What is welding? and what welders do?
Welding is the most efficient and economical method to date that is used to join metals permanently and this is what welders do, the people that perform the welding task. Welding is the only way of joining two or more pieces of metal to make them act as a single piece both in shape and strength. Welding has become an important industry in the Australian economy. Statistics obtained from the A.B.S show that over 40% of G.D.P of Australia is related to welding in one way or another. Welding ranks very high amongst industrial processes and these days involves more science and introduced variables than those involved in any other industrial process previously.
There are many ways to make a weld and many different types of welds. Some processes cause sparks whilst others do not require any extra energy input. Welding can be performed in most places, perhaps almost anywhere… outdoors or indoors, underwater and out of the earth’s atmosphere.
Nearly everything we use in our daily life is welded or made by equipment that is welded. Welders help build metal products from coffeepots to office towers. They assist in the construction of space vehicles and millions of other products ranging from oil drilling rigs to cars. In construction, welders are shaping or forging the world, extending underground transit systems, building bridges, and helping to improve the environment by building pollution control systems. The use of welding is practically unlimited. There is no lack of variety of the type of work that is done.
Welders are employed in many industry groups. Machinery manufacturers are responsible for agricultural, construction, and mining machinery. They are also involved in bulldozers, cranes, material handling equipment, food-processing machinery, papermaking and printing equipment, textiles, and office machinery.
What kind of welders are there?
There are three main types of welding machines used. These are Tig Welder, Mig Welders and Arc Welders.
Tig welders
– Tig welding machines use an electric arc to melt materials inside an inert gas shield. A tig filler rod or wire is often used to flow into the weld to build it up. These tig welders are also known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welders (GTAW) because they use a tungsten electrode to fire off the electric welding arc.
Mig Welders
– Mig welding machines use a wire that is short circuited causing it to melt. As the wire melts it forms part of the molten pool of metal that fuses the parts together. Mig welders are also known as Gas Metal Arc Welders (GMAW) because they also use gas to shield the arc but use metal for the electrode. The metal is on a spool called the mig wire.
Arc Welders
– Arc welding machines use an electric arc and a stick electrode. The electrode is coated with a flux and looks like a big fat sparkler. When you strike the electrode on the job is melts the flux coating which ionises and causes an electrically conductive gas shield which also protects the arc from oxygen. The metal rod inside the electrode both acts as conductor for current and also the filler material. These arc welders are also known as tick welders or Manual Metal Arc welders (MMAW). The arc is manual as the operator sets the arc length by holding the welding electode off the job a set amount.
How about Plasma Cutters?
– Plasma cutting machines use an electric arc to create a plasma out of the fuel source. The fuel source in the most common generic style plasma cutters available online these days is compressed air. The energy added by the plasma cutting machine causes the electrons in the gases to gain energy and create a plasma. Plasma is super hot with temperatures up to 15000 degrees celcius. This high temperature is ideal for the metal cutting process. Please cutting equipment has become the new replacement for the tired oxy accetylene rig.
Not sure what you need, please call us on 1300 881 991 to discuss your needs. Our friendly staff can give you their oppinion of what is the most suitable type of welding machine for your intended welding projects.
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