Welding is the art and science of working with metal, and, in fact, it is a far more complex and demanding skill than most people realize.
It’s useful for every time of building project from constructing steel structures to repairing sheet steel piling walls with welding seams. Welders are always in high demand because these skilled workers can change some of the strongest materials in the building industry and manufacturing into any desired shape or envisioned product.
Besides the necessity of acquiring a formal education from a welding school, those interested in welding often go through rigorous on-the-job training programs where they learn how to use industry-specific tools from field experienced instructors to master various ways of liquefying metal. As in every industry, welders must also keep up with technological progress and it is often necessary to learn new types of welding--like Friction Stir Welding which is used to expertly weld a new generation of steel-and-nickel base alloys and aluminum alloys.
Types of Welding and Welding Processes
There are numerous types of welding--like Stick Welding, MIG Welding, Flux-Cored Arc Welding, Submerged Arc Welding, TIG Welding, Electroslag welding, Atomic Hydrogen Welding and Carbon Arc Welding to name just a few. In addition, to welding processes, welders must become proficient in many types of welding joints; for instance, butt joints, corner joints, lap joints, tee-joints, and edge joints.
4 Commonly Used Welding Techniques
1. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG)
Gas Metal Arc Welding, also called Metal Inert Gas , is one of the most common welding processes in industry. A shielding gas running along a wire electrode is used to heat up any two metals that need to be joined. A steady voltage is necessary from a direct-current source of power. Metal transfer is done using four primary methods: the globular method, the short-circuiting method, the spray method and pulsed-spray method.
2. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Shielded Metal Arc Welding welders follow a manual procedure for stick welding, deploying a stick that uses electric current to create an arc that spreads between the stick and the metal that they’re trying to join. This type of welding is usually used to weld iron and steel in the construction of steel structures.
3. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
Flux Cored Arc Welding is used when there is a need for shield welding or for a semi-automatic arc. Construction projects use this type of welding because it's portable and provides high-speed welding.
4. Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding (GTAW/TIG)
Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding is used to weld thick portions of stainless steel together. It’s also used to weld non-ferrous metals. This arc-welding process produces the weld with a tungsten electrode. Since this is a complex, time-consuming process it is used least often compared to other welding processes.
Automated Welding vs. Skilled Welders
Welding, of course, has evolved over the decades along with everything else and it's important to understand these changes in order to hire the right welder or to decide on the best welding techniques for any job. Moreover, many welding processes can be done better with welding automation equipment. Still, there are many projects that require human skill and ingenuity to manually complete a job or customize a product.
A High-Demand Industrial Skill
Those who master this difficult craft go on to enjoy well-paid careers in various industries that employ welders, although learning the ropes is neither quick nor easy because there are many levels to master in any working process and attention to detail is of the utmost importance. Welders who master some or many types of welding processes can easily find rewarding work in maintenance, repair, wholesale trade, agriculture, mining, construction, and manufacturing. .
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