Let's break it down and explore how does welding work, the main functions of welding.
WELDING BASICS
So how does welding work? Well, welding is a process that uses high heat to melt metals or thermoplastics together. As these materials cool, they fuse together, creating a solid surface that’s used throughout millions of residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
Brazing and soldering are two other metal-joining techniques, but they involve much lower temperatures and don’t melt the base metal like in welding. This wildly popular fabrication process has been used for centuries and even dates back to the Bronze Age when ancient Egyptians first began melting metals to create different pieces.
TYPES OF WELDING
Throughout the Industrial Revolution and modern era, welding technology has changed rapidly, supporting the growth of aerospace, manufacturing, and infrastructure industries, just to name a few.
There are four main types of welding to keep in mind.
MIG – GAS METAL ARC WELDING (GMAW)
Gas metal arc welding uses a continuous electrode wire and a shielding gas that flows through the welding gun to prevent contamination. This form of arc welding is the most common and usually used in the auto industry to fix vehicle exhausts, as well as for building construction.
TIG – GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW)
Gas tungsten arc welding uses an electric arc too, except it’s specifically made of tungsten. As an ultra-tough metal material, tungsten won’t dissolve or burn off, so it supports fusion welding with or without filler metal. Argon or helium are typically used as an external gas supply to ensure effective welding applications for the aerospace, auto, and agriculture industries.
STICK–SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING (SMAW)
Portable stick welding is preferred for construction, pipeline, and industrial fabrication. It can be taken on the go and even used underwater. The electrode stick softens metals by heating with an arc between the covered electrode and base metal. As the stick melts, so does the protective cover, shielding the welded material from gases in the air.
FLUX-CORED ARC WELDING (FCAW)
Flux-cored arc welding uses a continuous wire and power supply, much like MIG welding. The continuous electrode is a flexible hollow tube that works for outdoor welding with protection against the elements. This type of welding combines the continuous electrode and base metal, making it ideal for thicker machinery and industrial applications.
WELDING APPLICATIONS
Many surfaces you come into contact with on a daily basis go through some form of welding. Your household appliances and technology gadgets require much smaller welded pieces than vehicles, railroads, and steel structural beams for construction, for example. Most products that contain any sort of metal will have gone through the welding process to ensure a safe, long-lasting surface and design.
The construction, engineering, transportation, and mining industries are a few of the biggest users in terms of welding.
Let’s explore the importance of a qualified welding inspector and how it adds a high level of quality control and safety to your welding projects.
Thorough welding inspections ensure the welding work satisfies all contract requirements for the client. A complete inspection service promotes quality control through specification development, document review, dimensional verification, and all other areas of the project, to make sure the welding progress is on the right track and the best possible outcomes can be achieved.
Another benefit of professional welding inspections is the detailed summary of progress that offers insight into the weld and what could be improved. An on-site inspector closely evaluates the weld using state-of-the-art technology that enables progressive overview and technical support. This information plays a valuable role in maintaining welding timelines and ensuring all guidelines are met. Inspections also free up your resources, so you can focus on the actual welding while a third-party inspector checks for quality control.
