Rigor/Relevance
Framework
LESSON PLAN
Knowledge
Area and/or Course Introduction to Welding
Lesson Title Introduction to MIG welding
No. Periods 1 (73-minute period)
6
5
4
3
2
1
C
D
Assimilation
_______
Adaptation
___X____
A
B
Acquisition
_______
Application
_______
1
Teacher Goal(s):
1. Students will demonstrate how to safely set up an
MIG welder
2. Students will practice creating MIG welds
2
3
4
Application
Objectives:
The student will be able to (TSWBT). (Oregon Skill Set numbers in parentheses at the
end of the objective statement.)
1. Identify the set up process for a MIG welder (AG 10.02.01.04)
2. Demonstrate properly checking the MIG welder before operation (AG 10.02.01.04)
3. Select applications in a real-world setting where MIG welding is used (CS.EF.02)
4. Create MIG welds using safety, correct techniques, and form (EL.HS.RE.08)
5. Evaluate welds in comparison to industry standards (CS.HS.02)
State Standards met by Objectives:
Subject
Strand
1. Agriculture
AG 10.02.01.04
2. CRLS
CS.EF.02
3. CRLS
CS.HS.02
4. English
EL.HS.RE.08
5. Power Science
and Technology
PST 04.04.07.c.
6. Power Science
and Technology
PST 04.04.07.b.
Eligible Content
Demonstrate the set up and adjustment of tools and
equipment
Select, apply, and maintain tools and technologies
appropriate for the workplace.
Listen attentively and summarize key elements of
verbal and non-verbal communication.
Understand, learn, and use new vocabulary that is
introduced and taught directly through
informational text, literary text, and instruction
across the subject areas.
Construct and/or repair metal structures and
equipment using welding fabrication procedures,
including those associated with SMAW, GMAW,
GTAW, fuel-oxygen and plasma arc torch methods.
Distinguish welding processes, positions, and
materials preparation.
Knowledge: 1=awareness; 2=comprehension; 3=application; 4=analysis; 5=synthesis; 6=evaluation
Application: 1=knowledge in one discipline; 2=apply knowledge in one discipline; 3=apply knowledge across disciplines; 4=apply knowledge to real-world predictable situations; 5=apply
knowledge to real-world unpredictable situations
5
Materials, Equipment, Audio-Visual
Aids:
1. MIG welder
2. Welding gloves
3. Ground clamp
4. Example welds
5. Welding helmet
References:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXPsyO0N_U
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld--MIG-Welding/step5/Laying-a-Bead/
Anticipatory Set/Introduction/Motivation/Interest Approach:
Review Yesterday’s Lesson:
(Q) What kind of welding did we practice yesterday?
(A) Oxyacetylene
(Q) What are some of the main points of O/A welding?
(A)
1. Push the puddle
2. Properly set up the equipment
3. Prevent popping
4. Work to get comfortable with the equipment
Set:
MIG welding is one of the newest forms of welding, and is becoming extremely popular in
industry and with students. Typically this form is much easier and more forgiving than O/A and
arc, and has the potential to be a very versatile form of welding. The YouTube video below
shows one of the many applications of MIG welding. Many students find this clip interesting
because it is a younger person building a motorcycle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXPsyO0N_U
Transition (Use Objective):
1. Identify the set up process for a MIG welder
2. Demonstrate properly checking the MIG welder before operation
3. Select applications in a real-world setting where MIG welding is used
4. Create MIG welds using safety, correct techniques, and form
5. Evaluate welds in comparison to industry standards
Strategy – Includes Teacher
Activity, Student Activity,
Questions/Answers and
Objectives
Subject Matter Outline/Problem and Solution (Application
Points Lace in Throughout Lesson) (Modeling, Guided
Practice, and Content)
Objective #1
Defining MIG
The teacher has only
introduced MIG welding or
Gas Metal Arc Welding
(GMAW) in the classroom, so
a review in the shop will help
students understand the
differences between MIG, Arc,
and O/A
MIG welding was developed in the 1940's and 60 years later
the general principle is still very much the same. MIG welding
uses an arc of electricity to create a short circuit between a
continuously fed anode (+ the wire-fed welding gun) and a
cathode ( - the metal being welded).
(Q) Out of the two processes
we have learned so far, MIG
welding is closely related to
which process?
(A) Arc welding, hence the
name Gas Metal Arc Welding
(Q) Why is it important to
learn how to MIG weld?
(A) MIG welding is becoming
the industry standard for
welding because of it’s many
uses
(Q) Just like the arc welder,
what is important to make sure
and connect?
The heat produced by the short circuit, along with a nonreactive (hence inert) gas locally melts the metal and allows
them to mix together. Once the heat is removed, the metal
begins to cool and solidify, and forms a new piece of fused
metal.
A few years ago the full name - Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding
was changed to Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) but if you
call it that most people won't know what the heck your talking
about - the name MIG welding has certainly stuck.
MIG welding is useful because you can use it to weld many
different types of metals: carbon steel, stainless steel,
aluminum, magnesium, copper, nickel, silicon bronze and other
alloys.
Setting up the MIG
Before you start welding make sure things are properly setup at
both the welder and on the piece you are about to weld.
The Welder
Check to make sure that the valve to the shielding gas is open
and that you have around 20ft3/hr flowing through the regulator.
The welder needs to be on, the grounding clamp attached to
(Q) What kind of gas are we
your welding table or to the piece of metal directly and you
using for the MIG?
need to have proper wire speed and power setting dialed in
(A) Argon usually because it is (more on that later).
an inert gas
(A) The ground!
Objective #2
Checking the MIG Welder Before Operation
The teacher will explain to the
students the importance of
properly setting up the MIG
welder and double checking
everything is in working order
before use.
The basic technique used in GMAW is quite simple. The
operator guides the welding gun with care and orientation
along the area to be welded. It is important to keep to a
consistent tip-to-work distance, as the electrode may overheat
or waste shielding gas. The correct angle of the gun is also
important; it should be held at 45° when fillet welding and 90°
when welding a flat surface.
Students will write down the
following list to use for
reference if needed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
GMAW can be extremely dangerous if the proper precautions
are not taken. Welders must wear protective clothing, including
long sleeved jackets capable of withstanding heat and flames.
Gas is on
Leather gloves should also be worn when handling the welding
Tip has been dipped
gun. The brightness of the electric arc can also cause the retina
Ground clamp is
in the eye to burn, so helmets with protective faceplates must
attached
be used to prevent exposure. GMAW should never be
Pressure is below 20psi attempted without the implementation of all proper safety
Wire comes out of the
procedures.
tip along with gas
Cords cannot cause a
tripping hazard
Objective #3
Applications for MIG Welding
Before the students begin
actually welding with the O/A
system, the teacher will discuss
with the students some of the
practical applications of using
oxyacetylene welding.
GMAW was first developed at the turn of the 19th century,
when carbon were used. By the late 19th century, metal
electrodes had been invented, and by 1920, General Electric
invented the early predecessor of GMAW. By 1953, the use of
carbon dioxide to weld was developed. It quickly gained
popularity, as it made welding more economical.
(Q) Has anyone in the class
every used the MIG for
welding?
GMAW is widely used by the sheet metal industry. Arc spot
welding has replaced resistance or rivet welding. It is also used
in robot welding, in which robots operate the welding gun and
the sheet metal in order to save on time and cost. GMAW is not
generally suitable for outdoor use, as changes in the
atmosphere can cause the shielding gas to dissipate and the
quality of the weld to be inferior. It is also unsuitable for
underwater welding for the same reasons.
(Q) What are some
applications where MIG
welding could be used?
Objective #4
Laying a Bead
Once the teacher demonstrates
how to make a bead, students
Once your welder is set up and you have prepped your piece of
metal it's time to start focusing on the actual welding.
will be allowed to practice on
making beads on scrap metal.
Students should practice using
their double check sheets
before starting to weld with the
MIG welder.
If it's your first time welding you might want to practice just
running a bead before actually welding two pieces of metal
together. You can do this by taking a piece of scrap metal and
making a weld in a straight line on its surface.
Do this a couple of times before you start actually welding so
that you can get a feel for the process and figure out what wire
speed and power settings you will want to use.
The teacher will ask students
questions about their welds in
order to prepare them for selfevaluating in the next objective Every welder is different so you will have to figure these
settings out yourself. Too little power and you will have a
(Q) Why does your weld look splattered weld that won't penetrate through your work piece.
thin?
Too much power and you might melt right through the metal
entirely.
(A) My travel was too fast
The pictures below show a few different beads being laid down
(Q) Why is there excessive
on some 1/4" plate. Some have too much power and some
spatter on your metal?
could use a little more. Check out the image notes for the
details.
(A) I was too far away
The basic process of laying a bead is not too difficult. You are
(Q) What are some ways for
trying to make a small zig zag with the tip of the welder, or
you to go slower
little concentric circles moving your way from the top of the
weld downward. I like to think of it as "sewing" motion where
(A) Use a method such as half- I use the tip of the welding gun to weave the two pieces of
moons or circles to create a
metal together.
motion instead of just pulling
the puddle straight
First start laying beads about an inch or two long. If you make
any one weld too long your work piece will heat up in that area
(Q) Why is your bead too tall? and could become warped or compromised, so it's best to do a
little welding in one spot, move to another, and then come back
(A) Too slow
to finish up what's left in between.
Objective #5
Evaluating MIG Welds
Students will be asked to
compare their welds to the
industry standard perfect
welds on the board.
If you are experiencing holes in your work piece than your
power is turned up too high and you are melting through your
welds.
On a sheet of paper students
will note how their welds are
different and what they will do
differently in the next period to
improve their welds
If your welds are forming in spurts your wire speed or power
settings are too low. The gun is feeding a bunch of wire out of
the tip, it's then making contact, and then melting and
splattering without forming a proper weld.
You'll know when you have settings right because your welds
will start looking nice and smooth. You can also tell a fair
Usually a large problem with
students is they are not finding
a way to be comfortable or
keep their hand steady so
welds can look sloppy or not
straight.
(Q) What are some ways for
you to go slower
(A) Use a method such as halfmoons or circles to create a
motion instead of just pulling
the puddle straight
(Q) Why is your bead too tall?
(A) Too slow
amount about the quality of the weld by the way it sounds. You
want to hear continuous sparking, almost like a bumble bee on
steroids.
Closure/Summary/Conclusion (Tie in Objectives)
What have we learned about MIG welding today?
1. Identify the set up process for a MIG welder
2. Demonstrate properly checking the MIG welder before operation
3. Select applications in a real-world setting where MIG welding is used
4. Create MIG welds using safety, correct techniques, and form
5. Evaluate welds in comparison to industry standards
Evaluation: (Authentic forms of Evaluation, Quizzes, or Written Exam)
Visual and verbal checks for understanding will be done by the teacher to ensure the students are
understanding the concepts of MIG welding and evaluating their welds
Self-evaluation
Assignments: (Student Activities Involved in Lesson/Designed to Meet Objectives)
MIG terminology worksheet
Daily calendar
Self-evaluation of welds
Lesson Reflection
Students seemed to enjoy MIG welding the best out of the three processes I have showed them
so far. I think that the MIG process is more clear for students because for most students it takes
less time to get used to. If I could do the entire work sample again I would give students more
required MIG welds to they had an opportunity to work with the welder more and familiarize
themselves with the process most closely related to what is happening in industry.