MIG and TIG Introduction
Course details
| NZQF Level | 3 |
|---|
About the course
This programme is perfect for hobbyists and people looking to learn welding skills. Create personalised projects to practice and refine welding techniques, while getting the opportunity to use our facilities.
What you will learn
Safety in the welding industry
- Wearing full PPE: helmet, gloves, overalls
- Setting up welding screens to protect others nearby
- Identifying hazards like gas leaks or faulty cables
- Practising safe ventilation when welding stainless
Setting up welding equipment
- Installing a MIG wire spool and feeding it through the torch
- Setting gas flow rates (e.g., argon/CO₂ mix for MIG)
- Adjusting voltage and wire speed for different material thicknesses
- Setting up a TIG machine with tungsten electrode and pure argon gas
TIG welding techniques for low carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium
- Running a neat “stack of dimes” bead on stainless steel plate
- Welding thin aluminium sheet without blowing holes in it (a rite of passage)
- Practising torch angle and filler rod control on mild steel joints
- Completing a small project like a stainless bracket or decorative piece
MIG welding techniques for low carbon steel and aluminium
- Welding a mild steel butt joint for a simple frame
- Running fillet welds on a T-joint (classic workshop task)
- Adjusting settings to weld thicker steel plate without lack of penetration
- Making a basic workshop item like a small tool stand or bracket
Learn to recognise and repair the most common welding faults
- Identifying porosity caused by poor gas coverage
- Fixing lack of fusion by adjusting heat settings
- Grinding out and re-welding cracked or weak joints
- Recognising undercut and correcting travel speed
- Inspecting welds visually for strength and consistency
Gain basic distortion techniques
- Using tack welds to hold components in place before full weld
- Welding in sequence to reduce heat build-up
- Clamping materials to prevent movement during welding
- Back-stepping technique to minimise distortion
- Allowing cooling time between weld runs
Entry requirements
Open entry.
About the provider
Whitireia and WelTec have a history of over 100 years of
vocational education delivery. We are proud stewards of our whakapapa, owning
our collective histories and aspirations for the future through acknowledging
people, place, culture, and values.
Whitireia and WelTec is known for our high student success rates and culturally diverse ākonga. Every year we train over 8,000 ākonga who study at one of our campuses across Porirua and Petone. Our highly skilled staff will be with you every step of your journey, providing the best possible learning environment. We enable learners from every stage of life – school leavers, university graduates, those preparing to reenter the workforce and those wanting to retrain or upskill. Our learning environments are open and ready to welcome you all.
More and more New Zealanders are choosing a local study pathway through dedicated vocational education providers to gain the qualifications they need to get ahead and into their dream job. We offer a range of programmes of study at certificates, diplomas, degrees, and postgraduate qualifications. Our programmes have been developed in conjunction with industry to offer excellent vocational qualifications that are future-focused and provide ākonga with practical skills to pursue their career goals.
We are known for our Ahureitanga (distinctiveness), and we have special relationships with Iwi mana whenua as our campuses are in their rohe: Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. Together, we are more than the sum of our parts.
Mā tātou, mō tātou ko WelTec ki Te Āti Awa, ko Whitireia ki Ngāti Toa Rangatira. E haere kōtui nei me kura-takahi-puni tātou. Together, we will lead and illuminate our communities through vocational education.