Welding 101 - Info on Welding

The welding process and Commercial welder is not something that everyone can understand. Many people are asking themselves what the welders do, so here is some basic information. Welding is a process of joining metals and other materials such as thermoplastics. Commercial welders do that by the so called coalescence which is done by melting the pieces and adding filler, in order to form the so collaged weld pool – a molten material pool. This pool then cools and the joint gets very strong. The weld is made with pressure or with heat. Welding is done in contrast to the brazing and the soldering, during which processes the melting of the material is done at a lower melting point at which the pieces bond, but the pieces themselves are not melted.

In the welding process could be used various energy sources such as electric arc welder for sale, laser or gas flame, but also ultrasound and friction. In general welding is an industrial process, however it could be performed in different surroundings including in the open air and under water and even in the outer space. The welding process is dangerous and does it shall be handle with great care, so that the welder can avoid different burns, damage of the vision, electric shock, as well as ultraviolet radiation and inhalation of fumes and gases that are poisonous.

The only known welding processes until the end of 19th century included forge welding. The forge welding was used by the blacksmiths in the past in order to join steel and iron, which were heated and then formed by hammers. In the late 19th century were developed the processes of arc welding ad welding by oxyfuel, which were then followed by the process of electric resistance welding.  During the first decades of the 20th century and the two world wars the welding technology advanced with fast steps, as the situation required for cheap and reliable joining methods.

With the end of the second war were developed several modern techniques of welding. These modern methods included shielded metal arc welding which is still among the most useable methods of welding, followed by the semi-automatic and automatic welding processes such as submerged arc welding, gas generator metal arc welding, electro slag welding and flux-cored arc welding. With the invention of the laser beams, they were also applied in the welding processes. Then followed the electron beam welding and the welding on electromagnetic pulse, as well as the friction stir welding. Nowadays the industry uses robot welding practices, while new methods of welding are being developed.