Welding

Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, but sometimes pressure is used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce the weld. This is in contrast with soldering and brazing, which involves melting a lower-melting-point material between the workpieces to form a bond between them.

Related Topics:
Fabrication - Metal - Thermoplastic - Coalescence - Melt - Pressure - Heat - Soldering - Brazing

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Many different energy sources can be used for welding, including a gas flame, an electric arc, a laser, an electron beam, friction, and ultrasound. While often an industrial process, welding can be done in many different environments, including open air, underwater and in space. Regardless of location, however, welding remains dangerous, and precautions must be taken to avoid burns, electric shock, poisonous fumes, and overexposure to ultraviolet light.

Related Topics:
Flame - Electric arc - Laser - Electron - Friction - Ultrasound - Underwater - Space - Electric shock - Ultraviolet light

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Until the end of the 19th century, the only other welding process was forge welding, which blacksmiths had used for centuries to join metals by heating and pounding them. Arc welding and oxyfuel welding were among the first processes to develop during the 1800s, and resistance welding followed soon after. Welding technology advanced quickly during the early 20th century as World War I and World War II drove the demand for reliable and inexpensive joining methods. Following the wars, several modern welding techniques were developed, including manual methods like shielded metal arc welding, now one of the most popular welding methods, as well as semi-automatic and automatic processes such as gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding and flux-cored arc welding. Developments continued with the invention of laser beam welding and electron beam welding in the latter half of the century. Today, the science continues to advance. Robot welding is becoming more commonplace in industrial settings, and researchers continue to develop new welding methods and gain greater understanding of weld quality and properties.

Related Topics:
19th century - Forge welding - Arc welding - Oxyfuel welding - 1800s - Resistance welding - 20th century - World War I - World War II - Shielded metal arc welding - Gas metal arc welding - Submerged arc welding - Flux-cored arc welding - Laser beam welding - Electron beam welding - Robot welding

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