Welding Process
WELDING PROCESSES
Welding is not new. The earliest known form of welding, called forge welding,
dates back to the year 2000 B.C.
Forge welding is a primitive process of joining metals by heating and hammering
until the metals are fused (mixed) together. Although forge welding still
exists, it is mainly limited to the blacksmith trade. Today, there are many
welding processes available.
Figure 1 provides a list of processes used in modern metal fabrication and
repair.
This list, published by the American Welding Society (AWS), shows the official
abbreviations for each process. For example, RSW stands for resistance spot
welding.
Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) is an arc-welding process that fuses (melts)
metal by heating it with an electric arc created between a covered metal
electrode and the metals being joined.
Of the welding processes listed in figure 1, shielded metal arc welding, called
stick welding, is the most common welding process.
The primary differences
between the various welding processes are the methods by which heat is generated
to melt the metal.
Once you understand the theory of welding, you can apply it to most welding
processes.
The most common types of welding are oxyfuel gas welding (OFW), arc welding (AW), and
resistance welding (RW).
As a Steelworker, your primary concern is gas and arc
welding. The primary difference between these two processes is the method used
to generate the heat.
source: Steelworker, Volume 1 NAVEDTRA 14250" NON RESIDENT TRAINING COURSE November 1996
see also:
basic welding introduction to welding
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