Welding Machines & Supplies
Looking for information on welding machines and supplies? You have come to the right place!
What is it about welding? Where did it come from and how many different kinds of welding are there?
Welding is a process whereby metals are joined through coalescence. To achieve this, a workpiece is melted with a filler material added to form a ‘weld pool’. When the weld pool cools it becomes strong. Welding is different to the processes of soldiering and brazing because the actual workpiece is melted whereas in the case of the latter, only the material between the workpieces is melted.
Welding has come a long way in recent years. Up until the latter end of the nineteenth century, there was only one welding process, that of forge welding. Before that welding has been achieved as early as during the Bronze Age, the European and Middle Eastern Iron Age. In those heady days leading up to the nineteenth century welders were known by another name, that of blacksmiths and welded by joining steel and iron through heating and hammering.
It was during World War I (The Great War) that welding was in considerable demand. Various types of welding were explored but it was the process of Arc Welding that dominated. Military aircraft and ship construction relied heavily upon arc welding.
Next came Arc Welding, Oxyfuel Welding and Resistance Welding but it wasn’t till during the two world wars that more modern manual techniques like Shielded Metal Arc Welding were developed.
In today’s world of welding the robot rules the roost! Commonly utilized in factory and industrial settings, the blacksmith of the 19th century and before has been replaced by the robotic welder.
Today, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is more commonplace worldwide than any other type of welding. It’s a versatile and simplistic process in terms of its operation and the equipment needed. Iron and steels are welded using this popular and commonplace welding procedure. For maintenance and repair work SMAW has no rival despite Flux Cored Arc Welding increasing in popularity. When the welding of steel structures is required the construction industry specifically favour SMAW.
Even though Flux Cored Arc Welding is increasing in popularity within the construction industry (as well as industry), the fact that the equipment needed for SMAW has a lower cost and a broader application makes the latter type of welding much more economical and good business sense.
