Welder and Welding Methods

Welding has been used in thousands of manufacturing activities and is the most common means of permanently joining metal parts. Welders construct or repair metal products by sealing parts using different welding methods.

How Welding Works:

• Craig House, a First Class boilermaker welder and workshop manager, says that among the various welding methods used, manual metal arc welding or stick welding as it's known in the industry is a commonly used method.

• Arc welding involves two large metal alligator clips carrying a strong electrical current. One clip is attached to any part of the work piece metal part being welded while the second clip is attached to a thin welding rod. When the rod touches the metal part, a powerful electrical circuit is created.

Turn Up The Heat:

• The intense heat created by the electrical current causes the metal part and steel core of the rod to melt together.

• This cools quickly and results in a solid bond. During welding, the flux (welding wire) that surrounds the rod's core vaporises, forming a gas that serves to protect the weld from atmospheric elements that might weaken it.

Craig House unravels the process:

• Pressure vessels are round cyclinders which are to be welded longitudinally. The vessel will already have been tack welded by a boilermaker and after it is set up on rollers, run-off tabs are put on.

• These enable welders to continue welding past the end of the joint. It gets welded from the inside first, rotated and then welded from the outside.'

• Welders also join beams used in the constructing of buildings and bridges, and join pipes in pipelines, power plants and refineries.