NickBrandelmayr

12thgradeLanguageArts
6th
Mr.Haslam
01/15/2016
Welding
TheOxfordEnglishDictionarydefinesweldas
jointogether(metalpiecesorparts)by
heatingthesurfacestothepointofmeltingusingablowtorch,electricarc,orothermeans,and
unitingthembypressing,hammering,etc.
Welding,theskillorartformthatkeepsAmericaand
mostofthedevelopedworldcitiesfromfallingapart.thesimpleactofbindingtwoormore
piecesofmetalbyheatingupaoutsidesourceofmetalandthenaddingittothepiecesmetalone
wantstoweld.thisallowedmankindtobuildbuildingthatreachintotheheavens.Ithasalso
allowedmankindtobuildbiggerandsaferinfertuatualthings,fromallmeansoftransportationto
energypowerplants.Theskillofweldinghasallowedforthemodernagetobebuilt.Inthis
essayIwilltalkaboutthedifferenttypesofweldingandhistoryofwelding.
1.Thetypesofwelding
1.1GMAWorGasMetalArcWeldingistheprocessinwereanelectricarcisproduced
inordertoheatupaoutsidepieceofmetalandagasispushedoutoftheweldinghandleinorder
tokeepoutsidecontaminantsfromthemetaljoint.ThetypesofGasmetalarcweldingisMIG
weldingandMAGwelding.MIGweldingisshortformetalinertgaswelding,thedefinitionof
thistypeofweldingis:
aweldingprocessinwhichanelectricarcformsbetweenaconsumable
wireelectrodeandtheworkpiecemetal(s),whichheatstheworkpiecemetal(s),causingthemto

melt,andjoin.Mostifnotallofthetimetheconsumablewirethatisusedastheelectrodeisa
spoolofcopperwire.InmyJtechweldingclassmyteacher,Mr.Lucerosaidthatatwomile
longspoolofcopperwirecancostupwardsof250$.MAGweldingisshortofmetalactivegas
welding,thereallyonlytypeofdifferencebetweenMAGandMIGweldingistheMAGwelding
boxyoucanchangetheamountshieldinggasisbeingpunchesthrowtheweldinghandle.Altho
inMIGweldingaweldercanchangethisthrowthetopvalueontheshieldinggastank
1.2SMAWisshortforshieldedmetalarcwelding.Thistypeofweldingusesa
consumableelectroderodthatiscoveredwithafluxcoating.Thistypeofweldingismy
personalfavoritetypeofwelding.Thisisduetothefactthatisthisthemostsimpletypeof
welding.UnlikeinMIGandMAGweldingyoudonthavetomakesurethatyourwirefeed
speedistoofastortoosloworandthatyouaregettingtherightamountofshieldinggas.Thisis
alldonebyhandifyouwill,theshieldinggasisproducedwhenyoustrikeanarcwiththe
electrodeduetoitbeingcoveredwithafluxcoating.Notonlydoesthishelpkeepoutside
contaminantsfromtheairgettingintotheweldisalsokeepstheelectrodesfromrusting.One
downsideofhavingusingSMAWweldingthisthatyouwillalwayshavetokeepyourelectrodes
insideanoven.Ifyoudontkeeptheminanoventhiswillcausethefluxtobecomebrittleand
break.Ifyouareweldingwithanelectrodethatdoesnothaveafluxcoatingonit,iswillcause
noshieldinggastobeproducedandletcontaminantsfromtheairtogetintotheweld.
1.3GTAWisshortforgastungstenarcwelding.accordingtothefabricator.comthey
defineitas:andelecticarcweldingprocessthatproducesanarcbetweena
nonconsumable
electrodeandtheworktobewelded.Theweldisshieldedfromtheatmospherebyashielding
gasthatformsanenvelopearoundtheweldareafromtheelectrode.Thisisthetypeofwelding

thatIknowtheleastabout,thisisduetothefactthatwehavenotbeentaughtitinmyJtech
class.MyteacherMr.Lucerosaidthatwewilllearnitin3rdquartersoIwillgetabetterhands
onexperiencewithitinlessthanafewweeks.GTAWisthefundamentalstyleofAcetylene
weldingbutinsteadofusingaflameyouuseanelectricarcandahandfeedanelectrode.The
maindifferenceGTAWandSMAWisinSMAWthewelderusesandelectrodeclampthatsends
positiveelectricchargesthroughtheelectrode,whileinGTAWthewelderholdsinonehanda
devicethatcreatesanforthebasemetalandthenhandfeedstheelectrode.

2.HistoryofWelding.
2.1MiddleAges.Historianshavetackedhumansusingweldinghasfarbackandthe

middleages.HumanfirstdiscoveredsimpleweldingbackintheBronzeage.Theearliest
examplesofweldingareweldedgoldboxes.(gowelding.org)Weldingwasnotonlyusedin
EuropeiswasusedinEgypt,theEgyptianshadthetechnologytocreateironandmakeitinto
toolsforbuildingandweaponsforwarfare.Butinwesternideologywhatwewouldcallawelder
today,inthemiddleageswewouldcallablacksmith.
BlacksmithsoftheMiddleAgeswelded
varioustypesofirontoolsbyhammering.Theweldingmethodsremainedmoreorless
unchangeduntilthedawnofthe19thcentury.
2.2The19thCentury.Inthistimeperiodtherewasamajorbreakthroughthatallowedthe
artofweldingtocomeoutofthemiddleagesandintothemodernage.Thiswasduetothe
discoveryofacetylenegas.Thiswasanimportantmilestoneinthehistoryofweldingsince
openflamesallowedthemanufactureofintricatemetaltoolsandequipments.(gowelding.org)
ThediscoverofacetylenegaswasEdmundDavy.Hediscovereditbackin1836andinlessthan
notimethegasmadeitswayittotheweldingindustry.In1842anewtoolwascreatedSir

HumphreyDavyinventedabatteryoperatedtoolwhichcouldproduceanarcbetweencarbon
electrodes.Thistoolwasextensivelyusedinweldingmetals.(gowelding.org)
2.3The20thCentury.In1919attheendofWorldWar1,theAmericanWeldingSociety
wascreated.Theorganizationwascreatedtohelptheadvancementoftheweldingprocesses.
ThecreatorofAWSisnamedAveryAdams,thereasonwhyhewantedtocreateAWSwasto
maketheprocessesofweldingnotonlybetterandstrongerbutsaferandlessharmfultothe
weldersthemselves.hewaslookingoutforthecommonmanmakingtheprocessbetteratthe
sametime.Onlyoneyearlaterwasautomaticweldingintroduced.Whatwewouldclasstodayas
MIGweldingthecalledautomaticwelding.InventedbyP.O.Nobel,automaticwelding
integratedtheuseofarcvoltageandbareelectrodewires.Itwasusedforrepairingandmolding
metals.(goweling.org)In1930TheNewYorkNavyYarddevelopedstickwelding.Todaywe
havegreatlyimprovedonthefluxcoatingweputontheelectrodesbutwhenthestylefirstcame
outitwasrevelationinshipbuilding.
2.4.The21stCentury.Thecenturyisstillinitsearlyteenyearssonotmuchhaschanged
inthiscentury.Butoneofthebiggestdevelopmentsofthemodernageislaserwelding.laser
wasoriginallydevelopedinBellTelephoneLaboratoriesbutitisnowbeingusedforvarious
kindsofweldingwork.Thisisduetotheinherentcapacityoflasersinrenderingprecisiontoall
kindsofweldingjobs.(gowelding.org)
SowhydidIchoosetogointowelding?ThemainreasonwhyIwanttopursueacareer
inweldingisbecause,in11thgrademydadsaidthatIhavetotakeaJtechclassandasIwas
lookingoveralloftheclassesofferedIthoughttheywerealllame.ButIcamedowntothe
bottomoneofthelistandit'weldingandIthoughttomyselfthiswouldbefuntolearn.And

fromthatdecisionIfoundoutthatweldingisagoodcareertogetinto.Noonlydoesitmake
goodmoneybutitisalsoimportanttooursociety.Weldingisusedinalmostofthemajorcity
developmentworkthatwehavetoday.Ithinkweldingwouldbeagoodskillformetolearn,ifI
sometimeinmylifedecidedthatIwanttogetanewcareer,weldingcanhelpmemakethat
changeduetothefactthatIwon'tbefinanciallydesperate.

WorksCitedPage

Craigie,William.
OxfordEnglishDictionary
.Print.

"WeldingTypes."
Www.weldingtypes.net
.WorldPress,2015.Web.15Jan.2016.

"ShieldedMetalArcWelding(SMAW)."
MetalFabricatingGlossary
.Web.16Jan.2016.

"Lesson2CommonElectricArcWeldingProcesses."
Lesson2CommonElectricArcWelding
Processes
.Web.16Jan.2016.
"TheHistoryofWelding."
GoWeldingOrg
.Web.17Jan.2016.

Lucero,Travis.Personalinterview.14Jan.2016.