According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. work as welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in industries like manufacturing, agriculture, aerospace, construction, petrochemical, food and beverage, and more. It’s clear that welding is a pillar that supports and is essential for much…
Autogenous welding is a welding process in which no filler material is used. Most welders are familiar with gas metal arc welding (GMAW), more often referred to as MIG welding, which uses a consumable electrode that becomes the filler material for the weld. Autogenous processes like gas tungsten arc welding…
Metals with a thickness of 3 millimeters (⅛ inch) or more are generally too thick to weld with a single pass. Instead, it is customary to bevel both pieces to be joined with an angle between 60 and 75 degrees to reduce the material thickness at the root of the…
Data is what makes much of the modern world run. Data analysis is increasingly being used in industries to refine designs, develop more efficient procedures, and improve the quality of work overall. Welding is no different. Weld process data capture enables the storage of in-depth information about how welds are…
Welders who have bought inexpensive hobby TIG welding machines to use at home may have noticed that while these machines start strong, they struggle to put out heat after an hour or so of work. When this happens, welding will be distinctly harder, requiring slow travel speeds and long dwell…
The welding process balances heat, electricity, and metallurgy in a complex interplay. The result is a nearly contiguous extension of the metal substrate across the joint. The welding process is a marvel that has made much of what we take for granted possible: goods delivered to us via ships, electric…
Analytics is a hot topic in every industry these days. Advances in networking have made it possible to capture data of all kinds, such as customer interactions with websites and their buying behavior as well as data concerning workers’ habits and their productivity. This data, in turn, is used to…
One of the most exciting new developments in technology is the Internet of Things (IoT), or the connection of smart devices to the global network of the internet. The possibilities of this sort of integration are staggering when applied to consumer devices. In industry, the possibilities are nearly limitless. IoT…
In spite of the name, welding power supplies are not typically the source of electrical power for arc welding. Instead, they are power inverters and transformers that work by converting the electrical power from a building’s power or a generator into a current type that is suitable for the welding…
A valuable academic lesson is to ask a group of students to write instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They will leave steps out, assuming that whoever follows the instructions will be able to fill in the gaps. Inevitably, when the most literal possible interpretation of the…