What is the meaning of WELDING?

Welding is a fabrication process whereby two or more parts are fused together by means
of heat, pressure or both forming a join as the parts cool. Welding is usually used on metals and
thermoplastics but can also be used on wood. The completed welded joint may be referred to
as a weldment.

A weld is made when separate pieces of material to be joined combine and form one
piece when heated to a temperature high enough to cause softening or melting. Filler material
is typically added to strengthen the joint. •

Welding is a dependable, efficient and economic method for permanently joining similar
metals. In other words, you can weld steel to steel or aluminum to aluminum, but you cannot
weld steel to aluminum using traditional welding processes. •
Welding is used extensively in all sectors or manufacturing, from earth moving equipment
to the aerospace industry.

While the definition mentioned above might make it sound simple, welding is far from easy. Take
a look at some of the FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF WEELDING:
• Welding involves a high skill level and practical knowledge of subjects like physics,
chemistry, and metallurgy.
• Welding is generally done on metals but is also used for fusing wood or thermoplastic
parts.
• A completed joint is a weld joint or weldment.
• The parts fused are the parent material, while the material used to help form this weld
joint is the filler material.
• Welding involves bonding the same type of material (metal and metal, or wood and wood)
using heat welding, pressure welding, or both.
• Welders add metal to the welded joint to strengthen the weldment, while a shielding gas
like carbon dioxide protects the joint from contamination through natural elements.
• Different metals react in different ways, depending on their physical, mechanical, and
chemical properties.
• Heat can alter the strength, ductility, and malleability of metal. Welding can straighten out
a warped piece of metal by applying adequate heat.
• Welding involves the heating and cooling of the metal – there is no other chemical
reaction involved. However, the weld becomes weak if oxygen reacts with the molten
metal. Using protective gases around the weld pool prevents oxygen and other
contaminants from damaging the joint.
• Extreme heat can alter the crystalline structure and weaken any metal.

BENEFITS OF WELDING
Welding offers a variety of advantages, including the following:

• The technique creates a permanent weld and is excellent for the fusion of two materials.
• Using the right filler metal ensures strength and durability, producing long-lasting weld
joints.
• In terms of costs, this method is quite economical in terms of materials, fabrication, and
equipment.
• The process is versatile and flexible – used indoors as well as outdoors.
• Welded joints look good, smooth, and polished in terms of appearance.
• One of the fastest methods in terms of the speed of fabrication.
How does welding work?

A welding gun or torch melts a specific part of the parent metal. This process, conducted using
high heat (typically with the addition of filler material), creates a molten metal pool so that it is
easy to join a new metal part to it. Instead of heat, pressure is also used to weld metals together
(pressure welding) depending on the type and thickness of the material.

• Metal welding: In most cases, using pressure and heat together over the base material
enables quick and efficient metal welding. As mentioned above, a shielding gas
safeguards the molten metal or weld pool from getting contaminated or oxidized.
• Plastic welding: In plastic welding, the surfaces are first prepared, followed by heat and
pressure application. After this, the materials are cooled.
• Wood welding: Welding wood involves subjecting the materials to pressure before using
the same heat that the linear friction movement creates.
• The number of different welding processes has grown in recent years. These processes
differ greatly in the manner in which heat and pressure (when used) are applied, and in
the type of equipment used. There are currently over 50 different types of welding
processes.

Welding Types and Processes

The welding process depends on what the material is. In case you want to become a
professional welder, you must understand all the different processes well.

4 Main Types of Welding Processes

The four main types of welding are:
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG),
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW/TIG),
Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW).

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

SMAW is a welding process that uses a flux covered metal electrode to carry an electrical
current. The current forms an arc that jumps a gap from the end of the electrode to the work.
The electric arc creates enough heat to melt both the electrode and the base material(s). Molten
metal from the electrode travels across the arc to the molten pool of base metal where they mix
together. As the arc moves away, the mixture of molten metals solidifies and becomes one
piece. The molten pool of metal is surrounded and protected by a fume cloud and a covering of
slag produced as the coating of the electrode burns or vaporizes. Due to the appearance of the
electrodes, SMAW is commonly known as ‘stick’ welding.

SMAW is one of the oldest and most popular methods of joining metal. Moderate quality welds
can be made at low speed with good uniformity. SMAW is used primarily because of its low cost,
flexibility, portability and versatility. Both the equipment and electrodes are low in cost and very
simple. SMAW is very flexible in terms of the material thicknesses that can be welded (materials
from 1/16” thick to several inches thick can be welded with the same machine and different
settings). It is a very portable process because all that’s required is a portable power supply (i.e.
generator). Finally, it’s quite versatile because it can weld many different types of metals,
including cast iron, steel, nickel & aluminum. Some of the biggest drawbacks to SMAW are (1)
that it produces a lot of smoke & sparks, (2) there is a lot of post-weld cleanup needed if the
welded areas are to look presentable, (3) it is a fairly slow welding process and (4) it requires a
lot of operator skill to produce consistent quality welds.

Stick welds don’t typically produce the best quality products. They are prone to porosity, cracks, and
shallow penetration. In general, stick welds are less durable than what other types of welding will
produce.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG)

In the GMAW process, an arc is established between a continuous wire electrode (which is
always being consumed) and the base metal. Under the correct conditions, the wire is fed at a
constant rate to the arc, matching the rate at which the arc melts it. The filler metal is the thin
wire that’s fed automatically into the pool where it melts. Since molten metal is sensitive to
oxygen in the air, good shielding with oxygen-free gases is required. This shielding gas provides
a stable, inert environment to protect the weld pool as it solidifies. Consequently, GMAW is
commonly known as MIG (metal inert gas) welding. Since fluxes are not used (like SMAW), the
welds produced are sound, free of contaminants, and as corrosion-resistant as the parent metal.
The filler material is usually the same composition (or alloy) as the base metal.

Also known as Metal Inert Gas or MIG welding, this process uses a thin wire as an electrode.
The wire heats up as it is fed through the welding instrument and towards the welding site.
Shielding gas must be used to protect the weld from contaminants in the air.

Typically, this comes in the form of carbon dioxide, oxygen, argon or helium. This method is
often used to work on metals such as stainless steel, copper, nickel, carbon steel, aluminum,
and more. Of all the welding processes, this one is most popular across the construction and
automotive industries.

GMAW is extremely fast and economical. This process is easily used for welding on thin-gauge
metal as well as on heavy plate. It is most commonly performed on steel (and its alloys),
aluminum and magnesium, but can be used with other metals as well. It also requires a lower
level of operator skill than the other two methods of electric arc welding discussed in these notes.
The high welding rate and reduced post-weld cleanup are making GMAW the fastest growing
welding process.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW/TIG)

This type of welding process, also known as Tungsten Inert Gas or TIG welding, is commonly
used to weld together thin and non-ferrous materials like aluminum, copper, lead, or nickel. It’s
commonly applied to bicycle or aircraft manufacturing.

In the GTAW process, an arc is established between a tungsten electrode and the base metal(s).
Under the correct conditions, the electrode does not melt, although the work does at the point
where the arc contacts and produces a weld pool. The filler metal is thin wire that’s fed manually
into the pool where it melts. Since tungsten is sensitive to oxygen in the air, good shielding with
oxygen-free gas is required. The same inert gas provides a stable, inert environment to protect
the weld pool as it solidifies. Consequently, GTAW is commonly known as TIG (tungsten inert
gas) welding. Because fluxes are not used (like SMAW), the welds produced are sound, free of
contaminants and slags, and as corrosion-resistant as the parent metal. Tungsten’s extremely
high melting temperature and good electrical conductivity make it the best choice for a non-
consumable electrode. The arc temperature is typically around 11,000° F. Typical shielding
gasses are Argon, He, N, or a mixture of the two. As with GMAW, the filler material usually is
the same composition as the base metal.

GTAW is easily performed on a variety of materials, from steel and its alloys to aluminum,
magnesium, copper, brass, nickel, titanium, etc. Virtually any metal that is conductive lends itself
to being welded using GTAW. Its clean, high-quality welds often require little or no post-weld
finishing. This method produces the finest, strongest welds out of all the welding processes.
However, it’s also one of the slower methods of arc welding.
Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
Similar to MIG welding, flux cored arc welding revolves around a continuous wire feed process.
There are two separate processes associated with flux cored arc welding. One involves the use
of shielding gas while the other relies on self-shielding agents produced when fluxing agents
decompose within the wire.

It also allows welders to perform their work outdoors (windy conditions won’t affect the weld). The semi-
automatic arc provides high welding speed and portability, making it a popular process to employ on
construction projects.

Selection of the welding process

The selection of the joining process for a particular job depends upon many factors. There is no
one specific rule governing the type of welding process to be selected for a certain job. A few of
the factors that must be considered when choosing a welding process are:

• Availability of equipment
• Repetitiveness of the operation
• Quality requirements (base metal penetration, consistency, etc.)
• Location of work
• Materials to be joined
• Appearance of the finished product
• Size of the parts to be joined
• Time available for work
• Skill experience of workers
• Cost of materials
• Code or specification requirements
General guidelines for selecting one process over another
When selecting one process over the others, it is often useful to examine the principal pros/cons
of each type of welding covered in this lecture:

Welding Process Advantages Disadvantages

SMAW Cheap Major post-weld cleaning
Portable (no gas required) Relatively ‘dirty’ method
Versatile (can weld various of welding (sparks/fumes)
metals & thicknesses) Requires moderate skill

GMAW Fastest welding process Requires shielding gas

Versatile (can weld various Minor post-weld cleaning
metals & thicknesses)

GTAW Highest quality welds Requires shielding gas

No post-weld cleaning Slowest of all 3 processes
Versatile (can weld various Requires high degree of
metals & thicknesses) operator skill

FCAW Same as GMAW, w/flux. Requires shielding gas and post-weld cleaning.
Examples of Welds
Weld Ideographs
The ideograph is the symbol that denotes the type of weld desired, and it generally
depicts the crossed section representation of the weld. The following figure shows the
ideographs used most commonly.
Fillet Weld Symbol Example
OTHER WELDING PROCESSESS
Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)

SAW is a welding method that uses flux but is different from FCAW because the process
happens under a blanket of granular flux. This is one of the safest types of welding because it
creates lesser welding fumes and ultraviolet light. SAW is the preferred welding technique in
vessel construction, industrial manufacturing, and structural construction.

Hyperbaric Welding

This is a process that welders use underwater. The wet welding technique utilizes stick
welding, where the flux produces bubbles that act as a shield to prevent the welder from being
electrocuted.

Some other important and often-used welding processes and techniques include:

• gas welding
• plasma arc welding
• electroslag welding
• electro gas welding
• oxyacetylene welding (gas welding)
• atomic hydrogen welding (AHW)
• carbon arc welding (CAW)
• energy beam welding (EBW)
• electron beam welding
• spot welding
• seam welding
• braze welding
• solvent welding
• resistance welding

Welding Equipment
Welding is a specialized job that requires you to have a variety of essential tools, including (but
not restricted to) the following equipment:
• Welding gun
• Welding torch
• Wire brush
• Chipping slag hammer
• Angle grinder
• Tape measure
• Welding magnets
• Soapstone marker
• Pliers
• C-clamps
• Electrode tip cleaners
• Flint strikers
• Cold chisels
• Screwdrivers
• Charged electrode
• Wire and electrode feed
Welding can be a high-risk job if you don’t use protective gear. Welders must use the following
safety equipment at the job site:

• Safety glasses
• Welding helmet
• Welding gloves
• Heat-resistant jacket
• Leatherwork shoes
• Earplugs

With an emphasis on welding techniques like oxyacetylene and air carbon arc cutting, brazing,
SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW, and pipefitting, this welding technology program helps
aspiring welders gain real-world, hands-on training. Apart from these subjects, you will also
take courses in:

• Industrial OSHA safety procedures and policy

• Metallurgy
• Structural design
• Blueprint reading
• Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD)
• Destructive and non-destructive testing
• Precision measurement

Upon the successful completion of this program, you can kick-start your career and assume
varied work positions like:

• Welding engineering technician

• Production welder
• Industrial engineering technician
• Quality control engineering technician
• CADD designer/technician
• Welding industry salesman
• Materials testing technician
• Underwater welder
• Aluminum welder
• Fabrication welder
• Maintenance welder
• Sub arc operator
• Ship fitter
• Structural Steel Fitter