith invention brought a positive change in the field of aircraft and aerospace markets. The
development of various accessories within the GTAW process continues up to date resulting in
programs that offer improved services.

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References
Bang, H., Bang, H., Hong, J. H., Jeon, G. H., Kim, G. S., & Kaplan, A. F. H. (2016). Effect of
Tungsten-Inert-Gas Preheating on Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of Friction
Stir Welded Dissimilar Al Alloy and Mild Steel. Strength of Materials, 48(1), 152-159.
DeVore, M. E. (2015). An Experimental Study on Reducing the Formation of Dross when
Cutting 1018 HR Steel Using a CNC Plasma Cutter (Doctoral dissertation).
Jetly, S., & Singla, V. K. (2014). To study the Process Parameters Involved in Tungsten Inert
Gas Welding of Austenitic Stainless Steel Alloys SS-310 and SS-316 (Doctoral
dissertation).
Singh, A. K., Dey, V., & Rai, R. N. (2017). Techniques to improve weld penetration in TIG
welding (A review). Materials Today: Proceedings, 4(2), 1252-1259.