Environmental and Economic Analyses of TIG, MIG, MAG and SMAW Welding Processes

Abstract

Metal welding processes, and electric arc welding in particular, constitute a key link in a production chain comprising a large number of companies. This fact, in addition to a growing trend in favour of more in-depth environmental analysis and control of industry, and the need to continue affording due consideration to the economic aspect set the stage for this study. Herein, an environmental and economic analysis is conducted of four types of electric arc welding: TIG welding with and without filler, MIG, MAG, and SMAW welding. Different types of materials are examined such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminium, thus the results generate relevant comparative information on the economic and environmental impacts of choosing one type of welding over another. To this end, an experimental study was carried out: 480 test specimens were welded using different welding technologies. A series of data was collected during the welding process to inform an environmental analysis based on a Life Cycle Analysis and an economic study. The most salient results include that the TIG welding process with filler generated the greatest environmental impact due to its higher consumption of shielding gas. On the other hand, the SMAW process demonstrated the best environmental performance as categories such as Global Warming Potential; CO2 emissions dropped by 93.29%. A key factor is the final indicator of human health, where, once again, TIG technology had the worst results, in contrast to SMAW technology, wherein impact decreased by 93.08%. On the other hand, the use of TIG technology implies a higher economic cost due to a 61.36% increase in welding time compared to the average welding technology.