The History of Welding and Why it’s Here to Stay
When you watch welders in action today, you would be forgiven for thinking they are using modern techniques. In some cases you would be right, but it might surprise you to know that welding dates back as far as the Bronze Ages. Back in those times, ancient man used what is known as forge welding which involved heating two pieces of metal and repeatedly striking them until bonding took place. This was the only way that a weld could be achieved.
Today we use electrodes to create an arc and weld, but this process was only discovered in 1802 and was not used as a means of welding until 1882. A little later came the introduction of the coated electrode which allowed a much more accurate weld and cleaner finish.
There are currently four well known types of welding. They are:
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Stick)
- Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG)
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG)
- Oxy-Acetylene Welding (Brazing)
Each of these methods requires extreme competence and years of experience to achieve a safe, clean and professional weld. Each of our welders is an expert in one or more of these techniques allowing us to provide a versatile service of the highest standard.
The Future of Welding and New Technologies
Welding as we know it today, is actually a fairly modern metal bonding technique, and we are learning new ways to weld all the time. Recent discoveries and concepts include friction welding and laser welding.
Friction welding uses rotational speed and pressure to create friction heat. This process was originally developed in Russia and is also known as inertia welding. This welding technique is usually only used when there are high volumes of welding to be undertaken due to the cost of the tooling and equipment.
Laser welding is one of the newest welding concepts and was originally designed by Bell Telephone Laboratories where it was used as a communication device. Today, this type of welding is commonly found being used in automotive metalworking and welding operations.
Why Choose Freehold Welding Inc. in New Jersey?
At Freehold Welding Inc., we take great pride in our knowledge of welding processes and our innovative techniques. Whether you require heavy plant machinery to be welded or you need a decorative fixture fabricated for your home, we can help.