A Quick Look at Welding

Even though it might not be something we are all exposed to on an everyday basis, welding is pretty common prctice today. As a matter of fact, welding is actually one of the most common ways that allows you to join two or more pieces of metal together to make them act as one piece.

Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that many believe that welding is related, in one way or another, to at least 50 percent of the US gross national product (GNP).  At the very least, welding ranks high in priority among the many processes involved in a DCM Group industrial construction project; but it also involves more science and variables than any of other industrial processes.

Welding in Today’s World

You may not realize this but a vast majority of things we use every single day are the result of different types of welds. From big machinery, all the way down to kitchen appliances and consumer electronics – welding is the process that holds together the things we use all the time.

Types of Welds

There are five basic types of welds:

• Butt
• Lap
• Corner
• Tee (T)
• Edge

The “butt” weld actually breaks down into open or closed single and double butt joints. This type of weld finds two pieces of metal fused together along the ends, though it can differ depending on the materials.

The lap joint weld consists of two pieces of metal fused along an edge but not evenly. They overlap, so to speak, creating what might look like a weave pattern.

The corner joint weld is just as it sounds: one piece of metal fused perpendicular to another. Essentially, this is a type of T-joint, as it resembles the letter “T”.

Finally, the edge joint fuses two pieces together along the long or flatter edges, often when one piece needs to curve or flair out.

Welding and Heat

Most welding uses heat but not always . Heat applications include:

• Fusion welding (heating metal until it is molten and then allowing the joined pieces to cool and harden, fusing together. This includes: arc, TIG, MIG, submerged arc, and flame welding.
• Non-fusion welding is a type of pressure welding (typically with plastic) that applies pressure to create the molten effect. This includes: spot, seam, and projection welding.
• Other advanced heat applications include: electron, laser, and ultrasonic.

Welding and Non-Heat applications

Finally, cold welding processes involve applied pressure. They are commonly used for ductile and malleable metals.