Start with the required weld
Compare robotic MIG and TIG against the part's specified weld requirements and a representative trial. Neither process name alone establishes acceptable quality, production cost or suitability for a particular material thickness. A proposed robot arm also does not establish that the complete welding configuration supports both processes.
Describe the existing process and any customer-specified procedure before asking for an alternative. Make clear which requirements are mandatory and which are preferences, such as visible bead appearance or reduced finishing work.
Prepare the process brief
- Material designation, thickness and surface condition.
- Joint drawing, weld locations and access restrictions.
- Fit-up variation, fixture arrangement and part preparation.
- Required inspection method and acceptance criteria.
- Batch size, handling work and target production demand.
Ask the proposed supplier to identify the power source, torch, filler delivery where applicable, cooling, shielding arrangements and controller interfaces. Have the responsible welding specialist review process details; a generic gas or parameter table cannot qualify your application.
Compare accepted output
Compare the proposals using the same part and inspection criteria. Include loading, welding, unloading, cleaning, inspection and rework in the evaluation. Record consumables and changeover requirements as well as the welding segment.
Do not infer quality from bead appearance alone or assume one process always produces the lower finished-part cost. Document what the sample evaluation demonstrates and which production variations remain untested.
Confirm changeover scope
If a future process change matters, ask which hardware, interfaces, programs and application checks would change. Obtain a written compatibility and supply scope for the exact configuration. Send the process brief to CBOXTEC to discuss equipment requirements without presuming universal MIG/TIG interchangeability.
MIG / GMAW and TIG / GTAW — what changes?
The electrode distinction below follows TWI. The proposal checks are CBOXTEC procurement guidance, not a statement that a particular robot supports both processes.
| Process | Electrode | Confirm in the proposal |
|---|---|---|
| MIG / GMAW | Continuously fed consumable wire | Power source + wire feeder + torch |
| TIG / GTAW | Non-consumable tungsten | Power source + torch + filler delivery if needed |
- MIG: identify the wire feeder, torch and controller interface. TIG: identify the torch and any separate filler-feed equipment. For either process, confirm cooling, shielding and the exact controller interface.
- Compare the same representative parts and acceptance criteria. Record handling, welding, inspection and changeover separately; retain sample results and unresolved variations.
- Ask which hardware and programs must change for a process switch. Obtain written compatibility confirmation for the exact configuration before ordering.
No universal thickness limit, speed ratio or finished-part quality follows from the process name alone.