_Some information about Welding
_Welding is one of the most useful processes around, as it gives one the power to manipulate materials -- that too, usually strong ones such as metals or thermoplastics -- to achieve specific results. This is accomplished by melting the materials involved and introducing a filler material that when cooled, forms a strong joint. Welding processes can fall into different categories. You have shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), also known as stick welding, gas metal arc welding (GMAW), commonly called metal inert gas or MIG welding and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, to name a few.
The roots of welding can be traced back to ancient times, the earliest instances having occurred during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. In about 310 AD, the Iron Pillar in New Delhi, India, was constructed using welding processes. The entire pillar weighs 5.4 metric tons. The First World War witnessed a huge increase in the use of welding processes, many of which were used by military powers for the manufacture of more advanced and accurate weapons and related supplies. More recent advancements in welding processes include the discovery of electron beam welding in 1958, the creation of the laser in 1960, the use of electromagnetic pulse welding in 1967 and the creation of friction stir welding 1991. However, all four of these new processes are still quite expensive owing to the high costs of the required equipment, and so the applications of these processes are limited to this day.
TIG welding is believed to be the most difficult of all commonly used industrial welding processes. A TIG welder can be either manual or automatic. A person operating a TIG welder has to keep a constant, short arc length, making it essential for him to exercise great skill and care to avoid contact between the work material and the electrode. By contrast, the underlying technique of MIG welding is mostly simple -- an MIG welder is usually a simple air-cooled, handheld gun. Its operator only needs to guide his welding gun with precision along the area where the welding is happening. Stick welding is one of the most well-liked welding processes in the world. A stick welder usually includes a power supply and an electrode.
All welding processes are potentially dangerous. No matter what the type of welding process involved, all necessary precautions need to be followed to avoid any potential accidents.
The roots of welding can be traced back to ancient times, the earliest instances having occurred during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. In about 310 AD, the Iron Pillar in New Delhi, India, was constructed using welding processes. The entire pillar weighs 5.4 metric tons. The First World War witnessed a huge increase in the use of welding processes, many of which were used by military powers for the manufacture of more advanced and accurate weapons and related supplies. More recent advancements in welding processes include the discovery of electron beam welding in 1958, the creation of the laser in 1960, the use of electromagnetic pulse welding in 1967 and the creation of friction stir welding 1991. However, all four of these new processes are still quite expensive owing to the high costs of the required equipment, and so the applications of these processes are limited to this day.
TIG welding is believed to be the most difficult of all commonly used industrial welding processes. A TIG welder can be either manual or automatic. A person operating a TIG welder has to keep a constant, short arc length, making it essential for him to exercise great skill and care to avoid contact between the work material and the electrode. By contrast, the underlying technique of MIG welding is mostly simple -- an MIG welder is usually a simple air-cooled, handheld gun. Its operator only needs to guide his welding gun with precision along the area where the welding is happening. Stick welding is one of the most well-liked welding processes in the world. A stick welder usually includes a power supply and an electrode.
All welding processes are potentially dangerous. No matter what the type of welding process involved, all necessary precautions need to be followed to avoid any potential accidents.