Sheet Metal Unlimited and the Waterblasting Team gives back!

For years, the Toys For Tots Foundation has coordinated with community members to provide holiday gifts for less fortunate children throughout America.

This year, the generosity of our team members continued.  Members from Waterblasting Technologies, Waterblasting.com and Sheet Metal Unlimited provided toys and gifts, helping to make a child’s holiday a little brighter.

Thank you to everyone that donated during this season of giving.

If you would like to participate in the Toys For Tots program, there is still time!  Please visit their website for toy drop-off locations near you.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Seasons Greetings from the Waterblasting team!

We’re thankful this holiday season to be blessed with so many wonderful customers and friends! Everyone at Waterblasting Technologies, Waterblasting.com and Sheet Metal Unlimited wishes you and yours a wonderful holiday season followed by a new year of health, happiness and prosperity!

What is the difference between MIG and TIG welding?

There are different mediums that welders use depending on their specific project needs.  Two of the welding types are MIG and TIG.  While both techniques use an electric arc to make the weld, the process for each is vastly different.

Determining a Method

MIG (metal inert gas) welding is the easier of the two methods and uses a continuous wire feed as an electrode and an inert or semi-inert gas mixture to protect the weld from contamination. Wire is continuously fed through, then burns, melts and fuses the two pieces of metal together.  Since the electrode is continuous, welding speeds are greater. As a faster and cheaper process of welding, it is used for anything from hobbies to shipbuilding.  Using this method, you can weld together mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.  MIG welding can be used to weld materials from thin sheet metal to heavy structural plates.

TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding is a manual welding process that uses a nonconsumable electrode made of tungsten, an inert or semi-inert gas mixture, and a separate filler material. TIG welding is more specifically used for thinner gauge materials, as it allows you to not burn through the metal. It requires significant operator skill and can only be accomplished at relatively low speeds. As a more mild welding technique, TIG welding is commonly used when the weld integrity is critical as it provides a more precise weld. Offering better heat control, this style of welding also produces stronger welds. Since the weld yields an aesthetic surface finish, it also does not require any grinding. TIG welding is a cleaner style of welding that produces less fumes and sparks than MIG welding. Typical applications range from stainless steel fabrications to delicate materials such as jewelry.

MIG Welding	TIG Welding
▪       Easiest of the welding methods	▪       Produces the best looking weld
▪       Not preferred for thin gauge steel (burn through)	▪       Can fuse metal together without filler material
▪       Cheaper than TIG Welding	▪       More expensive than MIG welding

Sheet Metal Unlimited is capable of using either procedure to provide the product you need when you need it.  To discuss your plans specifically and get a quote for your next job, contact us today!

The completed Jamaco rumble strip machine hard at work creating rumble strips. Stay tuned for details on this exciting new machine built and engineered by Sheet Metal Unlimited.

Sheet Metal Unlimited Featured in the Spring 2013 Edition of US Builders Review Magazine!

The most recent edition of US Builders Review Magazine highlights Sheet Metal Unlimited (SMU) as an entity that not only builds components for sister company Waterblasting Technologies, Inc.’s Stripe Hog® Waterblasting System, but also manufactures a variety of other metal components.  SMU has all of the tools that any fabrication company could dream of, with the ability to create custom items ranging from roofing materials and commercial air conditioning ductwork to stovetop hoods for commercial restaurant kitchens and backyard gazebos.

Built out of a necessity for quality control, Sheet Metal Unlimited has proved to be a viable company in the Waterblasting Group family, offering unlimited production capabilities to clients worldwide!

To view the US Builders Review article online, click here: http://www.sheetmetalunlimited.com/USBR%20Sp2%202013-Waterblasting%20Technologies%20(Sheet%20Metal%20Unlimited).pdf