From the building you live in, to the vehicle you drive, to the highway you use on your way to work and even the appliances you use at home, all these aspects of everyday life have been made possible by the welding process. Welding is a trade that is often taken for granted, just because most people do not realise the vital role it has played and continues to play towards the betterment of everyday living. So, what exactly is welding and what is its importance in modern life? Discover more about this trade below:

Welding

Welding can be defined as an industrial process of joining two or more pieces of metal together permanently, through the process of coalescence. Intense heat is applied to the metals which causes the metals to melt and fuse together; a filler material is sometimes used. As the metals cool down, the joint created gets stronger.

Common types of welding

There are different types of welding that cater to various welding conditions. For instance, underwater welding presents different conditions from industrial welding processes. Types of welding include:

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW): Also known as "stick welding", SMAW welding uses a coated electrode (protectant flux coat) and an electric arc to join metals. The electrode is what is referred to as the stick.

MIG (Metal Inert Gas): Also known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), utilizes a welding gun, a consumable wire electrode and an inert shielding gas (such as argon) to join metals.

Other common types of welding include FCAW (Flux-Cored Arc Welding) and GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) or TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas).

Importance of welding

Welding is an essential part of everyday living: this is because welding is an integral part of almost every industry present in today's world. From the construction industry, to the car manufacturing industry, to the healthcare industry and even the home improvement industry, all these industries use one or more aspects of welding. 

The fact is planes, bridges, cars, most machinery used in the healthcare industry and most appliances used at home would not be in existence without welding. Therefore, the most crucial aspect of welding is that it has made and continues to make everyday living bearable, convenient and enjoyable.

The reality is that welders and the welding process have built and continue to build today's modern world. And so long as metals continue to be utilised in industrial processes, welding will still be a vital part of shaping the future.

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