What does GMAW stand for?

• A. Gas Metal Arc Welding
• B. Gas Metal Arc Welding with Argon
• C. General Metal Arc Welding
• D. Gaseous Metal Arc Welding

Answer: (A)

Gas Metal Arc Welding is the standard name for a welding method that uses a continuously fed metal electrode wire and a shielding gas to protect the arc and the weld pool as it forms between the wire and the workpiece. The term expands to Gas Metal Arc Welding, with “Gas” referring to the shielding gas, “Metal” to the electrode, and “Arc Welding” to the process of melting the electrode and base metal to join them. The shielding gas can be argon, CO2, or various blends, so specifying “with Argon” is too narrow for the general acronym. Other wording like “General” or “Gaseous” doesn’t match the recognized industry term. This is also the process commonly known as MIG welding, highlighting the continuous wire feed and gas shield.