Welding

Welding is simply the process of joining two pieces of metal together. Welding applies extreme heat which causes the metallic structures of both materials to join. Sometimes additional material is used to assist the bonding process.

Welding is an extremely flexible process, with many different methods being invented over the years. It is even possible to perform welding underwater!

Each weld is different and the forces that will be exerted upon the workpiece during its service life, does not determine only the type of weld that is performed but the type of joint and material too.

The most common joints are:

Butt Joint - where the material is welded end to end.

Edge Joint - Commonly performed on sheet metal parts where one or both of the plates have flanged edges. The weld fills the groove formed by the flange.

Corner Joint - where the materials are placed together to form a corner, the weld is then placed in this ‘elbow’.

T Joint - Similar to a Corner Joint, however when placed together the materials form a T shape and the weld is position either side of the joining piece.

Lap Joint - where the two pieces overlap and a weld is placed above and below the pieces.

Some of the most common processes are:

• Arc Welding

• Power Beam Welding

• Friction Welding

• Resistance Welding