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Welding is the process of joining two materials, also referred to as substrates, by fusing them using heat energy concentrated along the seams.
As a kid, I remember my parents discouraging me from looking directly at men huddled over a piece of metal, doing something that would generate a very bright white light. My curiosity led me to learn that the process, known as welding, is used to join two or more pieces of metal for structural purposes.
Joining is required when it is either impractical or impossible to form continuous structures. However, using effective techniques to join materials is important, or else it detracts from the overall integrity of the structure.
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What Is Welding And How Is It Done?
Welding procedures are highly exothermic, releasing obscene amounts of heat, light and toxic gases, the repeated exposure to which can prove detrimental. Thus, all manual welding processes require the user to wear protective helmets that reduce the intensity of light visible to the eyes by using a special glass window. Purpose-built jackets, gloves and respirators are also used, which further prevent the user from coming in contact with harmful byproducts, such as stray sparks, molten weld spatter and harmful gases.
Modern-day Welding
Due to its inherently hazardous nature, most welding has now been robotized. Specialty fabrication jobs involve human intervention, but these situations have also become safer over the years.
The evolution of newer materials, the compacting of electrical equipment, and better manufacturing techniques shall continue to shape the welding industry—an essential aspect of industrial structures and products both great and small.
