nexAir KnowHow for Metal Fabrication: Improving Efficiency and Output

Metal fabrication involves a lot of moving parts, and inefficiency tends to accumulate quietly. Rework, inconsistent output, gas waste, and equipment that isn’t dialed in for the work at hand all chip away at productivity without always announcing themselves clearly. KnowHow™ is how we address that at nexAir: applied industry knowledge that goes into the specific processes, materials, and setups our customers are running, and comes out as practical improvements.

Getting Shielding Gas Right

Shielding gas does more than protect the weld pool from atmospheric contamination. It shapes arc behavior, influences heat distribution across the joint, and determines bead profile and penetration depth. When the gas blend isn’t matched to the base material and process, the results show up as porosity, excess spatter, fusion issues, or weld profiles that require additional cleanup and passes.

For MIG welding mild steel, an argon-CO2 blend in the 75/25 range delivers stable arc control and solid penetration with manageable spatter. Moving to a higher-argon blend, such as 90/10 or 95/5, reduces spatter further and works well when a cleaner bead profile is a priority. Pure CO2 is less expensive and provides deeper penetration but generates a more turbulent arc and significantly more spatter, which increases post-weld cleanup time.
TIG welding aluminum and stainless steel calls for high-purity argon. Helium-argon mixtures increase heat input and travel speed on thicker material where pure argon doesn’t deliver enough penetration.

Process Selection and Equipment Setup

Fabrication jobs typically involve a range of materials, joint types, and production volumes, and the most efficient process for one job isn’t always the right call for another. MIG offers speed for repetitive work on consistent geometries. TIG allows for fine detail and clean joints on materials where appearance and precision are priorities. Stick welding still earns its place on heavy builds and outdoor or field work where portability and performance in imperfect conditions are needed.

We help fabricators identify the most effective process for the work at hand and then configure equipment to support it. That includes machine settings, torch configuration for joint access, consumable selection matched to the base metal, and drive roll and liner setup that keeps wire feeding consistent under production conditions. Fine-tuning voltage, amperage, and travel speed for specific applications often produces meaningful improvements in output quality without any capital investment.

Reducing Rework

Rework is one of the more expensive outcomes in a fabrication shop, and a significant portion of it traces back to gas delivery rather than technique or equipment. Flow rates that fluctuate mid-weld produce inconsistent shielding and variable penetration. Contaminated gas introduces porosity. Regulators that have drifted from calibration deliver unpredictable pressure. A welder executing sound technique with a compromised gas delivery system will produce inconsistent results.

Gas Supply Configured for Production Demands

Cylinder changeovers during production runs cost time and interrupt workflow. For operations with continuous or high-volume welding, bulk gas supply and microbulk systems keep gas available without the logistics burden of managing individual cylinders. We size and configure supply systems based on actual flow rates and production schedules, so the supply side of the operation stays out of the way of the work.

Backed by our expert KnowHow™, we help metal fabricators build setups that perform consistently across shifts and scale as production requirements change. We help our clients Forge Forward with ease, and the most direct path to better output is usually a conversation about what’s happening at the arc right now. Reach out to your local nexAir team and let’s take a look.