This overview from the Pro-Fusion website covers recent developments in the welding industry and how they impact the work and the industry.
By Bernard Mannion and Liam O’Mannin
The manufacture of metal seals, pressure devices, sensors, and many other metal components require precision welding. The sealing, shaping, or joining technique must be extremely reliable because it is necessary to maintain the integrity of the product. The weld process must also be accomplished without interfering with the cosmetics or function of the product.
There are many variables to consider in the welding process. The variety of materials is growing daily and thus the burden on welding personnel to stay current with technology becomes more essential. Moreover, it seems that the predominant expertise in welding is acquired at the workplace by trial and error rather than by training in educational institutions.
A Brief Summary of Joining and Welding Processes
Soldering and Brazing: An economical means of applying filler metal to join components both in low and high volume.
Resistance Welding: This process applies large current flow to heat the components at the point of highest resistance– at the weld joint.
Electron Beam Welding: This is a fusion process performed in a vacuum chamber where a high velocity beam of electrons is focused on the surface to be welded.
Laser Welding: This process uses focused coherent light (a laser) to melt the base material and is used for precision welding or production of quality parts.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding: Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), also known as Tig (Tungsten Inert Gas) Welding, is the most commonly used precision arc welding process. A welding arc is established between a Tungsten electrode and the part to be welded. The metal of the part is melted by the intense heat of the arc and fuses together.
Plasma Arc Welding: Plasma arc welding, basically an advancement of the GTAW process, uses a copper nozzle to surround the Tungsten electrode. A pilot arc is first established between the electrode and copper nozzle and then transferred to the part to be welded.
Tig and Plasma weld processes are the most commonly used methods for precision joining. Weld quality and repeatability has improved in sync with advances in power supply, process controls, and welding techniques. These advances allow the use of the process in even more precision applications.
