Welding can be an invaluable skillset in a number of industries, from car production and construction to keep the International Space Station running. If you're interested in picking up welding information, though, there's more to it than "burning" metal together. Read on to learn some interesting facts and history about the field.
- Welding is Thousands of Years Old While it didn't become the process we know today until the 1800s, it's existed in some form since the Bronze Age. Another antiquated example can be seen in some of Egypt's ancient pyramids: hieroglyphs that depict welders at work have been uncovered on more than one occasion.
- Over Half of Man-Made Products Require Some Welding Whether you think of racing or farm machinery, ocean vessels, or personal computers, welding plays a part. In many cases, products like these rely on the involvement of
- to be possible.
- The First Functional Industrial Robot was Made to Weld General Motors's Unimate hit the automotive scene in 1961 as a single-armed unit designed to perform spot welds. It weighed over two tons and did its work thanks to step-by-step commands stored in an attached magnetic drum.
- Ultrasonic Welding Made the First Plastic-Bodied Car Possible While plastic cars didn't last, ultrasonic welding did—today it's used in a number of industries, like automotive and electronics. It can even be used to fuse plastics and other man-made materials. Whatever the application, high-frequency waves create heat between the molecules and force them together.
- Welding Made it to Space in 1969 Russia made its attempts on its own machinery, but now it's common across all space-faring countries. What's more is that, in outer space, the metal will automatically mold together due to there being no oxidation in the metal molecules' way. This is known as cold welding.
- Wet and Dry Welding Also Exist The simple difference between wet and dry welding is that the former is done in an environment directly surrounded by water. The latter is sheltered from it, at least in large amounts. Most welding is done in dry environments nonetheless; even underwater welding doesn't always require direct interaction with water.
- Deep-Sea Welding Technologies have Gone as Low as 2,000 Feet The U.S. Navy set this record in 2005. The lowest dry weld was set by Global Industries in 1990, the work is done 1,075 feet below.
- Explosion Welding is Another Type It basically works as the name suggests: controlled explosions are used to fuse metals together without destroying either's inherent properties. It's used especially for non-compatible metals, as well as combining metals with non-metals.
- That Gas Has a Name "Fume plume" refers to the column of smoke that rises from where the welded metals meet. As for the heat and sparks, they can reach temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees to make it happen.
- Welding's Always in Demand Due to how ubiquitous welding is in modern society, as well as its many applications, it's much sought-after skill in many fields of work. Welders guide their salary quite frequently, as well—highly-skilled welders can make upwards of six figures without a college degree!
Welding history is littered with interesting facts and figures, and these ten are just a few of what you can find. Welding information is easier to find than ever, from books and articles to welders who can guide you themselves, and there's plenty to learn.
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