essay on the history of welding

History of Welding: A Welding Timeline

The answer to questions like who invented welding and when did it happen are hard to answer.

The development of modern welding was a long, slow, gradual affair.

Findings and inventions led to new discoveries, and so on. But for those who want to know, we have answers to some of the most common questions.

When Was Welding Invented?

Metalworking is ancient, beginning 7 to 8 thousand years ago. The first welding techniques appeared sometime in the fourth or third century B.C.

Modern arc welding emerged much later, starting in the late 19th century.

Where did Welding Originate?

Ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Greeks, worked metal with the discovery of copper, bronze, silver, gold, and iron, then metalworking later progressed to include steel.

Gold ornaments made in the third century B.C are considered by many to be the first welded pieces. 

So, welding is ancient, but in the beginning stages its use was reserved for special occasions. Gold jewelry for a Pharo for example.

When Was Welding First Used Widely?

Around 1800 B.C., forge welding appeared. This technology consisted of heating metal to a precise temperature, then fusing the pieces by pounding. It did not change for a long time and it was the first welding process that brought welding to the “masses.” It was even used to build an iron pillar in Delhi , India about 310 AD.

Forge welding is not the earliest known form of welding. But for the first time, welding could be used for more than just jewelry and weapons for the rich. Things like plows and other tools could now be fashioned for farmers and other working people.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the image of a blacksmith pounding on a hot piece of metal became iconic. During the Industrial Revolution in the 17th and 18th centuries, when new ideas like blast furnaces came along, forge welding finally began to wane. 

The Invention of Arc Welding

In the early years of the 19th century, two important events set the stage for modern welding, the discovery of the electrical arc in 1800 and acetylene in 1836.

When Was Arc Welding Invented?

In 1881, Auguste De Meritens, working in the Cabot Laboratory in France, created an arc that could weld lead, using carbon (i.e., graphite) electrodes based on Davy’s earlier findings. But it was not hot enough to weld iron.

Due to its limitations, many historians overlook this development as the actual invention of arc welding. But it is the first arc welder to appear. 

Who Invented Arc Welding?

In 1800, Sir Humphry Davy formed the first electric arc between two carbon electrodes. This was the inspiration for all the forms of arc welding to follow in later years.

Acetylene was discovered by Sir Humphry Davy’s cousin, Edmund Davy , in 1836, providing a controllable heat source for welding and cutting. But it was not practical until about 1900 when a suitable blowtorch was developed. This was the start of oxyfuel welding and cutting and it is still popular today, mostly for cutting metal.

The First Welding Machine

One of Meritens’s students, a Russian named Nikolai N. Benardos working in the French laboratory, received a patent for welding lead plates together. He, along with a fellow Russian, Stanislaus Olszewski, secured a British patent in 1885 and an American patent in 1887 .

Notably, these patents detailed an early electrode holder and this is regarded as the birth of carbon arc welding. It is the first “machine” to appear designed to use an arc for joining two pieces of metal (in this case lead).

When Was Stick Welding Invented?

A Russian inventor, Nikolay Gavrilovich Slavyanov , introduced arc welding with consumable metal electrodes in 1888. This was the second form of arc welding invented, but it was also the first introduction of “stick welding.”

With the introduction of coatings on the metal electrode in later years to provide shielding for the molten metal, Slavyanov’s invention led to shielded metal arc welding (“SMAW”). 

Notably, Slavyanov did not see his technique as a welding process, he instead called it electric casting of metals and envisioned its use in forging metal in a mold. 

Later in 1890, C. L. Coffin received a U.S. patent for his arc welding method that utilized a metal electrode, similar to Slavyanov’s casting technique. Interestingly, Slavyanov and Coffin were unaware of each other’s work.

Who Invented Resistance Welding?

Elihu Thomson invented resistance welding sometime during 1876. Thomson, a prolific inventor, accidentally fused two copper wires together as he set up an experiment (Thomson was awarded almost 700 patents).

He made a note and later decided to try and weld metal at will with what he had stumbled upon. In 1886, he successfully patented his new resistance welding technique.

Birth of Widespread Electrical Power

Even with all the inventions by Thomson and others, modern electric welding did not take off until electricity was widely available in the early 20th century. Prior to easy access to AC current, electric welders ran on large batteries and it limited its use. 

But Elihu Thomson not only invented resistance welding, he also played a key role in making the widespread use of electricity possible. In 1880, Thomson along with fellow science professor Edwin Houston established the Thomson-Houston, to sell arc lamp systems. They were successful and quickly diversified into other electrical markets.

By 1890, Thomson-Houston and Thomas Edison’s company, Edison General, were two of the three biggest players in the American lighting industry (Westinghouse Electric Co. was the third). 

By 1892, financier John Pierpont Morgan engineered a merger between Edison General and Thomson-Houston. The resulting company was named General Electric. GE and Westinghouse then figured out how to use alternating current (“AC”) and spread electric power to the masses.

Thomson at General Electric and another famous inventor, Nikola Tesla at Westinghouse, led the way in pioneering the modern use of alternating current. (Famously, Thomas Edison had favored DC, but it could not be transmitted over long distances safely.)

When the existing electric-powered welding technologies were combined with the widespread availability of electricity, arc welding became viable for most applications. But prior to WW I, welding of critical joints, like in shipbuilding, was avoided due to frequent cracking. However, the need for fast, military-grade welds during WW I and WW II drove significant development, resulting in considerable arc welding advances.

Who Invented TIG Welding?

A significant advance occurred when Russell Meredith was issued a patent in 1942 , which was the birth of TIG welding.

The available methods at that time were inadequate for welding aluminum and magnesium alloys. So, Meredith concocted an arc welding process that used a non-consumable tungsten electrode and an inert shielding gas (argon or helium) to protect the hot weld and electrode.

He called it the Heliarc system , but it eventually became known as gas tungsten arc welding (“GTAW”), or tungsten inert gas (“TIG”) welding.  

TIG welding was a huge success and gave American industry the ability to build ships, airplanes, and other important items faster than ever imagined. President Roosevelt even bragged about the process in a letter to Winston Churchill.

Who Invented MIG Welding?

MIG welding was invented in 1948. The work done leading to this breakthrough was conducted by H.E. Kennedy of the Battle Memorial Institute, and H.M. Hobart and P.K. Devers at the Air Reduction Company.

This new process became commercially available and it was referred to as gas metal arc welding (“GMAW”), or metal inert gas (“MIG”) welding.

The tungsten electrode in the TIG process was replaced with a continuously fed, smaller diameter electrode wire and it used a constant voltage power source. Plus, the hot weld was protected by a shielding gas. 

Metalworking and Welding Timeline

Metalworking and welding have a long history with research and developments continuing to this day. The timeline below highlights major developments with a focus on the welding of metals.

Welding B.C.

The first metalworking is thought to take place in Egypt, starting around 4000 B.C. In general, ancient civilizations started with copper and then progressed to bronze, silver, gold, and iron.

Sumerians produce swords that are made using hard soldering.

Egyptians use charcoal-generated heat to turn iron ore into sponge iron. The particles produced are hammered together producing the first instance of pressure welding (also called solid phase welding).

Queen Pu-abi’s tomb contains a gold bowl with a handle that is brazed to the bowl’s wall. Gold goblet also discovered that has a brazed fillet on the outside of the goblet.

3000 – 2000 B.C.

Humans start working with bronze between 3000 and 2000 B.C. to make things like jewelry, dining utensils, and weapons. During this bronze age, small gold circular boxes were made by pressure welding lap joints together.

Instances of iron smelting (becomes more common in 1200 B.C.).

A painting depicts brazing in the tomb of Vizier Rekh-mi-re.

Ancient Egyptians use solder and a blowpipe for metal soldering.

Ironwork begins, bending the metal with the use of furnaces to produce swords and spearheads (e.g., the Catalan furnace).

Gold boxes in Ireland are fabricated by hammering lapped joints (a form of pressure welding).

900 to 850 B.C.

Egyptians make iron tools. In this era, iron grew slowly in popularity due to the familiarity and usefulness of bronze and copper.

Iron weapons have been found that can be traced to the Babylonians from about 900 B.C.

During the Sui Dynasty, the Chinese developed the ability to turn wrought iron into steel. 

The Japanese also manufacture steel through a welding and forging process to produce Samurai swords.

A.D. Welding History

Pliny the Elder records the first written description in welding history of a gold brazing process. He describes how salts acted as a flux and how metal color determines brazing difficulty (i.e. color indicates the presence of oxides).

Forge welding used in the Iron pillar in Delhi, India, weighing a total of 5.4 metric tons. (pictured above). 

Other structures, weapons, and tools with similar construction are made in England, Scandinavia, and Rome. Interestingly, the source of iron for some theweapons and tools was meteors.

1000 – 1099 A.D. (11th Century)

The manuscript written by monk Theophilus includes a description of mixing flux for silver brazing. He indicates the use of sodium chloride and potassium tarpate. Metals are 66 percent Silver-Copper.

The Middle Ages (5th to 15th century) brought a phase in welding history where forge welding was dominant.  

14th Through 17th Centuries

Vannoccio Biringuccio released De la Pirotechnia, which includes written descriptions of the forging operation.

Renaissance craftsmen gained skilled with the welding process, and welding continued to grow during the following centuries.

Benventuto Cellini, an Italian goldsmith, writes about brazing a silver/copper alloy using a soldering process

The first instance of the root word for weld (originally well). Also, the first cast-iron cannon is produced sometime in the 16th century.

18th Century

Most innovations during this time in welding history involved blast furnaces. Small incremental progress lasted until the middle of the 18th century and the beginning of the industrial revolution. 

Even in the latter part of this century, though, the progress was more in how work was performed. For example, instead of one person completing an entire project, work was divided into smaller parts and assigned to semi-skilled labor.

Evidence that platinum was used by pre-Columbian Indians in Ecuador.

Axel F. Cronstedt, a Swedish chemist, discovers nickel and isolates it from a German ore.

Hydrogen gas properties are described by Henry Cavendish, an English chemist and physicist.

Discovery of oxygen.

 Lavoisier, a French chemist, establishes the principles of oxygen cutting.

19th Century

Sir Humphrey Davy produces an electric arc between two carbon electrodes that were powered by a battery. It is the dawn of modern arc welding.

Sr. Humphrey Davy proves that aluminum exists and it is actually discovered by Friederich Wohler in 1827.

Sponge platinum is welded together via cold-pressing , followed by hammering when hot.

Acetylene is discovered in 1836 by Edmund Davy, but it was not practical in welding until about 1900 when a suitable blowtorch was developed.

Patent issued to Eugene Desbassayrs de Richemont for fusion welding.

Discovery of voltage generation with a homopolar device by Michael Faraday.

Air hydrogen blowpipe developed by German H. Rossier for soldering lead.

James Nasmyth, while working for the British Admiralty, discovers that preparing welding surfaces with a slightly convex profile facilitates squeezing the swarf and flux out of the joint. This increased the strength of the joint and was a major improvement in the forge welding process.

James Joule welds a bundle of wires by using an electric current and the metal’s internal resistance to create heat. The resistance welding process was later perfected by Elihu Thomson.

An Englishman, Henry Wilde, obtains the first electric welding patent in 1865. He joins two small pieces of iron by passing an electric current through the two separate parts, producing a fusion weld.    

The Otto Bernz Company develops and sells a gasoline-powered torch.

The first documented use of fusion welding by Auguste de Meritens where he welded lead battery plates together with a carbon electrode. The welding took place in a box with a fixed electrode.

Advances in welding continued with the invention of the metal electrode by a Russian, Nikolai Slavyanov, and an American, C.L. Coffin, late in the 1800s.  They were not aware of each other’s work.

Credit also goes to Eli Whitney who invented the idea of interchangeable parts. This led to the manufacture of iron dies and molds.

Carbon arc welding uses an arc between a carbon electrode and the weld pool. The process is used with or without shielding or the application of pressure. The primary stated use was repair welding.

A patent is issued to Auguste de Meritens and N. Benardos, which notes that the carbon welding process can be used for welding two metals, severing metals, and punching holes in metal. The patent described both a solid carbon electrode and a hollow electrode that would be filled with powdered metals. 

Since they intended the powder to melt and flow into the weld, they are credited by some with inventing metallic arc welding. Ultimately because of the limitations of this approach, they are not credited with this accomplishment by most historians, but this is the first appearance of an electric arc welding machine.

Elihu Thomson applies for 2 process patents for “Apparatus for Electric Welding,” which marks the invention of resistance welding (RW). The first of many patents went to Elihu Thompson in 1885, but he continued to produce advances over the next 15 years and he held around 700 patents.

A Russian, N.G. Slavianoff, is credited by most historians for discovering the use of bare metal electrodes for arc welding. He used the innovation to transfer metal across an arc, not to weld, but to cast metal into a mold.

Two students of Auguste de Meritens, N. Benardos and S. Olszewski, continue his work and were issued a patent for a welding process that used carbon electrodes (carbon arc welding) and an electric power source.

1889 – 1892

C.L. Coffin is considered to be the pioneer of welding in the United States and some of his more notable accomplishments are::

• 1889 : received patent for flash-butt welding
• 1890 : 2 patents for spot welding.
• 1890 : Awarded first patent for metal electrodes.
• 1892 : Patent for bare metal electrode arc welding process is awarded.

The first known instance of a “torch” being used to break into a bank vault.

Commercial acetylene is produced in North Carolina by mixing water and calcium carbide.

Baldwin locomotive begins to use carbon arc welding for locomotive repairs.

Combustion of acetylene and oxygen discovered by Henri LeChatelier.

Kleinschmidt introduces the use of copper electrodes.

20th Century Welding

Around 1900, A. P. Strohmenger developed a coated metal electrode in Britain, which produced a more stable arc.

Oxygen Lance invented by Ernst Menne.

Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard develop the first commercial oxyacetylene welding torch. Oxyfuel welding can now be safely used without the application of pressure to the joint.

Thermite welding is invented. 

First machine for resistance butt welding is introduced after merger between Allgemeine Elektricitats-Gesellschaft (AEG) and Union-Elektricitats-Gesellschaft (UEG).

First resistance spot welding machines are produced. From 1906 to 1910, approximately 367 spot and seam welding machines are produced.

The LaGrange-Hobo welding method is introduced. 

1907 – 1908

Oscar Kjellberg receives a patent for an electrode coating process for the shielded metal arc welding (“SMAW”) process. The coating helped to stabilize the arc, producing better welds than simpler, bare metal electrodes. A reaction of the coating with the weld’s heat also effectively shielded the weld, eliminating the need for a gas blanket.

The U.S. arc welding industry starts with two companies. The Siemund-Wienzell Electric Welding Co. is formed and they patent a metal arc welding method. A second company, also with German founders, starts up and is called Enderlien Electric Welding Co.

Lincoln Electric tests the first variable voltage DC welding machine.

Bernardos patents the electro-slag process which enabled workers to weld thick plates in a single pass. The process he outlined is still popular today.

A plasma arc system using a gas vortex to stabilize the arc is invented by Schonner while working at BASF.

The Quasi-arc electrode is invented, where the electrode is wrapped with an asbestos yarn by A.P. Strohmenger.

Patent issued to Charles Hyde for brazing steel tubes with copper placed in the joint. The workpiece was then placed in a hydrogen furnace (i.e., oxygen-free environment) and heated, then capillary attraction drew the molten copper into the joint. 

The first 11 miles of pipeline is laid using oxyacetylene welding, just outside of Philadelphia.

Matters develops the plasma arc torch for heating a metal fusing furnace.

Oscar Kjellberg receives a second patent for an electrode with a heavier coating of asbestos and a binder made out of sodium silicate.

Lincoln Electric introduces the first commercial welding machines to the market.

The first auto body is welded by E.G. Budd using spot welding.

Coated metal electrodes introduced by A.P. Strohmenger. The coatings were made from clay or lime. Also awarded a patent for an electrode coated with blue asbestos and a sodium silicate binder. This is the first time a consumable electrode produces an impurity-free weld.

Alternating current welding is invented by C.J. Holslag but it did not become popular for another decade. Electric arc welding was the method used in the United States until 1920. However, the arc was unstable and the welds produced were not as strong as the metal being welded. 

At first, oxyfuel welding was more popular due to its portability and relatively low cost. As the 20th century progressed, it fell out of favor for industrial applications and was largely replaced with arc welding, as electrode coverings or coatings (i.e., flux) continue to be developed. The coatings applied to the metal electrodes stabilized the arc and shielded the base material from impurities in the air.

Ship welding was not reliable due to frequent cracking until World War I. But during WW I, various military powers caused a major surge in the use of welding processes as they tried to determine which of the several new welding processes worked best.

Gas shortage in England resulted in the industry turning to electric arc welding for producing bombs and mines.

President Wilson establishes the United States Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation.

The American Welding Society is established.

Development of the paper coated electrode by Reuben Smith.

During the 1920s, major advances were made in welding technology, including the introduction of automatic welding in 1920, where the electrode wire was fed continuously.

Shielding gas use received much attention, as scientists attempted to protect welds from the effects of reactive gasses in the atmosphere.

Porosity and brittleness were the primary problems, and the shielding that scientists developed included the use of gases like hydrogen, argon, and helium, or blends of them, as a protective layer of gas while the weld was hot.

The stick welding process also advanced quickly due to the improvements in the core wire and electrode coatings. 

Also, X-ray technology made it possible to check the soundness of a weld. Some other notable 1920s’ events are:

• The British primarily used arc welding, and they even constructed a ship, the Fulagar, with an entirely welded hull. At one point the ship ran aground and stayed whole because it was welded and not riveted.
• The Americans were more hesitant but began to recognize the benefits of arc welding when the process allowed them to repair their ships damaged in New York Harbor at the beginning of the war. The source of the explosion and fire were disputed, but the repairs put welding on the map.
• Arc welding was first applied to aircraft during the war as well, as some German airplane fuselages were constructed using the process.
• General Electric employee P.O. Nobel developed direct current automatic welding.
• Before 1920, welding was done with D.C. current, which was provided by batteries. In the late 1920s to early 1930s, A.C. welding gained popularity.

Founding of the Institute of Welding Engineers.

The first all-welded buildings constructed by U.S. Boiler.

Half of the American homes have access to AC electricity (it increased to 75% in 1930, and by 1940 most homes except very rural areas). This is due in large thanks to the work of men like Elihu Thomson at General Electric and Nikola Tesla at Westinghouse. Credit also goes to men like Ampere, Oersted, Wheatstone, Faraday, Ohm, and Henry for advances in generating and distribution of electricity during almost 100 years leading up to this point. The widespread availability of electricity was vital for electric arc welding’s growth.

P.K. Devers and H.M. Hobart test welds using a blend of helium and argon as a shielding gas.

The Naval research laboratory releases a paper on the use of X-Rays to test welds.

A.O. Smith employee John J. Chyle patents the first extruded all position titanium electrode later called the E6010 type.

First welded railroad bridge created by Westinghouse to transport large generators.

Lincoln Electric produces the Fleetwood 5 heavy coated electrode.

American Welding Society establishes welding symbols .

Patent issued to H.O. Hobart for arc welding process with a new “automatically” fed electrode, which later became GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) or MIG welding.

Submerged arc welding developed by the National Tube Company, and continues to be popular today.

An all-welded merchant ship created.

Stud welding was introduced to the market, which soon became popular in shipbuilding and construction. 

By 1930, arc welding was lower in cost than riveting and gas welding.

Patent issued to Devers and Hobart for use of an electric arc within an inert gas atmosphere. Not well received by the welding industry initially because of the high cost of gas (helium and argon) and poor torch availability.

Welding of stainless steel (originally called shot welding) by E.G. Budd Manufacturing.

A timing controller for resistance welding is developed by Westinghouse (originally called an Ignitron).

SAW (submerged arc welding) process that uses continuous wire feed and granulated flux is introduced. The process was originally called Union Melt. Submerged arc welding was later used during the defense buildup in shipyards and ordnance factories. It is one of the most productive welding processes and remains popular today. The concept of an automatically fed wire electrode would later be used to invent MIG welding.

British welding electrode standard established.

Solid extruded electrode released.

First A.C. welding machine introduced by Miller Electric Manufacturing. The method had a high rate of metal deposition (ratio of the deposited metal’s weight to the net weight of electrodes consumed) and an absence of arc blow (the deflection of an electric arc from its normal path due to magnetic forces).

The use of welding is confirmed in structural steel buildings (metal arc welding in mild steel).

Gravity welding introduced by K.K. Madsen.

Germans weld ships to reduce weight which allows for the design of larger vessels.

German patent given to George Hafergut for the Firecracker welding process.

Use of aluminum spot welding recognized for aviation use.

1940 – 1941

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), after decades of development, was finally perfected in 1941 (patent issued in 1942). Invented by Russel Meredith, he initially called it HELIARC. But it later became known as tungsten inert gas (“TIG”) welding. The water-cooled torch could use high amperage and not get too hot to hold. Gas Tungsten arc welding uses an arc between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the weld pool. The process is used with shielding gas and without the application of pressure to the joint. The TIG  process worked well for magnesium, stainless, and aluminum.

Army discovers the practicality of stainless steel, aluminum, and magnesium in equipment such as fighter planes.

Formation of the Canadian Welding Association.

Dip soldering technique developed for printing wiring boards. It is the first mass soldering process.

US Patent issued to George Hafergut for Firecracker Welding.

U.S. patent issued for GTAW welding (i.e., TIG welding) to Russel Meredith of Northrup Aircraft, Inc., which was developed for Dr. John K. Northrup’s XP-56 airplane body.

Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is invented by C.B. Voldrich, P.J. Rieppel and Howard B. Cary. Developed at Dow and Northrup Corporations and then licensed to Linde Corporation.

The Sciaky company starts to sell a three-phase resistance welder.

Development of an experimental hand-held MIG gun at the Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio)

Welding replaced riveting as the main method of assembly for ships with 5,171 vessels constructed through 1945.

Gas metal arc welding became commercially available in 1948 (“GMAW” superseded earlier terms of metal inert gas (MIG) and metal active gas (MAG) ), allowing for fast welding of non-ferrous materials, but requiring expensive shielding gases.

The “shielded” inert gas metal arc process was introduced by the Air Reduction Company at the AWS show in Philadelphia. Gas metal arc welding uses an arc between a continuously fed metal filler/electrode wire (i.e., consumable) and the weld pool.

The process also used shielding from an externally supplied gas and without the application of pressure to the joint. Initially, the GMAW process was used only for non-ferrous metals due to cost.

The first Department of Welding Engineering department is started at Ohio State University.

SIGMA (Shielded Inert Gas Metal Arc) welding developed to weld thicker plates.

Westinghouse introduces Selenium Rectifier welding machines.

Shielded metal arc welding was developed during the 1950s, using a consumable electrode and a carbon dioxide atmosphere as a shielding gas. It quickly became the most popular metal arc welding process.

A.C. – D.C. rectifier welding machines were introduced with built-in frequency for TIG welding .  Miller Electric developed the Miller controlled wave a.c. welder which was used for critical welds on missiles and aircraft.

Electric beam welding process launched by A.J. Stohr.

Wave soldering to attach electronic components to printed cicuit boards is introduced.

E.O. Paton welding institute develops Electrostag Welding (ESW).

The DryRod electrode oven was introduced to control moisture levels in electrodes.

Flux-cored arc welding process debuts (FCAW), where a self-shielded wire electrode could be used with automatic equipment, resulting in greatly increased welding speeds.

Plasma arc welding is invented. Patented in 1957 by the National Cylinder Gas Company.

Friction welding process was introduced by Russia.

Electroslag welding released and it was later followed by its cousin, electro-gas welding, in 1961.

Other recent developments in welding include the breakthrough of electron beam welding, making deep and narrow welding possible with a concentrated heat source.

1958 – 1959

A short arc process was introduced (sometimes called GMAW-S). The process uses wires with small diameters and a refined power supply.

Following the invention of the laser in 1960, laser beam welding would debute several decades later and has proved to be especially useful in high-speed, automated welding. This process, however, is quite expensive due to the high cost of the necessary equipment. So, it has limited applications.

Explosive welding is introduced.

Sciaky, Inc. welds Mercury Space capsule (created with an outer and inner titanium shell).

Due to the small size of each titanium sheet, three metal layers needed to first be welded together, and then the triple-ply sheets needed to be welded to form larger panels. The TIG process was employed without using a filler metal. Source: NASA Manual, Welding Procedures for Titanium and Titanium Alloys

Marked by developments in weld testing. The Varestraint Test determines if a base metal can be welded as well as the viability of different welding processes for the alloy.

Wall-Colmony introduces the Fusewelder Torch.

The fuse-welder is an oxyacetylene torch that is frequently used when a weld needs to be built up and to finish hard surfacing welds.

1965 – 1967

Welding and cutting with CO2 lasers.

Gravity welding starts in the U.K.

Russians weld in space on SOYUZ-6.

New soldering technologies are introduced to support electronic miniaturization, like:

• Vapor phase

Modern Welding

Today there are over 90 welding processes with constant research on new metals used by the nuclear, space, and shipbuilding industries. Many changes occurred in the 1980s and 1990s where welding moved from art to science.

• Robotic welding
• On-board computers
• State-of-the-art electrodes
• Exotic multiple gas mixes

Friction Stir welding introduced by TWI.

The Edison Institute develops a method that leads to a 300% increase in flux penetration into a weld.

Introduction of magnetic pulse welding.

An X-Ray is used to weld a metal/matrix composite.

Diode laser welding, once limited to compact disks, laser printers, and laser pointers, is used in manufacturing to weld Type 304 Stainless steel (0.024 inch) and Titanium foil (0.005 inch thick), plus laser brazing with a silicon-bronze brazing wire.

Development of laser-arc-hybrid welding.

Development of Gas Metal Arc Welding-Brazing, a process for welding steel used in autos. The process uses a filler metal comprised of silicon with a copper alloy.

Low-carbon steel and aluminum welding using a lap joint and laser technology.

Vaporizing Foil Actuator Welding (VFAW) developed by The Ohio State University joins dissimilar metals. The process is a similar to a combination of explosive welding (ExW) and magnetic pulse welding (MPW). 

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Welding history - ancient origins to modern uses.

Dec 11, 2023

Welding history stretches back centuries and has been crucial to human progress. From ancient blacksmiths joining metals to create tools and weapons, to today's advanced techniques in industries like automotive and construction, welding has become a vital specialized skill.

Nowadays, welding is everywhere—cars, planes, buildings, and ships are all made using various welding techniques. Welders today are skilled experts who use diverse tools to craft both tiny components and massive assemblies. Knowing welding's history gives us perspective on its importance and its impact on our world today.

Origins of Welding - Brief History

Welding is a process that has been around for centuries, dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. This section will explore the origins of welding, including the techniques and tools used by blacksmiths and metalworkers throughout history.

Tracing the Welding History from the Bronze to Iron Ages

During the Bronze and Iron Ages, welding was done by hammering two pieces of metal together until they fused. The Egyptians were known for their ability to weld gold, and the Greeks and Romans used welding to create bronze statues and armor. In the Middle East, blacksmiths used welding to create intricate designs on daggers and swords.

Welding History from Middle Ages to 19th Century

In the Middle Ages, blacksmiths continued to use welding to create weapons and armor. However, it wasn't until the 19th century that welding became a more precise and efficient process. In 1800, Sir Humphry Davy discovered the electric arc, which paved the way for modern welding techniques.

Throughout the 19th century, new welding methods were developed, including oxyacetylene welding and resistance welding. These techniques allowed for more precise and efficient welding, and they were used in a variety of industries, including shipbuilding and construction.

In conclusion, welding has a rich history that spans centuries. From the hammering techniques used by blacksmiths in the Bronze and Iron Ages to the modern welding techniques used today, welding has played an important role in the development of metals and metalworking.

The Birth of Modern Welding

In the 19th century, significant developments in welding technology led to the birth of modern welding. Among the most important innovations was the discovery of the electric arc, which paved the way for the development of arc welding .

19th Century Developments

During this period, several inventors and scientists made significant contributions to welding technology. Sir Humphry Davy, a British chemist, discovered the electric arc in 1800. However, it was not until the 1880s that carbon electrodes were developed, making it possible to use the electric arc for welding.

Another significant development during this period was the use of metal electrodes, which replaced carbon electrodes. In 1885, Nikolay Benardos, a Russian inventor, and Stanisław Olszewski, a Polish scientist, independently invented the metal electrode.

Edmund Davy's Contributions

Edmund Davy, Sir Humphry Davy's cousin, made several contributions to welding technology in the 19th century. In 1836, he discovered the metal arc welding process, which used a carbon electrode to create an arc between two metal pieces. This process was later improved with the use of metal electrodes.

Davy also developed a method for welding lead pipes, which involved heating the pipes with a flame and then hammering them together. This method was widely used in the 19th century for joining lead pipes and was an important precursor to modern welding.

In conclusion, the 19th century was a period of significant innovation in welding technology. The discovery of the electric arc and the development of metal electrodes paved the way for modern arc welding. Edmund Davy's contributions, including the metal arc welding process and the method for welding lead pipes, were also crucial in the development of modern welding.

Advancements in the Early 20th Century - World War I Era

During World War I, gas welding was extensively used for the production of military equipment. The process was quick and efficient, making it the preferred method for manufacturing weapons and vehicles. The use of oxygen and acetylene gases allowed for higher temperatures and faster welding speeds. This resulted in an increase in productivity and a decrease in production time.

Automatic and Electric Arc Welding

The early 1900s saw significant advancements in welding technology, including automatic and electric arc welding. Carbon arc welding, which used a carbon electrode to produce an arc, was the first electric arc welding process to be developed. The process was later improved with the use of alternating current, which allowed for a more stable arc.

Automatic welding was also developed during this time, which allowed for the continuous welding of long seams. This was achieved by feeding the filler metal through the welding torch automatically. The use of shielding gases, such as argon, helped to protect the weld from oxidation and contamination.

Overall, the advancements in welding technology during the early 20th century greatly improved the efficiency and quality of welding. The development of gas welding, electric arc welding, and automatic welding paved the way for modern welding techniques and equipment.

Innovation and Expansion - Mid-20th Century Progress

During the mid-20th century, welding technology progressed significantly. Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, also known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), was developed in the 1940s and allowed for more precise and cleaner welds. Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding , also known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), was developed in the 1950s and allowed for faster and more efficient welding of thicker materials. Laser welding was also developed during this time, and it uses a highly focused beam of light to melt and join metal parts.

Electron beam welding was developed in the 1960s, and it uses a beam of high-velocity electrons to join metal parts. Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) was also developed during this time, and it uses a granular flux to protect the weld from contamination.

The Rise of Welding Societies

As welding technology continued to advance, the need for standardization and education became increasingly important. The American Welding Society (AWS) was founded in 1919, but it wasn't until the mid-20th century that it began to gain widespread recognition and influence. The AWS played a significant role in the development of welding standards and certification programs, which helped to ensure the safety and quality of welding in various industries.

The growth of welding societies and associations helped to promote the use of welding in various industries, including fabrication, manufacturing, construction, and shipbuilding. As a result, welding became an integral part of these industries, and it continues to play a critical role in modern manufacturing and construction processes.

In conclusion, the mid-20th century was a period of significant innovation and expansion in the field of welding. The development of new welding technologies and the rise of welding societies helped to promote the use of welding in various industries, and it continues to be a critical component of modern manufacturing and construction processes.

Development of Modern Welding Methods

In recent years, the welding industry has seen significant advancements in welding techniques. One of the most notable developments is the use of laser welding. Laser welding involves the use of high-powered lasers to melt and fuse metals together. This technique is particularly useful for welding thin materials, such as those used in the electronics industry.

Another new welding method is friction stir welding. This technique involves the use of a rotating tool to stir and join two metals together. Friction stir welding is particularly useful for joining dissimilar metals, such as aluminum and copper.

Advances in Welding Equipment and Materials

Advances in welding equipment and materials have also contributed to the development of new welding techniques. For example, the development of new welding machines has led to the creation of more precise and efficient welding methods.

In addition, the use of new materials, such as high-strength steel and titanium, has led to the development of new welding processes. For example, the use of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) has become more common for welding these materials due to its ability to produce high-quality welds.

Overall, the development of new welding techniques has made it possible to weld a wider range of metals and materials with greater precision and efficiency. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the field of welding.

Welding in Manufacturing and Construction

Welding has played a crucial role in the advancement of manufacturing and construction industries. Welding techniques have been used in the construction of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure, as well as in the manufacturing of various products.

Role in Industrial Revolution

During the Industrial Revolution, welding became an essential process in the manufacturing industry. The development of welding techniques such as pressure welding and stud welding allowed for the mass production of products. Welding also played a significant role in the transportation industry, where it was used to manufacture trains, ships, and automobiles.

Contemporary Applications

Today, welding is still an important process in both manufacturing and construction industries. Shielded metal arc welding, commonly known as stick welding, is widely used in construction to join steel structures. It is also used in the manufacturing of heavy equipment and machinery.

Welding has also become an integral part of the construction of bridges, where it is used to connect steel beams and girders. Modern welding techniques , such as robotic welding, have made the process faster and more efficient.

In conclusion, welding has been a vital process in the development of manufacturing and construction industries. Its evolution has allowed for the mass production of products and the construction of complex infrastructure. With continued advancements in technology, welding will continue to play a crucial role in these industries.

Evolution of Safety Measures and Technology in Welding

Welding is an inherently dangerous process that requires extensive safety measures to be in place to prevent accidents and injuries. over the years, the welding industry has made significant strides in improving safety measures to protect welders from potential hazards..

One of the most important safety measures in welding is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes items such as welding helmets , gloves , and protective clothing. Welders must also be trained to identify potential hazards and be aware of safety protocols to follow in case of an emergency.

Another important safety measure is proper ventilation to prevent the inhalation of toxic fumes. Welders must also be trained to properly handle and store welding gases such as argon, helium, and hydrogen.

Technological Innovations in Welding

Advances in technology have also contributed to improving safety measures in welding . One such innovation is the use of automated welding systems, which reduce the need for manual labor and minimize the risk of injury.

Precision welding technology has also improved significantly, allowing for greater accuracy and reducing the risk of errors that could lead to accidents. Additionally, new welding techniques such as laser welding have emerged, which offer improved precision and efficiency.

Overall, the welding industry has made significant progress in improving safety measures and adopting new technologies to make the process safer and more efficient. As a welder, it is important to stay up-to-date on these advancements and always prioritize safety.

Welding's Future Prospects

As technology advances, so does the future of welding. With the emergence of new trends and ongoing research and development, the future of welding looks promising.

Emerging Weld Trends

One of the most significant emerging trends in welding is the use of electron beam welding (EBW) and plasma arc welding (PAW). These techniques allow for precise and efficient welding of a wide range of materials, including those that are difficult to weld using traditional methods. The ability to weld dissimilar materials is also becoming increasingly important, as industries such as aerospace and automotive require lightweight yet durable materials.

Another trend is the use of friction welding, which uses heat generated by friction to weld materials together. This technique is particularly useful for joining materials with different melting points, such as dissimilar metals. Friction welding is also environmentally friendly, as it produces minimal waste and does not require consumables like filler materials.

Research and Development

Research and development in welding are ongoing, with a focus on improving existing techniques and developing new ones. One area of research is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve the accuracy and efficiency of welding processes. This technology can analyze data in real-time and adjust welding parameters to optimize the process.

Another area of research is the development of new materials that are easier to weld and have improved properties. For example, researchers are exploring the use of lightweight alloys in the aerospace industry, which require specialized welding techniques.

In conclusion, the future of welding looks promising, with emerging trends and ongoing research and development. As industries continue to demand lightweight, durable, and environmentally friendly materials, welding techniques will continue to evolve to meet these needs.

Cultural and Historical Impact

Welding in art and culture.

Welding has played a significant role in art and culture throughout history. Many sculptures, monuments, and other works of art have been created using welding techniques. Welding has allowed artists to create intricate and detailed works of art that would not have been possible otherwise. Welding has also been used to repair and restore art pieces, preserving them for future generations to enjoy.

Historical Significance of Welding

Welding has had a significant impact on history, particularly in the fields of metalworking and blacksmithing. Welding has allowed for the creation of stronger and more durable metal structures, including swords and bridges. The ability to join metal pieces together has also allowed for the creation of complex machinery and tools, further advancing technology and industry.

The cultural impact of welding cannot be overstated, as it has allowed for the creation of countless works of art and has played a significant role in the advancement of technology and industry throughout history.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the first welding process developed.

The first recorded instance of welding dates back to the Bronze Age, where metal objects were welded using heat and pressure. However, the first modern welding process was developed in the late 19th century with the invention of the arc welding process.

How has welding technology evolved from its inception to modern techniques?

Since the invention of arc welding, welding technology has advanced significantly. The introduction of gas welding in the early 20th century, followed by the development of the submerged arc welding process in the 1930s, marked significant advancements in welding technology. In the 1940s, the introduction of the gas tungsten arc welding process and the gas metal arc welding process further expanded the capabilities of welding.

What were the earliest applications of welding in maritime construction?

Welding was first used in maritime construction in the mid-19th century, where it was used to repair and reinforce iron ships. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that welding became a common practice in shipbuilding.

Which innovations marked significant advancements in the history of welding equipment?

The introduction of the electric arc welding process in the late 19th century marked a major advancement in welding technology. The development of gas welding and the introduction of the Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding process in the 1940s also marked significant advancements in welding equipment.

What are the historical differences between gas welding and arc welding?

Gas welding uses a flame to heat the metal, while arc welding uses an electric arc to melt the metal. Gas welding was the first widely used welding process, but it has largely been replaced by arc welding due to its lower efficiency and higher cost.

Can you describe the role of welding in ancient civilizations, such as Egypt?

Welding played a significant role in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, where it was used to repair and reinforce metal objects. The Egyptians used a process similar to modern gas welding, where they used a flame to heat the metal and then applied pressure to fuse the metal together.

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Welding Through History: Historical events that dawn the new age

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Modern metal fabrication would be impossible without welding, but did you know that the first forms of welding are related to ancient times? Have you ever wondered who invented welding or what was the first welding process?

We made this extensive article to explain how welding through history evolved and became one of the essential parts of the industry and our hobbies.

So, fasten your seatbelt; We are about to go through time!

What Was The History Behind Welding?

The history of humankind is closely related to the discovery of metals, progressing from copper, bronze, silver, gold, and iron. Finally, the ancestors started wondering whether you could join the two pieces of metal, so they started forming and shaping metals, leading to the first traces of metalworking.

The earliest forms of welding originate from the Bronze Age . First, people decided to try and join two pieces of metal to create jewelry, dining utensils, and weapons.

So they’ve put together two pieces of metal, with an overlapping pattern on top, then used heating, hammering, or pressed surfaces together, which led to success.

The discovery of iron was a significant milestone in the history of humankind . The new metal was much stronger than copper, but iron was difficult to process.

So during this period, Egyptians and the people in the eastern Mediterranean mastered shaping it. First, they used charcoal-generated heat to turn iron ore into direct reduced iron , also called sponge iron. Afterward, they hammered the product into different shapes, most commonly weapons.

Approximately around 1500 BC, there were instances of iron smelting , which became more common in 1200 BC. Later on, Egyptians started making iron tools and even more powerful weapons . After that, iron joining and welding became popular across the globe, as various civilizations used it for sculptures such as ones in Delhi, India, Sui Dynasty in China, and all across Europe.

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The Medieval era intensified the importance of metalworking . The noblemen were expected to iron armor and fine blades and maintain warhorses, leading to the origin of blacksmithing.

Blacksmiths mastered the art of heating metals to create metallic items , which made them respected members of society. These elite tradesmen served as inspiration for inventors who later came up with the foundation of the modern welding processes we know today.

When Was Welding Invented?

During the middle of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution transformed the economy from agriculture and handcrafts into a large-scale industry, mechanized manufacturing, and factory system.

The new orientation required modern solutions. As a result, blast furnaces were a groundbreaking discovery in metalworking .

In 1800, Sir Humphry Davy created the first arc between two carbon electrodes using a car battery.

This discovery is credited as a foundation of modern welding , but the process we recognize as welding today didn’t arise until 1881 .

Who Invented Welding?

We can’t credit a single person for inventing the welding, as it was perfected through the years by several scientists and inventors.

As mentioned above, in 1800, Sir Humphrey Davy invented the electric arc , and Edmund Davy of England was credited with the discovery of acetylene in 1837 . However, acetylene was not practical in welding until approximately the 1900s.

After that , in 1881, Auguste De Meritenes used the heat of an arc to join lead plates for storage batteries, but his pupil Nikolai N. Benardos was granted the first patent for welding . Thus, 1881 is the year welding, as we know, was used in practice .

With his fellow Russian, Stanislaus Olszewski, Nikolai secured a British welding patent in 1885 and an American welding patent in 1887 .

The patents show a design for an electrode holder, which was the beginning of carbon arc welding, the first-ever welding process.

Later on, welding processes advanced rapidly. First, Nikolai Slavynov figured out how to use metal electrodes for welding. Following this, C.L. Coffin, an American engineer, discovered an arc welding process and became the precursor of shielded metal arc welding.

When Was Arc Welding Invented?

C.L. Coffin of Detroit was awarded the first U.S. patent for the arc welding process in 1890 . He was a pioneer of welding in the U.S., credited for creating the first bare electrode. To make a weld, he used the metal that melted from the electrode, which was carried across the arc and deposited into a joint.

Unaware of his fellow scientist’s work, a Russian Nikolay Slavyanov presented the same idea of transferring metal across an arc . However, compared to his colleague’s work, the cast metal was transferred in a mold. Still, the year 1888 is milestoned as a discovery of Stick/Arc welding . However, the first electrodes were bare, resulting in poor arc performance.

To deal with this issue, scientists started working on coated electrodes. Approximately 1900, Strohmenger introduced a coated metal electrode . The coating was fragile and made of clay or lime but still provided a more stable arc. Then, between 1907 and 1914, Oscar Kjellberg of Sweden within the company ESAB (Elektriska Svetsnings-AtkieBolaget) coated electrode by dipping bare iron wire in thick mixtures of carbonates and silicates.

The Arc welding industry in the U.S. starts with two companies. The Siegmund-Wienzell Electric Welding Co. and  Enderlein Electric Welding Co.

More on Arc welding here.

When Was Resistance Welding Invented?

In 1885, American engineer and inventor Elihu Thomson originated resistance welding. The processes included spot welding, seam welding, projection welding, and flash butt welding. His patents dated from 1885-1900.

In 1903, Goldschmidt invented thermite welding , which originated from Goldschmidt’s chemical process.

The scientist used the chemical process to extract metals by reducing the oxide with aluminum powder, but he soon realized how useful it could be in welding. For example, thermite welding was widely used to weld railroad rails.

Who Invented Gas Welding and Cutting?

Even though Edmund Davy of England was credited with discovering acetylene in 1837 , the gas was useless in welding and cutting. Gas welding and cutting were perfected during 1900.

The first blowpipe or torch used to supply oxygen or liquefying air was introduced in 1887 . However, the torch was used only for hydrogen and coal gas, combined with oxygen.

In approximately 1900, a torch suitable for use with low-pressure acetylene was developed , making the breakthrough in gas welding and cutting.

The invention of gas welding played a significant part in the shipbuilding and aerospace industry of the 20th century. Welding increased productivity and reduced the weight and time required to build a ship. In addition, gas welding was cheap, and the heat was moderate so that the thin plates wouldn’t bend when joining.

What Was The First Welding Company?

After acknowledging the importance of welding in the years to come, Lincoln Electric entered the welding industry in 1907 . The Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland, Ohio, manufactured electric motors back in 1895, but in 1907 they built the first variable voltage DC welding machine .

A welding set was first made by the Lincoln brothers in 1909 . In 1911, Lincoln Electric introduced the world’s first commercial variable voltage, single operator, portable welding machine.

Later on, James F. Lincoln realized that training people would leave a lasting impression on these would-be future welders. That’s why in 1917, the company founded the Lincoln Electric Welding School , which represented the start of the training process.

Was Titanic Welded or Riveted?

In the 21st century, ship plates are welded together using oxyacetylene torches. The Titanic was built between 1911 and 1912 , but unfortunately, the gas welding technique was not perfected by that time. That’s why Titanic’s overlapping steel hull plates were held together by rivets that were hammered in by hand .

However, plate joints weren’t responsible for the sinkage . Furthermore, later studies showed that the steel used to build a hull was significantly inferior to today’s steel. For example, the steel was ten times more brittle than modern steel when tested at the freezing temperature that the ship dealt with.

Another victim of the brittle fracture was the ship SS Schenectady .  In 1943, the haul of the vessel cracked nearly in half, just aft of the superstructure. Defective welding was the most common explanation for this incident. However, later research showed that low-grade steel was responsible.

Welding During WWI

By WWI, spot welding, resistance welding, and seam welding were being done. The tremendous demand for armament production and welding was pressed into service as the many companies around America and Europe started growing.

Due to economics, gas welding was the most used process . In addition, welders had to deal with an unstable electric arc, which either wouldn’t endure or start by touching anything literally. That’s why welding was considered an experimental method during WWI.

However, during the WWI period, welding was only used for structural elements of ships, while the armor was still riveted.

That’s why the Little Willie , the first tank ever built, used pressed steel plates that were riveted . Using the bolts to join armor allowed the armor plates to be removed and replaced easily.

In addition, backing materials could catch splinters, though this was less important by WWII, thanks to changes in armor metallurgy. To prevent an arms race after WWI, The Washingon Naval Treaty was signed. In November 1921 , representatives agreed to limit the construction of battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers . However, the production wasn’t limited by numbers but by weight of 10,000 tons displacement. In addition, the treaty resulted in increased use of welding in shipbuilding .

Welding the ship plates resulted in fewer rivets and bolts, which reduced the overall weight of the ships. Thus, manufacturers could add more arms following the treaty margins by welding in shipbuilding without surpassing the treaty guidelines.

Welding Inventions During The 1920s

World War I bestowed the world with the importance of welding, which resulted in increased popularity and many essential breakthroughs.

By the 1920s, electric arc welding was the most used process. However, inconsistent arc resulted in poor welds and cracks. As a result, oxyfuel welding was more popular, but after the invention of shielded electrodes, it was replaced by arc welding.

In 1919 , immediately after the war, 20 members of the Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, under the leadership of Comfort Avery Adams, founded the American Welding Society , commonly known as AWS.

The AWS was the first nonprofit organization whose work was dedicated to the improvement of welding. In addition, C.J Holslag invented alternating current in 1920 , but the invention didn’t become popular before the 1930s.

Automatic Welding Invention

In 1920, P.O. Nobel of the General Electric Company invented automatic welding . Automatic welding operated on direct current and utilized bare electrode wire to build worn motor shafts and crane wheels.

In addition, automated welding used arc voltage to regulate the feed rate in the automobile industry to produce rear axle housing.

Later on, in the 1930s, submerged arc became a popular automated welding process . National Tube Company for a pipe mill at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, perfected this smothered arc welding process.

The process was designed to make longitudinal seams in the pipe. Robinoff patented the submerged arc welding process in 1930 , which was later sold to Linder Air Products Company.

Shielding Gas Research

With the increased popularity of welding, inventors had to deal with brittle and sometimes porous welds. In addition, the nature of the atmosphere caused oxygen and nitrogen to affect the sturdiness of molten metal that was forming the weld.

Noticeable research in shielding the arc and weld area was done during the 1920s . Scientists Alexander and Langmuir worked in chambers where they used hydrogen as a welding atmosphere . The hydrogen was changed into atomic hydrogen, shielding the arc, finally resulting in atomic hydrogen welding . However, this process was used only in particular applications.

Nevertheless, working in specific welding atmospheres inspired other inventors. That’s why H.M. Hobart and P.K. Devers used argon and helium welding atmospheres to do the research. The research resulted in a 1926 patent, where arc welding utilized external gas supplied around the arc . This patent was a pioneer of the GTAW process . In addition, researchers also used a concentric nozzle with the constant electrode feed, which was a forerunner of the GMAW welding process .

What Was The First Welded Ship?

Welding had been introduced in American ships before 1918, although none had an entirely welded hull. Riveted ships were solid and durable, but riveted hulls had drawbacks. The time needed to align steel plates, drill holes for rivets, and set and drive home the bolts was significant.

The M/S Carolinian was the first entirely-welded commercial vessel in the world. The ship was built by Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Company and finished in 1930.

Welded construction and internal combustion engines became the foundation of modern shipbuilding, allowing the Carolinian to be the first genuinely modern merchant ship.

The garbage lighter (YG-16) was the Navy’s first ship to be built with an all-welded hull . The ship would go by many names but was often referred to as the “Honey Barge.” In 1930 at the New York Navy Yard, stud welding was developed. The process was mainly perfected for attaching wood decking over a metal surface. That’s why stud welding became popular in the shipbuilding and construction industries.

Poughkeepsie Socony is one of the initial units in the Soeony-Vacuum Oil Company’s $5,000,000 shipbuilding program. Socony was the largest all-welded merchant vessel ever built in 1934 in the United States and probably worldwide.

The First Welded Bridge

The first welded bridge was a small railway bridge built in Turtle Creek 1927 in Pennsylvania , designed and made as a plate girder structure. The second (also railway) welded bridge was constructed in Chicopee Falls (in 1928) in Massachusetts .

However, if confronted with present requirements, the quality of the welded joints in the firstly built bridges is relatively low. Yet, considering the level of welding techniques in the late 1920s, the assessment should be positive.

Most highway bridges in the US were built in the 1950s and 60s after President Eisenhower’s Federal Highway Act . During the 1950s, arc welding was used increasingly in the fabrication and erection of highway bridges. However, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates one in four is considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete of those bridges. 

What Is The First Welded Building?

The first all-welded multistory buildings were a series of factories for the Westinghouse Company . Starting in 1920, the welded rigid frame became a new structural type for medium spans, but the widespread use of welding did not come until after 1945.

The Upper Carnegie Building in Cleveland was the first commercial building wholly constructed from arc-welded steel . Lincoln Electric company, with an architectural firm, completed the first commercial building in 1928.

Pipeline Welding Evolution

Early pipelines in the United States were installed to carry manufactured gas for gas lighting purposes in major cities. These systems appeared early in the 19th century. After oil was discovered in Pennsylvania in 1858, a new use for pipe and pipelines soon arose.

In the 1920s, pipeline construction increased distinctly as natural gas was discovered in the Great Plains. The first electric-resistance-welded pipe emerged in 1924 . Next, the first large-diameter seamless pipe (up to 24 inches) appeared in 1925. Finally, in 1927 the process of making pipe with electric-flash-welded seams was introduced . All three of these products proved to be superior to the earlier furnace butt-welded and furnace lap-welded techniques.

In the decade after World War II (1946 to 1956), many large pipeline systems were constructed. As a result, the submerged-arc weld process for making longitudinal seams became the most common means of making large-diameter pipe .

However, by 1948, this process was superseded by the double submerged-arc process . In the 1960s, steel making underwent further significant improvements, pipe manufacturing technology continued to evolve.

Female Welders During The WWII

Not so long after WWII, the world was called to arms once again. Once the U.S. became involved in WWII after Pearl Harbor, thousands of capable men left their jobs. With so many job openings, the women of America stepped up to the plate to prove themselves.

Rosie the Riveter was an allegorical cultural icon of World War II , representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards. Rosie the Riveter inspired a social movement that increased the number of working American women from 12 million to 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940.

Aside from Rosie, the most widely used name was “Winnie the Welder.” The idea possibly first appeared in a comedy routine offered by entertainer Jack Marshall.

Marshall debuted a catchy tune called “Winnie the Welder, Queen of the Smelter, Defense Plant No. 9.” The phrase gained popularity, and “ Winnie the Welder” sometimes accompanied “Rosie” in newspaper coverage.

The first women in shipyards tackled simple jobs like scaling or tacking. Soon enough, women became an essential part of the industry in the US.

With a distinctive helmet, the woman welder symbolized a changing world . Winnie the Welder became a familiar figure, appearing in advertisements, recruiting posters, and cartoons . But over time, her stature in popular imagination dimmed.

Brief History of TIG Welding

C.L. Coffin’s idea of welding in a non-oxidizing atmosphere which was patented in 1890 , inspired scientists. H.M.Hobart and P.K Devers utilized the concept to work in helium and argon-based welding atmospheres.

The weld quality they have achieved due to the shielding gas used was perfect for welding magnesium, stainless steel, and aluminum. However, the latest TIG welding process was perfected in 1941, patented by Meredith , who worked for Northrop Aircraft Corporation in Southern California, and named Heliarc welding .

An enormous success gave the American industry the ability to build ships, airplanes, and other products faster than ever before in human history.

Linde company developed the first TIG welding machines and sold various torches, parts, and consumables. These massive units weighed hundreds of pounds, but technological progress made them smaller. Then, in the 1970s, the Miller corporation introduced the square waveform feature that allowed for better control of amperage.

To learn more on TIG welding jump to these articles : ( 1 ), ( 2 )

Brief History Of MIG Welding

Under the sponsorship of the Air Reduction Company, Battelle Memorial Institute perfected the GMAW welding process in 1948.

The new welding process was similar to recently discovered TIG welding, but the inventors replaced the tungsten electrode with a continuously fed electrode wire.

As a result, smaller-diameter electrodes and constant voltage power sources increased versatility, while argon shielding gas improved the weld quality. This principle was patented earlier by H.E. Kennedy.

Scientists Lyubavskii and Novoshilov made a significant breakthrough in 1953 by introducing consumable electrodes and a CO2 welding atmosphere . CO2 welding gained tremendous popularity since it utilized inert gas metal arc equipment, but it was a much more economical option in welding steel.

In late 1958 and early 1959, inventors developed the short-circuit arc variation , also known as micro-wire, short-arc, and dip transfer welding. Later on, in the 1960s, experimenters introduced a spray-arc transfer and pulsed current . As a result, a new method called pulsed spray-arc arose.

To learn more on MIG welding you read this article

Flux-core Electrodes Invention

After introducing the CO2 gas into welding, inventors went even further. To ensure the best weld quality, experimenters introduced shielded electrodes to work alongside shielding gas. The tubular inside-outside electrode featured fluxing agents inside and the shielding gas outside, so the whole process was called Dualshield. The Dualshield process was invented by Bernard and announced in 1954 and patented in 1957.

Further research introduced an inside-outside electrode that didn’t require external gas shielding. Finally, in 1959, Innershield electrodes were presented and gained popularity.

Welding Processes of 20th Century

In 1958, the Soviets announced the Electroslag welding process . However, the process has been widely used in the Soviet Union since 1951. Nevertheless, the idea is based on the work of R.K. Hopkins , who got patents in 1940.

A variation of Electroslag welding was introduced in 1961 by the Arcos Corporation . The Electrogas welding process utilized the same equipment as Electroslag welding, but external shielding gas and flux-core electrode was introduced.

In 1957, Gage introduced the plasma arc welding process . The plasma arc heat was significantly higher than the tungsten arc temperature.

J.A. Stohr of the French Atomic Energy Commission introduced the electron beam welding process in 1957 . The method uses a focused beam of electrons as a heat source. Electron beam welding was found essential to use in the aircraft engine and automotive industries of the US.

Welding Codes And Standards

Numerous committees have been developed over the years within national engineering and technical societies that continue to evaluate industry needs and create new welding codes and standards. As a result, various welded components’ design and fabrication are administered by codes and standards.

American Welding Society , American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and American Petroleum Institute are   some of the more popular sources of welding codes and standards found in the USA.

In 1976, AWS published AWS D1, the must-have welding code for every welder . The principle dictates the requirements for design, procedures, qualifications, fabrication, inspection, and repair of steel structures made of tubes, plates, and structural shapes subject to static or cyclic loading. All the codes are updated to suit the guidelines of the modern industry.

New Welding Technologies in Welding Industry

In the 21st century, welding has become one of the essential trades in the industry. Following the rise of popularity, various researchers and inventors are still working on perfecting new gear, welding processes, and technologies.

As a result, welding machines are technologically advanced, while welding has become even easier to perfect. Even though inventors introduced various welding processes over time, Stick, MIG, and TIG welding are widely used. Combined with Plasma cutting, many small autobody shops, farm, and minor repair businesses arose.

On the other hand, to increase productivity and reduce costs, the industry is still perfecting welding. As a result, we have new welding technologies, robotic welding, and improved protective equipment .

Laser Welding Technology Improvements

Laser welding is one of the unique types of welding processes that was recently inaugurated. Powerful lasers instantly melt and join metals together. For example, lab research showed that powerful lasers could immediately weld 50mm thick steel.

However, technology is still facing some issues. Now, lasers are still dealing with energy efficiency, requiring significantly more power to weld thicker materials.

Nevertheless, laser welding found substantial use in the automated car manufacturing industry. Still, the idea around laser welding will for sure be a hot topic in years to come.

Robotic and Automated Welding Improvements

Even though General Motors introduced the first automatic welder robot in 1962 , the technology continues to grow. In addition, robotic welding is now considered to be more cost-effective.

The robotic welding market is estimated to reach an overall value of $5.95 billion by 2023 . The most significant growth is expected to occur in China, India, South Korea, and Japan in the Asia Pacific region.

More on robotic welding here

Personal Protective Equipment Improvements

International Agency for Research on Cancer categorized UV radiation of welding and welding fumes as Group 1 Carcinogens in 2017 . That’s why many companies that produce PPE started making improvements.

Leading companies introduced protective gear that can filter out fumes and extremely light, ultra-fine dust particles resulting from welding. As a result, advanced filters and welding respirators allow welders to avoid carcinogens, ensuring long periods of safe welding.

Virtual Reality in Welding Training and Research

Even though Virtual Reality is primarily associated with video games, the technology found use in modern industries, such as welding, shipbuilding, and construction.

Designers can use VR goggles to inspect physically virtual prototypes. As a result, they can easily make modifications, which speeds up the construction significantly.

Novice welders can also use VR to learn the basics. VR helps students to experience hands-on welding while ensuring safety at the workplace.

Welding Through History Summarized

Not long after discovering the first metals, people felt the urge to shape and join them to create tools and weapons. Egyptians mastered smelting iron, which they used to make tools and weapons, but the importance of metalworking intensified in the medieval era.

Soon after the industrial revolution, Sir Humphry Davy created the first arc between two carbon electrodes in 1800 and set the ground for modern welding. However, the welding we know today was introduced in 1881, when Auguste De Meritenes used the heat of an arc to join lead plates for storage batteries. However, his pupil Nikolai N. Benardos was granted the first patent. After that, new welding processes were perfected.

C.L. Coffin of Detroit was awarded the first U.S. patent for the arc welding process in 1890. However, the year 1888 is milestoned as a discovery of Stick welding with Nikolai Slavynov.

In 1885, American engineer and inventor Elihu Tohompsom originated resistance welding, while Edmund Davy of England discovered acetylene in 1837. In 1903, Goldschmidt invented thermite welding. 

After WWI, in 1920, P.O. Nobel of the General Electric Company invented automatic welding, and significant research into shielding gases was done.

The GTAW welding process was perfected in 1941, patented by Meredith, who worked for Northrop Aircraft Corporation in Southern California, and named Heliarc welding. The process was based on H.M.Hobart and P.K Devers research. They utilized the concept to work in helium and argon-based welding atmospheres.

Under the sponsorship of the Air Reduction Company, Battelle Memorial Institute perfected the GMAW welding process in 1948. Scientists Lyubavskii and Novoshilov made a significant breakthrough in 1953 by introducing consumable electrodes and a CO2 welding atmosphere.

The Dualshield process was invented by Bernard and announced in 1954 and patented in 1957. Further research introduced flux-shielded electrodes in 1959.

In the 21st century, welding has become one of the essential trades in the industry. As a result, we have new welding technologies, robotic welding, VR in welding, and improved protective equipment.

Welding History Timeline and Important Dates

• The History of Welding by Miller https://www.millerwelds.com/resources/article-library/the-history-of-welding
• Welding timeline by History of welding organization http://www.weldinghistory.org/whfolder/folder/whpre1800.html
• Company history by Lincoln Electric https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en/about-us
• American Welding Society History https://www.aws.org/about/page/aws-history
• The Steel that Sank the Titanic by ShapeCut Steel https://www.shapecut.com.au/the-steel-that-sank-the-titanic-2/
• Evolution of Pipeline Welding by American Petroleum Institute https://www.api.org/~/media/files/oil-and-natural-gas/ppts/other-files/decadefinal.pdf?la=en
• Welding and World War One by Everlast https://www.everlastgenerators.com/blog/welding-and-world-war-one
• Meet Winnie the Welder by Heinz History Center https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/women-forging-the-way-meet-winnie-the-welder/
• The Welding of Steel Bridges in Past and Today by Zbigniew Mirski, Józef Rabiega, Zbigniew Fałek https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/912366.pdf
• Building Bridgest by Welding Productivity https://weldingproductivity.com/article/building-bridges/
• History of Welding in Shipbuilding by Tulsa Welding School https://www.tws.edu/blog/shipfitting/history-of-welding-in-shipbuilding/
• The construction of a ‘traditional’ occupation: welding, 1900-1960 by Alistair Mutch of The Nottingham Trent University https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30639558.pdf
• History of MIG welding by TWI https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/job-knowledge/mig-welding-004
• History of TIG welding by Primeweld https://primeweld.com/blogs/news/the-evolution-of-tig-welding
• Recent trends in welding industry by Vern Lewis https://vernlewis.com/recent-trends-in-welding-technology/

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The invention and technical production of welding is one of the most critical steps in metal fabrication and development as a modern society. The origins of welding date back thousands of years, with significant developments made across many continents. Welding is the original technique for humans to fuse metals together, leading to the production of utensils, jewelry, weapons, transportation, and more.

Welding in the bronze and iron ages

The history of fusing metals through welding goes back as far as 3000 B.C. when humans first started working with bronze. The oldest known examples of welding are small golden boxes that date back to the Bronze age over 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found jewelry, dining utensils, and weapons from this time period. In 3000 B.C., Egyptians used charcoal to pressure-weld swords, and in 1500 B.C., iron smelting became more common.

Throughout the Middle East, tools and weapons dating back to the Iron Age have been found, made in approximately 1000 B.C. Welders have fused metals like copper, bronze, silver, gold, and iron over thousands of years. Over time, metalworking then progressed to welding steel.

During the Sui Dynasty, Chinese metalworkers discovered how to turn iron into steel in 589 A.D. At about the same time, Japanese metalworkers developed Samurai swords through welding and forging steel.

Welding in the middle ages

During the Middle Ages, blacksmithing was developed and iron became an available material for creating welded metal objects. Specifically, the middle ages brought advances in forge welding , which is still practiced by modern blacksmiths to forge swords and knives.

In 1540, Italian metallurgist Vannoccio Biringuccio published De la pirotechnia , the first printed book on metallurgy, which includes descriptions of smelting and forging iron. Blacksmithing and forge welding continued to grow during the Renaissance.

Blacksmiths were central to the middle ages, often setting up their blacksmith shop, also known as a smithy, in the center of their village. Blacksmiths forge-welded weapons, and also made nails, furniture, locks, horseshoes, and armor. With this practical skill, blacksmiths became essential to any village, providing tools for protection, transportation, home goods, and more.

Welding in the 19th-20th centuries

During the Industrial Revolution, more modern welding techniques were developed. The discovery of the production of an arc between two carbon electrodes using a battery is credited to chemist Sir Humphry Davy in 1800. In 1802, Russian scientist Vasily Petrov created the stable electric arc, which enabled metalworkers to melt metals. Edmund Davy, who is Humphry Davy’s cousin, has been credited with discovering acetylene in 1836. These discoveries led to the invention of the electric generator, gas welding and cutting, and more stable arc welding in the mid-19th century.

World War I caused a major increase in the use of welding, with developments in the production of weapons and transportation across the world. Arc welding was popular in building ships and airplanes by England and Germany. Automatic welding was introduced in 1920, which feeds an electrode wire continuously through the welding machine. New welding gases were also used in the 1900’s, with the intention of protecting welds from effects of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmospheres, preventing rusty and brittle welds.

During the middle of the century, many new welding methods were invented, from stud welding to underwater welding. Gas tungsten arc welding, after decades of development, was safer and more common beginning in 1941, allowing welders to fuse different types of nonferrous metals.

Modern day welding

Over thousands of years of technical and practical developments, welding has advanced significantly to become more accurate, fast, and effective. There are over 90 welding processes in existence, and these methods are constantly being developed with new research in the nuclear, space, transportation, and shipbuilding industries.

Modern welding techniques have evolved to offer better performance, rooted in safety and sustainably built products. Contemporary inspection techniques have improved defects or imperfections, setting a standard for safety and craftsmanship.

If you are interested in working in welding as a career, there are a number of certifications and licenses offered that employers may require. American Welding Society (AWS) sets the modern-day standard for the American welding industry, AWS offers a certification, which tests welders to perform certain work based on their practical experience, qualifications, and the ability to weld specific tests.

Welding history FAQs

When was welding invented.

The first examples of welding found by archaeologists date back to 3000 B.C. The ancient process of welding typically involved simply hammering two pieces of metal together under heat until they joined. Technically speaking, conventional welding as we know it today was invented in 1836 when English chemist Edmund Davy discovered acetylene gas.

Who invented welding?

During the Iron Age, Egyptians first learned how to weld pieces of iron together. Archaeological evidence of early Egyptian welding dates back to 3000 B.C. In 1881, Russian inventor Nikolay Benardos introduced carbon arc welding, which was the first practical arc welding method of its time.

Where was welding invented?

Different types of welding can be traced back to many locations over thousands of years. Archaeologists have found the oldest examples of welding in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. Significance advancements in modern welding can be traced to Russia and England.

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The History of Welding

With all the power and precision machinery involved in production welding, you might think of welding as a relatively new process. In reality, welding has been around for thousands of years. Early examples of welding have been found in locations ranging from Ireland to India, with some dating back to the Bronze Age. Naturally, these civilizations lacked the vast array of tools and machinery that welders have access to now. How did they manage to weld?

The process they used is known as forge welding . To start the process, blacksmiths would heat the metal until it was bright red in color (but still not at its melting point). The blacksmiths would then place the two pieces, slightly overlapping, on an anvil and pound them together. Forge welding has multiple limitations. Only relatively s­oft metals can be forge welded, and the process is very labor intensive. In places without electricity , however, the process is still used.

Forge welding was the only game in town until the 19th century. With the onset of the industrial revolution, however, numerous discoveries pushed welding forward fast. Research on electricity yielded electrodes and electric arcs. Rudimentary torches were developed by mid-century as well. Both discoveries would play heavily into the welding methods of the next century.

­By the late 1800s, many of the pieces were in place to make welding a driving force in manufacturing. Still, the methods of this era weren't perfect. Oxidation (the process of metals bonding to the oxygen particles in the atmosphere) occurred during the welding process and made welds porous and brittle. Such welds posed a grave risk to workers. During the period from 1895 to 1905, for instance, poorly made boilers exploded daily, causing thousands of deaths in the process [source: Sapp]. Clearly there was an urgent need for better welding methods. Over the next few sections, we'll learn more about those new and improved methods, starting with a closer look at the tools of the trade.

Diver welders routinely repair ships and oil rigs, typically using arc welding (negating the use of a flame). Space welding sits at the other end of the spectrum. The vacuum of space creates an ideal environme­nt for welding, since there are no gases to interact with the welding site. Space welding makes massive undertakings like the International Space Station possible.

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The History of Welding (Background and Timeline of Events)

Welding is a process for joining materials by using a high heat to melt parts together. The materials, usually metals or thermoplastics , fuse together as they cool. As a process, it is distinct from brazing and soldering , which are lower temperature processes that do not involve the melting of the base material – but when did welding start?

Welding can be traced back over thousands of years, with archaeological evidence dating back to around 3,000 B.C. in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. These earliest forms of welding involved hammering two pieces of metal together under heat until they joined.

Versions of this type of forge welding continued for thousands of years until the 19 th Century and the discovery of acetylene gas, in 1836 by English chemist Edmund Davy, led to the later creation of modern conventional welding and, in 1881, Russian inventor Nikolay Bernados introduced carbon arc welding, which became the first practical arc welding process.

Prior to these nineteenth century developments, forge welding was the only welding process, with blacksmiths using heat and hammering to join metals such as iron and steel. While the late 19 th Century saw the development of oxy-fuel and arc welding, it was in the 20 th Century that welding technologies really advanced, driven by the needs of the two world wars to find reliable and inexpensive joining techniques.

Following the end of the Second World War, a number of modern welding methods were created, including shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, flux-cored arc welding and electroslag welding . These were later joined by laser beam welding, electron beam welding, magnetic pulse welding, and friction stir welding in the latter half of the century. Today’s welding techniques also include robotic welding , which is frequently used in industrial settings.

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Welding Etymology

When was welding invented, history of welding (timeline of events), how welding has changed over the years.

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Clues about the background of welding can be gained by looking at the roots of the English word itself, which has its roots in Scandinavia. Although some may think that ‘weld’ comes from the Old English word ‘weald,’ this actually referred to a forested area and became the modern English word ‘wild.’ The Old English for iron welding was ‘samod,’ which means ‘to bring together,’ or ‘samodwellung,’ which means ‘to bring together hot.’

However, weld actually comes from the later Middle English verb ‘well’ (wæll) or ‘welling’ (wællen), which means 'to heat' (to the maximum possible temperature) or 'to bring to a boil'. The past-tense participle of this verb is ‘welled’ (wællende). It was first recorded in a version of the Christian Bible from 1590 that had been translated into English by John Wycliffe. The original English version, taken from Isaiah 2:4, read, "...thei shul bete togidere their swerdes into shares..." (they shall beat together their swords into plowshares), but Wycliffe’s fourteenth century version was changed to, "...thei shullen welle togidere her swerdes in-to scharris..." (they shall weld together their swords into plowshares).

As with a great many English words, the root of the word ‘well’ goes back to Scandinavia and the Vikings (in this case Swedish) with their word ‘valla,’ meaning to boil. Although Sweden was a large exporter of iron during the Middle Ages valla was only used in relation to joining metals when used alongside the word for iron (järn), as in valla järn ('to boil iron').

Of course, other languages had their own words for welding (or ‘boiling’) iron, including the Illyrian (Greek) word ‘variti,’ the Turkish ‘kaynamak,’ the  Grison (Swiss) ‘bulgir,’ and the Lettish (Latvian) word ‘sawdrit’ (meaning 'to weld or solder', which was derived from ‘wdrit,’ again meaning 'to boil').

Since the history of joining metals goes back several thousand years, it is pretty much impossible to know who was the first person to invent welding. Early examples of welding date back to the Bronze Age (from around 2,000 B.C. to 700 B.C.) and the Iron Age (from between 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C) in Europe and the Middle East, but there is evidence of welding in Egypt going back to around 3,000 B.C.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus claimed, in his ‘The Histories’ from the 5th Century B.C., that Glaucus of Chios “single-handedly invented iron welding,” although it is unlikely that he was actually the world’s first welder.

Regardless of who was actually the first person to use welding to join metals, there were many advances in forge welding during the Middle Ages (around 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.), when blacksmiths would beat heated metal to form a bond and create all manner of items, including decorative pieces, tools and weapons. By 1540 A.D., Vannoccio Biringuccio published his ‘De La Pirotechnia,’ which included descriptions of forging as, by this time in Europe (the Renaissance), craftsmen had become skilled in the process.

The beginning of what was to become modern welding can be traced back to the discovery of the short-pulse electrical arc by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1800, with the results being published in 1801. Elsewhere, Russian scientist Vasily Petrov created the continuous electric arc in 1802, publishing the results of his experiments in ‘News of Galvanic-Voltaic Experiments’ in 1803. In the description of his results, Petrov wrote of a stable arc discharge, indicating that it could have numerous uses, including for melting metals. Humphrey Davy, meanwhile, unaware of Petrov’s work, rediscovered the continuous electric arc in 1808, but it wasn’t until 1881-82 that it was used for welding, when the Russian, Nikolai Bernados and the Pole, Stanislaw Olszewski created the world’s first electric arc welding technique, carbon arc welding, with the use of carbon electrodes. The associated patent officially made this invention the first welding machine.

 Over the ensuing decades there were numerous advances in welding technology as well as developments to existing processes. To provide a full picture of how welding has developed over the years, it is worth providing a timeline of events…

The history of welding goes back thousands of years, but really started to pick-up pace in the latter years of the 19th Century with what could be considered the advent of modern welding techniques.

Circa 3000 B.C.

Evidence from ancient Egypt shows people working with bronze, using charcoal to pressure weld swords and other items.

Circa 1500 B.C.

Evidence shows that early iron smelting begins.

Circa 1000 B.C.

Archaeologists have uncovered welding on small golden boxes dating from this period as well as jewellery, dining utensils and weapons. These items were made from bronze, copper, gold, iron and silver.

Chinese metalworkers from the Sui Dynasty discover how to turn iron into steel. Around this time Japanese metalworkers weld and forge steel to create Samurai swords.

The Middle Ages (Circa 500 to 1500 A.D.)

This period, which began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, saw blacksmithing spread across nations to make a range of welded metal objects. Advances in forge welding allowed for the production of a range of different objects, including horseshoes, locks, nails, furniture, weapons and armour. As a result, the blacksmith’s forge became the centre of many settlements, providing essential tools and items for everyday living, protection and transportation.

Italian metallurgist, Vannoccio Biringuccio publishes the first printed book on metallurgy, ‘De La Pirotechnia,’ which includes descriptions of forge welding and smelting.

1500-1800 A.D.

This period, covering The Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment leading to the Modern Age, saw welding continue pretty much as it had for centuries, but things would change dramatically with the Industrial Revolution.

Chemist, Sir Humphrey Davy discovers the production of an arc between two carbon electrodes using a battery.

Russian scientist, Vasily Petrov creates a stable electric arc, which leads to the later invention of the electric generator and arc lighting. This discovery also allows metalworkers to use the arc to melt metals, creating the foundations of  arc welding .

Humphry Davy’s cousin, Edmund Davy is credited with discovering acetylene, which was important in the later development of gas welding and cutting. It took the invention of a suitable torch in around 1900 for this welding process to become practical.

Working at the Cabot Laboratory in France, Auguste de Meritens joined lead plates for storage batteries using the heat from an arc. However, it was his Russian student, Nikolai N Benardos, who was also working at the laboratory, who secured a patent for welding. Benardos and fellow Russian, Stanislaus Olszewski, went on to secure patents in Britain (1885) and America (1887). These patents showed an early electrode holder and marked the beginning of carbon arc welding, which went on to become popular into the early 1900s.

Elihu Thompson receives patents for  resistance welding , before going on to advance the technique over the next 15 years with a series of further patents.

1888-1890 A.D.

The final years of the 19th Century saw the invention of metal electrodes. Firstly by Russian, Nikolai Slavyanov (1888) and then by the American, C L Coffin (1890), who was unaware of Slavyanov’s invention two years earlier. The difference between these two breakthroughs is that Slavyanov’s method was designed to cast metal into a mold, while Coffin used the melted metal from the electrode to fill a joint to make a weld.

Thermite welding  is invented and then patented in 1895 by German chemist Hans Goldschmidt as  oxy-fuel welding  also becomes established as a welding process. Due to the relatively low cost and portability of the technique, Oxy-fuel welding becomes one of the most popular welding methods of the earlier 20th Century. However, it goes on to be largely replaced by arc welding due to advances in flux to shield the base material from impurities and stabilise the arc.

In around 1900, A P Strohmenger, working in Britain, released a metal electrode coated in clay or lime, which provided a more stable arc.

Russian scientist, Vladimir Mitkevich proposes the use of a three-phase electric arc for welding.

1907-1914 A.D.

Oscar Kjellberg of Sweden invents a covered or coated electrode by dipping short lengths of iron wire into mixtures of carbonates and silicates.  During the same period a variety of resistance welding processes are developed, including  seam welding ,  spot welding , projection welding and flash butt welding.

1914-1918 A.D.

World War I led to an upsurge in the use and development of welding as the Allied and Axis powers tried to determine which welding processes would be best suited to military means. Arc welding was, for example, used by the British to construct the ship, the Fullagar, which had an entirely welded hull. Meanwhile, aircraft manufacture took advantage of welding processes, with German aeroplane fuselages being constructed with welds.

C J Holslag invents alternating current welding, although it took until the 1930s to become popular as heavy-coated electrodes came into wider use. This year also saw the founding of the American Welding Society (AWS). Formed as a non-profit organisation, the AWS was created by 20 members of the Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation under the leadership of Comfort Avery Adams and was dedicated to the advancement of welding and allied processes.

P O Nobel of the General Electric Company invents automatic welding, whereby an electrode wire is fed continuously through a welding machine regulated by arc voltage. The 1920s also saw the investigation of various welding gases to protect welds from oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere, preventing rusty or brittle welds. Alexander and Langmuir used hydrogen in chambers to create a welding atmosphere to shield welds. They also experimented with two electrodes – starting with carbon but changing to tungsten electrodes – and began to use atomic hydrogen in the arc. The atomic hydrogen was blown out of the arc to create a heat that was 50% hotter than an oxyacetylene flame, creating the atomic hydrogen welding process. While this process was primarily used during the 1930s and 1940s it never became popular.

The Institution of Welding Engineers is formed after 20 acetylene welders and electric arc engineers meet at the Holborn Restaurant in London. It was formally registered in February 1923 with the aim to ‘advance and develop the science and practice of welding.’ These humble beginnings marked what would later become today’s Welding Institute and TWI Ltd.

The method for  linear friction welding  was patented in England by W Richter and by H Klopstock in the Soviet Union the same year, before being patented in Germany in 1929.

H M Hobart and P K Devers experimented with argon and helium atmospheres during the early 1920s, applying for patents in 1926 for the use of gas supplied around the arc. This was a forerunner to gas tungsten arc welding. Hobart and Devers also demonstrated the use of a concentric nozzle through which the wire was fed; a process that was to later become gas metal arc welding.

Following debates over the relative advantages of heavy-coated rods versus light-coated rods, Langstroth and Wunder from the A O Smith Company develop heavy-coated electrodes.

The Maurzyce Bridge in Poland becomes the world’s first welded road bridge.

The Lincoln Electric Company begins production of extruded electrode rods. Meanwhile, welding codes begin to appear that require the use of higher-quality weld metals, increasing the use of covered electrodes by the industry.

Stud welding is developed at the New York Navy Yard, where it is used to attach wood decking over a metal surface. Submerged arc welding was also developed in 1930 by the National Tube Company for use at a pipe mill in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. This process used powder or a smothered arc to make longitudinal seams in pipes. The process was patented by Robinoff in this year and then sold to the Linde Air Products Company, who renamed it Unionmelt welding. It became increasingly popular at shipyards and ordnance factories as nations began to build up armaments in 1938. 1930 also saw the launch of the world’s first all-welded merchant vessel, the MS Carolinian in Charleston, South Carolina. The 1930s also saw advances that led to the welding of reactive metals like aluminium and magnesium.

Russian, Konstantin Khrenov develops the first  underwater electric arc welding  process.

1939-1945 A.D.

The outbreak of the Second World War leads to a number of advances for welding history, building and improving on earlier developments. This includes the perfecting of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) in 1941; patented by Russell Meredith and originally named Heliarc welding. This process was later licensed to Linde Air Products who developed the water-cooled torch.

The Battelle Memorial Institute, working under sponsorship from the Air Reduction Company, develops gas metal arc welding (GMAW), also known as metal inert gas (MIG) or metal active gas (MAG) welding. The process used a gas shielded arc similar to that used in gas tungsten arc welding, but replaced the tungsten electrode with a continuously-fed electrode wire. The process was improved through the use of small-diameter electrode wires and a constant voltage power source. The principle had already been patented by H E Kennedy and the process was originally introduced to weld nonferrous metals. Higher deposition rates meant that the process began to be tried for welding steel, however the high cost of inert gas hampered the spread of this technique at the time. It was first patented for aluminium welding in 1949.

Lyubavskii and Novoshilov announce the use of consumable electrodes in a carbon dioxide gas atmosphere, creating CO2 welding. This used much of the same equipment developed for inert gas metal arc welding, but was able to economically weld steels. Over the following years, the diameter of the electrodes being used were reduced, meaning that lower currents could be used. This led to the appearance of short-circuit variants such as micro-wire, short-arc and dip transfer welding in late 1958-1959. These variants meant that all-position welding was now possible on thin materials and became the most popular of the gas metal arc welding processes. Also in 1953, Soviet scientist, N F Kazakov proposes diffusion bonding.

CO2 welding is developed further with the introduction of a special electrode wire, called an inside-outside electrode, which had a tubular cross-section that contained the fluxing agents within. Called Dualshield, this process used both the gas produced by the flux as well as an external shielding gas. Invented by Bernard in 1954, it was patented in 1957 after being reintroduced by the National Cylinder Gas Company.

The first experiments into rotary friction welding take place in the Soviet Union by machinist A J Chdikov and was introduced to the United States in 1960.

Flux cored arc welding  is created, using a self-shielded wire and automatic equipment, greatly increasing welding speeds. Also in 1957, Robert Gage invents  plasma arc welding , using a constricted arc or an arc through an orifice that creates an arc plasma with a higher temperature than tungsten arcs.

Electron beam  welding is developed in France, using a focused beam of electrons as a heat source within a vacuum chamber, although it was first made public by J A Stohr of the French Atomic Energy Commission in November 1957. Electroslag welding is introduced by the Soviets at the Brussels World Fair of 1958. Although it had been used in the Soviet Union since 1951, based on work undertaken by R K Hopkins in the United States (with patents granted in 1940), this process was not much used for joining.  The process was perfected and equipment was developed at the Paton Institute Laboratory in Kiev, Ukraine and at the Welding Research Laboratory in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. It was soon picked up by the Electromotive Division of General Motors in Chicago, who called the process Electro-Molding and used it to manufacture welded diesel engine blocks.

A new inside-outside electrode was produced that didn’t require external gas shielding, named Innershield.

A new welding variation using inert gas and small amounts of oxygen for a spray-type arc transfer is developed. This became popular during the early 1960s as another variation, using a pulsed current is introduced. The laser is also invented in 1960 by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories, leading to the development of laser welding over the following decades.

The Arcos Corporation introduces Electrogas welding, based on  electroslag welding  but using a flux cored electrode wire alongside an externally-supplied shielding gas. This open arc process doesn’t use a slag bath. It was developed further to use self-shielding electrode wires while another variant was created using gas shielding and a solid wire. These methods allowed for the welding of thinner materials than were possible with electroslag welding.  Elsewhere, The Welding Institute begin the first studies into friction welding in the UK.

MTI and Caterpillar Inc. develop an inertia friction welding process in the United States.

Originally invented in the 1940s,  ultrasonic welding  for the joining of thermoplastic materials is patented by Seymour Lindsey and Branson Instruments laboratory manager, Robert Soloff.

Kuka AG and Thompson launch rotary friction welding for industrial applications, before going on to develop a direct-drive process in 1974.

Magnetic pulse welding comes into industrial use.

A team at TWI produce a 2kW laser and use it to demonstrate a deep penetration laser weld, although the work was not published at the time. Scientists in the United States were working on welding with cross-flow lasers around the same time, but their work was not published either. However, lasers would go on to deliver a range of welding applications over the following years.

Originally invented in the Soviet Union by Klimenko,  friction stir welding  is experimentally proven and developed into a commercial technology by Wayne Thomas of TWI, at which point it receives a patent in the UK.

TWI develops the  ClearWeld  method for welding plastics using a layer of infrared absorbing dye between two plastic parts and a laser beam which is absorbed by the dye, heating it up to melt the plastic and creating a join under pressure.

The timeline above is not exhaustive as there have been numerous developments and modifications made to welding processes over the years, with TWI being influential in this field through our welding research work.

Modern welding has developed to be fast, accurate and effective, with over 90 different welding processes now in existence and being used in industries ranging from aerospace to nuclear power, and construction to shipbuilding.

Welding techniques have not only evolved in their effectiveness but also in the levels of safety and sustainability. Modern inspection techniques have also reduced instances of weld defects and imperfections, allowing for higher standards across industry.

While TWI famously developed friction stir welding, this has also led to more recent advances, such as the development of the  Coreflow  technique for creating subsurface channels in materials using the friction process.  Friction processes have also been developed at TWI to  weld wood , with ongoing research having caught the attention of both industry and academia.

This work continues at TWI and other research technology organisations around the world, proving that there are still plenty of possible welding advances to be discovered yet.

When was TIG Welding Invented?

Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding  was perfected in 1941 by Russell Meredith using a tungsten electrode arc and helium as a shielding gas. This invention built on earlier developments by Charles L Coffin, H M Hobart and P K Devers.

When was MIG Welding Invented?

Metal inert gas (MIG) welding  was developed by the Battelle Memorial Institute in 1948 and patented for aluminium welding in 1949. Relatively easy-to-learn, it is now one of the most commonly used welding techniques.

When was Arc Welding Invented?

Arc welding drew on Edmund Davy’s 1836 discovery of acetylene and Sir Humphrey Davy’s 1800 invention of the electric generator. In 1881, the Russian, Nikolai Bernados and the Pole, Stanislaw Olszewski created the world’s first electric arc welding technique, carbon arc welding.  

When was Stick Welding Invented?

Charles L Coffin’s use of an electrode to melt a metal and create a join was patented in 1890, marking the start of stick welding, which is also known as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), manual metal arc welding (MMA or MMAW), or flux shielded arc welding.

How long has Welding been around for?

The first archaeological evidence of welding goes back around 5,000 years, to 3,000 B.C. The earliest forms of welding show ancient Egyptians using charcoal to pressure weld swords and other items from bronze.

Who Invented TIG Welding?

Russell Meredith invented TIG welding in 1941 while working at the Northrop Aircraft Corporation in Southern California, United States.

Who Invented MIG Welding?

MIH welding built on a number of previous welding inventions dating back to the nineteenth century, however, it was finally developed by the Battelle Memorial Institute in 1948 and patented in 1949.

Who Invented Arc Welding?

In 1881, Nikolay Benardos of Russia and Stanislaw Olszewski of Poland introduced carbon arc welding, making it the first practical arc welding method.

When was Welding First Used?

Archaeological evidence points to pressure welding first being used in Egypt in around 3,000 B.C. to make swords. However, when it comes to actual archaeological evidence, small golden boxes have been found dating back to around 1,000 B.C. as well as many other items including jewellery, weapons and dining utensils.

How was Welding Invented?

It is unknown exactly how welding was invented, but evidence shows that pressure welding using charcoal was being used by ancient Egyptians around 5,000 years ago.

When did Welding Begin?

The earliest evidence of welding comes from ancient Egypt, where charcoal was used to pressure weld swords in around 3,000 B.C. However, the oldest examples of welding found by archaeologists date back around to around 1,000 B.C.

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History of Welding

History of Welding: A Journey Through Time

Welding is a process that has shaped our world in countless ways. From ancient civilizations to modern industries, welding has evolved alongside human innovation. In this article, we’ll take a fascinating journey through the history of welding, exploring its origins, development, and impact on society.

The Birth of Welding: Ancient Civilizations

The roots of welding can be traced back to the Bronze Age, around 3500 BC. During this time, metalworkers discovered the art of forging, which involved heating and hammering metals to join them. The Egyptians and Sumerians used this technique to create intricate jewelry, tools, and weapons. Meanwhile, the Greeks were pioneers in using forge welding to construct the iconic Iron Pillar of Delhi in 310 AD, which still stands today as a testament to their welding prowess.

The Middle Ages: Blacksmiths and Their Craft

As we move into the Middle Ages, blacksmiths became the torchbearers of welding. They used forge welding to create a variety of metal objects, such as horseshoes, tools, and weapons. Blacksmiths played a crucial role in their communities, as their skills were essential for everyday life and warfare.

The Industrial Revolution: A Leap Forward

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries marked a turning point in welding history. With advancements in technology and the invention of the electric generator, new welding techniques emerged, including:

• Arc Welding: Invented in the 1800s, arc welding uses an electric current to create an arc between the base material and a consumable electrode. Sir Humphry Davy, an English scientist, was the first to discover the electric arc in 1800, paving the way for this revolutionary technique.
• Oxyfuel Welding: French engineers Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard developed oxyfuel welding in 1903. This process involves the combustion of a mixture of oxygen and acetylene to create an intense flame that can melt metals.

The 20th Century: Modern Welding Takes Shape

The 20th century saw rapid advancements in welding technology, thanks to increased demand from industries such as automotive, aerospace, and shipbuilding. Some key milestones include:

• MIG Welding: Invented in the 1940s, MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is a versatile technique that uses a continuous wire electrode fed through a welding gun. It became widely popular due to its speed and ease of use.
• TIG Welding: Developed in the 1940s, TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is a precise and clean method, ideal for welding thin materials. It gained popularity in aerospace, automotive, and art industries.
• Flux-Cored Welding: Introduced in the 1950s, flux-cored welding is similar to MIG welding but uses a tubular wire filled with flux. This technique is suitable for welding thicker materials and is often used in construction and heavy equipment manufacturing.
• Plasma Arc Welding: Invented in the 1960s, plasma arc welding is a high-precision technique that utilizes a constricted arc and ionized gas to create a concentrated heat source.

The 21st Century: Innovations and Future Prospects

In the 21st century, welding continues to evolve with new technologies and techniques, such as laser welding, friction stir welding, and electron beam welding. Robotics and automation are also transforming the industry, increasing efficiency and precision in various applications.

As we look to the future, we can expect further advancements in welding technology, driven by the need for sustainable energy solutions, lightweight materials, and innovative designs. The history of welding is a testament to human ingenuity, and

the journey is far from over. As new challenges arise, welders and engineers will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, shaping the world around us in unimaginable ways.

The Impact of Welding on Art and Sculpture

Throughout history, welding has not only influenced various industries but has also made its mark in the world of art and sculpture. Artists have utilized welding techniques to create stunning, intricate, and thought-provoking pieces that inspire and captivate audiences. The flexibility and versatility of welding have enabled artists to work with different materials, styles, and scales, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. To explore more about the connection between welding and art, visit welding in art and sculpture .

Welding Safety: A Constant Concern

As welding technology has advanced, so too has the importance of safety. Ensuring the wellbeing of welders and those working around them is crucial. Over the years, safety equipment and practices have been developed and refined to minimize risks associated with welding, such as burns, eye damage, and exposure to harmful fumes. For more information on welding safety, check out the importance of safety in welding and safety equipment needed for welding .

Conclusion: A Rich History, A Bright Future

From its humble beginnings in ancient civilizations to its current prominence in modern industries, the history of welding is a fascinating tale of human innovation and determination. As technology continues to evolve, welding will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of our world. By embracing new techniques, materials, and safety practices, the welding industry will continue to thrive, making an impact on countless aspects of our lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

• When was welding first invented? Welding can be traced back to the Bronze Age, around 3500 BC. During this time, metalworkers used forge welding to join metals by heating and hammering them together.
• How has welding technology evolved over time? Welding technology has evolved significantly, from the early days of forge welding to modern techniques such as MIG, TIG, and plasma arc welding. New advancements in technology have allowed for increased precision, efficiency, and versatility in welding applications.
• How has welding impacted art and sculpture? Welding has played a significant role in art and sculpture, allowing artists to create intricate, large-scale, and unique pieces. The versatility of welding techniques has enabled artists to work with various materials and styles, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.
• Why is safety important in welding? Safety is crucial in welding due to the potential risks associated with the process, such as burns, eye damage, and exposure to harmful fumes. Over the years, safety equipment and practices have been developed to minimize these risks and ensure the wellbeing of welders and those around them.
• What is the future of welding technology? The future of welding technology is expected to see further advancements in techniques, materials, and applications, driven by the need for sustainable energy solutions, lightweight materials, and innovative designs. Robotics and automation will also play a growing role in the welding industry, enhancing efficiency and precision.

The History of Welding

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Welding is a method of repairing or creating metal structures by joining the pieces of metals or plastic through various fusion processes. Generally, heat is used to weld the materials. Welding equipments can utilize open flames, electric arc or laser light.

The History of Welding from the Middle Ages

The earliest evidence of welding can be traced back to the Bronze Age. The earliest examples of welding are welded gold boxes belonging to the Bronze Age. The Egyptians also learnt the art of welding. Several of their iron tools were made by welding. During the Middle Ages, a set of specialized workmen called blacksmiths came to the fore. Blacksmiths of the Middle Ages welded various types of iron tools by hammering. The welding methods remained more or less unchanged until the dawn of the 19 th  century.

In the 19th century, major breakthroughs in welding were made. The use of open flames (acetylene) was an important milestone in the history of welding since open flames allowed the manufacture of intricate metal tools and equipments. Englishman Edmund Davy discovered acetylene in 1836 and acetylene was soon utilized by the welding industry. In 1800, Sir Humphrey Davy invented a battery operated tool which could produce an arc between carbon electrodes. This tool was extensively used in welding metals.

In 1881, French scientist Auguste De Meritens succeeded in fusing lead plates by using the heat generated from an arc. Later, Russian scientist Nikolai N. Benardos and his compatriot Stanislaus Olszewski developed an electrode holder for which they secured US and British patents.

During the 1890’s, one of the most popular welding methods was carbon arc welding. Around the same time, American C.L. Coffin secured a US patent for metal electrode arc welding. N.G. Slavianoff of Russia used the same principle for casting metals in molds.

Coated metal electrode was first introduced in 1900 by Strohmenger. A coating of lime helped the arc to be much more stable.

A number of other welding processes were developed during this period. Some of them included seam welding, spot welding, flash butt welding, and projection welding. Stick electrodes became a popular welding tool around this time as well.

After the end of World War I, the American Welding Society was established by Comfort Avery Adams. The aim of the society was the advancement of welding processes. CJ Holstag also invented the alternating current in 1919. However, alternating current was first commercially utilized by the welding industry only in the 1930’s.

Automatic welding was first introduced in 1920. Invented by P.O. Nobel, automatic welding integrated the use of arc voltage and bare electrode wires. It was used for repairing and molding metals. Several types of electrodes were also developed during this decade.

The New York Navy Yard developed stud welding. Stud welding was increasingly used for the construction industry and also for shipbuilding. It was during this time that the National Tube Company developed a welding process called smothered arc welding. In the sector of shipbuilding, the stud welding process was replaced by the more advanced submerged arc welding.

A new type of welding for seamlessly welding aluminum and magnesium was developed in 1941 by Meredith. This patented process came to be known as Heliarc welding . The gas shielded metal arc welding or GTAW was another significant milestone in the history of welding which was developed in Battelle Memorial Institute in 1948.

The CO2 welding process popularized by Lyubavskii and Novoshilov in 1953 became a welding process of choice for welding steels, as it was comparatively economical. Soon, electrode wires of smaller diameter were launched. This made welding of thin materials more convenient.

There were several advancements in the welding industry during the 1960’s. Dualshield welding, Innershield, and Electroslag welding were some of the important welding developments of the decade. Plasma arc welding was also invented by Gage during this time. It was used for metal spraying. The French also developed electron beam welding, which is still used by the aircraft manufacturing industries of the United States.

Modern Welding History

Some of the recent developments in the welding industry include the friction welding process developed in Russia, and laser welding. Laser was originally developed in Bell Telephone Laboratories but it is now being used for various kinds of welding work. This is due to the inherent capacity of lasers in rendering precision to all kinds of welding jobs.

For additional information on welding, please visit the following links:

• Welding Overview : Provides an overview of the welding industry.
• Aluminum Welding : Offers a brief description of aluminum welding and its history.
• SMAW : Comprehensive information on Shielded Metal Arc Welding.
• History of Welding : Traces the history of welding.
• Welding Equipments : A look at the history of welding equipments.
• AWS : Official website of the American Welding Society.

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A Short History of Welding (Surprising Facts)

Welding history & 20th century advancements.

Welding is a rapidly growing and evolving profession in the world today. Welders are employed in a range of key industries to produce some of the most in-demand products on the market. 

There are several types of welding used today that were developed in the 20th century. As we look at the history of welding, we will discuss these welding types and their uses. 

The following is a short and easily digestible history of welding. While welding has been around in some form since ancient times, this article focuses on welding advancements of the 20th century. 

Early Origins of Welding 

The earliest examples of welding date to around 2,000 years ago . Bronze Age artifacts possess lap joints created through pressure welding. 

Welding remained rudimentary through the Middle Ages and Enlightenment era. Blacksmiths performed the majority of welding through hammering. 

A major breakthrough for welding as we know it today came in 1836 , when Edmund Davy discovered acetylene. His discovery would not really be used until gas welding and cutting rose to prominence in the late 1800s. 

By 1890 , patents for arc welding with metal electrodes were acquired in America. The development by Oscar Kjellberg of the covered electrode in the early 1900s marked the beginning of increased advancement of welding processes.  

The early 1900s up until the start of World War I saw the use of arc welding in several forms. Innovations of this period would be utilized in building machinery and weapons for the World War. 

Welding During World War I 

Previous innovations of the late 1800s and early 1900s were utilized in preparing for and supplying World War I . Ships, heavy machinery, and other necessary items were fabricated by welders. 

While female workers are mostly associated with World War II, women welders were also vital during the first World War. They utilized the latest welding technology to create the tools necessary to win the war. 

Welding between Wars & World War II Welding

Following World War I, several key innovations in the welding occurred. The first was the development of the first fully welded ship, the Fullagar. This ship was created between 1917 and 1920 . 

Another key date between the wars was 1919 . This was the year that the American Welding Society was created. It continues to serve as a non profit promoting the advancement of welding processes. 

In 1920 , General Electric invented automatic welding. This process would continue to evolve throughout the 20th century. 

By the start of the 1930s , the welding industry had already experienced many changes . Stud welding and submerged arc welding were the newest welding processes. 

The 1940s ushered in gas tungsten arc welding and gas metal arc welding. Flux-cored arc welding would develop at the start of World War II and was used to create several types of ships. 

Women welders became quite common during World War II as men were deployed overseas. Women took welding classes before going on to create warships and other large equipment. 

Late 20th Century Welding & the Future of the Trade

Following World War II, the Cold War pushed welding innovations into the future. Electron beam welding was used in the automotive and aircraft industries. 

The Soviets invented friction welding in the the 1950s . Electroslag welding allowed for the joining of thick materials. 

Laser welding and robotic welding were developed in the 1960s . The latter became a popular method of fabrication starting in the 1980s . Today, robotic welding continues to gain popularity as an accurate, safe, and efficient means of welding. 

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Historical Development of Welding

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Discover Welding History: A Captivating Evolution

Welding history is a captivating journey that spans centuries. But do we truly comprehend its meaning and the crucial role it plays in our everyday lives?

Welding is essentially a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing fusion.

This is typically done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint. Welding is distinct from lower temperature metal-joining techniques such as soldering and brazing.

From the vehicles we travel in to the buildings we live and work in, welding plays a significant role in our day-to-day life. It’s an indispensable part of manufacturing, construction, and several other industries.

But have you ever wondered about its origin and how it’s evolved over time?

Let’s embark on a journey to explore the roots and evolution of welding.

Welding History: The Origin of Welding

The genesis of welding goes even deeper into our past than one might initially expect.

But who exactly was behind its creation, and when did it originate?

The roots of welding history can be traced back to the Bronze Age. Around 2000 B.C., small golden circular boxes were produced using pressure welding to join lap joints .

This could arguably be seen as the birth of the welding process , albeit a far cry from the advanced techniques we’re familiar with today.

As we dig deeper into the welding history, we learn that its evolution was a gradual process spanning centuries. It wasn’t until the 19th century that we see substantial progress.

Sir Humphry Davy, a British chemist and inventor, was responsible for the creation of the electric arc in 1800. This innovation laid the groundwork for the future advancement of welding techniques.

Quite captivating, isn’t it?

Let’s continue unraveling the timeline of welding history to enhance our understanding of its evolution.

Read Also : Welding Myths: Discover Informative Truths and Bust Failures

The Evolution of Welding: A Historical Timeline

As we continue our journey through the timeline of welding history, we’ll discover an array of transformative developments.

The Oldest Arc Welding

The earliest form of modern welding, known as arc welding , emerged in the late 19th century.

In 1881, two inventors, Nikolay Benardos and Stanisław Olszewski, patented a method known as carbon arc welding, the first practical arc welding method. This revolutionized the welding industry and set the stage for future developments.

Significant Developments in Welding

Over the next century, welding techniques evolved at a rapid pace. Here are some pivotal moments in the timeline:

• 1890 : Introduction of metal electrodes
• 1920 : Introduction of automatic welding using bare electrode wire
• 1930 : Introduction of shielded metal arc welding
• 1940 : Introduction of Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding and Submerged arc welding

What about MIG welding , you may ask?

Let’s move to the next section to learn about its invention and impact on the welding industry.

The Invention of MIG Welding

As we delve deeper into the world of welding, one method stands out for its significant impact on the industry – MIG welding.

But who invented it, and how has it transformed the welding landscape?

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding, also known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), is a welding process in which an electric arc forms between a consumable MIG wire electrode and the workpiece metal(s), which heat the workpiece metal(s), causing them to fuse (melt and join).

In the post-WWII era, specifically in 1948, the Battelle Memorial Institute invented MIG welding. This technique revolutionized welding due to its efficiency and ease of use. It’s renowned for its speed, flexibility, and adaptability to robotic automation.

This innovation opened up new possibilities in the welding industry.

But what are the broader historical contexts behind welding?

Let’s explore in the next section.

Read Also : Welding Slang: Discover the Useful Professional Terms

Understanding the History Behind Welding

As we traverse the path of welding history, it’s crucial to see beyond mere technological progress.

What impact have historical events had on the evolution of welding practices?

Welding technology witnessed significant evolution in line with industrial expansion and the imperatives of two World Wars during the 19th and 20th centuries. Wars served as a springboard for technological progression, necessitating more efficient methods of production.

For example, during WWII, welding superseded riveting as the main fabrication method for ships, resulting in quicker, more efficient output.

Welding assumed a pivotal role during the Industrial Revolution too. The demand for more streamlined machinery, infrastructure, and transport systems catalyzed enhancements in welding techniques.

As these new methods unfolded, they contributed to driving the industrial and technological advancement we observe in the present day.

Isn’t it fascinating to see how the historical backdrop has influenced the trajectory of welding history?

As we conclude, let’s reflect on our learnings and the indispensable role of welding in our contemporary world.

Throughout our exploration of welding history, we’ve discovered more than just its origins. We’ve also unveiled its significant impact on various industries and society as a whole.

This journey shows us how a process, starting in the Bronze Age, has continuously evolved to meet the needs and challenges of various eras.

From humble beginnings with pressure welding of gold boxes, the story of welding has seen numerous revolutionary stages.

The invention of arc welding and the development of MIG welding have altered the process entirely, introducing new possibilities in construction, manufacturing, and several other sectors.

Furthermore, the historical backdrop, particularly industrial expansion and wartime necessities, have played an undeniable role in advancing welding techniques.

Looking at the welding history, one cannot help but wonder: What is the future of welding?

As technological progress and material science continue to advance, so will welding, promising new methods and opportunities.

Our deep dive into the history of welding not only amplifies our understanding of this crucial process but also provides a glimpse into its potential future growth.

Doesn’t it make you wonder about the exciting directions the world of welding might take next?

Welding is more than a hobby for me - it's a passion. The art of fusing metal together to create something new and functional never gets old. From intricate sculptures to sturdy structures, I love the endless possibilities that welding offers.

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History of Welding

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The History of Welding Essay Example

You might not even have to go to school for this, your wife might even be better at it then you are. Anyone can become a good welder, in the future of their career they could even have their own welding company if they are a professional and licensed welder. When they are becoming a welder, schooling needed to get your welding certificate is very minimum. The jobs open to a welder is more vast than you think, for example a welding instructor at a school or institute could even start their own classes or even a welding company. Welding is very exciting and there are new techniques to learn each day, anyone could and will continue to better themselves each and every day as they learn from their mistakes. When welding there are endless things you can weld, if they need to fix anything on their truck or car or even weld a pipe back together in their house. This job not only benefits thyself, but it also benefits their knowledge in repairing and fixing things on their own. 

The history of welding dates back all the way to the 1800’s, this  is when gas welding and cutting was developed. The first arc was started between two carbon electrodes by Sir Humphry Davy, by using a battery as the power source (Brief History). In the early 19th century the electric generator was first developed and was the spark of welding because arc welding became extremely popular after that. Nikolay Slavyanov, the inventor and master of stick welding made the craft better than ever.

After that is when welding really sparked off, stick welding became very popular after that, it never slowed down in popularity either it is one of the most popular welding techniques used today (The History). There are four main types of welding used in today's art, they are MIG(Metal Inert Gas), TIG(Tungsten Inert Gas), stick welding, FCAW(Flux Core Arc Welding). For MIG welding a solid metal wire comes out from the weld gun and into a weld pool joining two base metals together. TIG is different in how it welds, when welding with TIG it uses a non-consumable electrode to produce the weld pool. In both GMAW and SMAW the electrode becomes burnt and melted from the heat and then becomes part of the weld. Flux core welding is rated better than SMAW or GMAW because it requires a shielding gas.

In  the career welding there are over 30 different welding jobs that are open to anyone in the welding career, there are new ones introduced almost everyday. A few more of them are like pipeline welding, underwater welding, welding engineer, weld technician, and even a welding instructor (Welder Job). Pipeline welders join and weld metallic components and tubular products, they usually work in industrial and commercial environment. Underwater welders have a very hard job, they have to know how to dive, they usually have to work in tight spaces and are not surrounded by anything special.

Welding engineers use their common knowledge to weld and examine the welds after they lay them, they weld with drawings and/or contracts to know what to weld. Weld technician use their skills and knowledge on welding to help welders fabricate and weld there projects, weld technicians play a big role in manufacturing companies with the mass production of products (Study). A welding instructor is the one that is in the classroom teaching new generations the arts of the trade. The instructor is going to prepare the students for their welding career and future in welding, then the students will become the teacher short after.

To be a skilled welder there are a lot of training and schooling that future welders are required to complete. For example if they have never welded before than compared to if they have (Summary). More schooling than someone, who cares it doesn't matter, schooling doesn't affect the jobs in this field only a high school diploma is essential to getting a job. If someone wants to become a welding instructor or even start their own business then they may have to do more schooling than someone else who is just interested in doing it. When whom are trying to become a welder they have to acquire a certified welder license or a degree in welding, it depends if they have to participate in an apprenticeship program, after that they earn their welding certification. There are many things potential welders can be certified in welding some examples are: a certified welding inspector, certified welding educator, and a certified welding sales representative (Raise Labs). Usually a welding program takes up to six to eighteen months to complete and after that, they now have a certificate in welding.

The salary and benefits are endless in welding, they differ from each job in this career. The best paying and most high demand job is a pipeline welder, the jobs in this career are limitless because everyone needs gas and other fuel sources. The hourly pay usually ranges from $20-$30 per hour, they usually even charge $1,000 for a one days work of labor. The yearly pay ranges from anywhere between $50,000-$185,000, that is a big number gap but if a pipeline welder has to travel their expenses are covered for (Pay and Benefits). It depends on who they are welding for and what they are welding on, in order to determine the exact amount of payout. For a entry level welder they will not make what a certified welder does that has been in the art for 15 years. Entry level welders usually make around $36,000 a year but most if not all welding jobs pay $25,000 yearly as the lowest pay they can do (Salary Info). Usually most beginning welders make around $11-$17 an hour which isn't bad if considering getting into a welding job straight out of High School. The benefits include vacations and paid travel fees.

The work environment in welding is very industrial, and the times and hours for the workers vary in the time of year and who they work for there's no definite answer. They could work underground welding a pipe back together all the way to being 100 ft deep in the ocean welding an oil rig back in place (Ley). The environment they are working in can change varying on if traveling is a necessity  for their job, they can go from working indoors to outdoors, really wherever the work is needed. Once in awhile they will have to work in confined spaces and awkward positions, if necessary safety precautions are avoided in the tight spaces the welder can get severely injured. When working in a good work environment there are still ways that someone can get hurt, like electric shock.

That is when two metal objects that have a charge in them are touched together including whoever is holding them involved in the electric current running between the two metals (Pros and Cons). Basically whoever is holding the two pieces of metal, they completed the circuit so that the electric current runs through the two pieces of metal and now them. If this happens it can cause serious injury or even death, another thing to watch for when working is ventilation. 

When someone becomes a welder they have to want to do their job right and professional, if not so, then they need to find a different career if they personally do not like welding. To be a welder they have to like their job and be skilled at what they do. Welding is pretty physically demanding, someone might have to work in confined spaces and awkward positions with little flexibility (Pros and Cons). If someone is not wanting to do a hands on career their whole life or at least most of it welding prolly isnt the right job for them, and if anyone doesn't like to use hazardous gas or intense heat then move to another career. Some of the things people will pick up in the job is that it will enable anyone to be able to fix simple things at their house or on the vehicle. The trade is really a class the whole time they are doing there job, no one ever stops learning something new everyday (Summary). Everyday someone is getting closer to their career advancement and are able to relocate to somewhere around the world, welders are needed everywhere.

In the near future welding is going to very technologically advanced, it might even slow down the job growth. The projected outlook between 2012-2022 is supposed to be slower than normal, they are saying that the only increase will be a 6% total as it is already only currently 4%. As the trade progresses it is going to get very advanced in welding machines, which means there will be more jobs open in the welding operator career (Plaza). It is supposed to open some new welding jobs as the technology will be advancing, there will be more jobs for welders to do that could either be a racecar to even a tank or a airplane, and even a rocket ship. The openings are endless as long as technology keeps advancing so will welding, if there isn't a technology spark then there is not going to be much change to welsing (Summary). Technology plays a big role in a lot of jobs, almost everyone of them not just welding.

All in all welding is very fun and easy to do, it's been changing the lives of people since the early 1800s and has been improving ever since, anyone can do it with enough practice and basic hands on skills. There are many jobs open in this career, the schooling required for this job is minimum unless necessary or wanting to become more than just a certified welder. This job can pay someone very good if they work long enough in the career and are very dedicated to their job. Welding isn't just a career of job, it's a lifestyle, if someone doesn't want to do it then they will know that in the beginning, welding isn't for everyone but it could be with a little bit of practice. This hobby is going to be very long hard days of work and effort, but with the right amount of practice, anyone will be able to enjoy the arts of welding.

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THEN & NOW: YOUR WELDING HISTORY TIMELINE

by Rachel Bigum | Mar 11, 2019 | Forney History | 0 comments

It’s national welding month! Forney would like to celebrate by looking at welding’s extensive history, and rich future. 

The History Of Welding- A Basic Timeline 

You can thank our ancestors from the Bronze Age for the earliest forms of welding. It all began with small gold circular boxes that were made by pressure welding lap joints together.  A lap joint is formed when 2 pieces of material (usually with differing thickness) are placed in an overlapping pattern on top of each other. During the Bronze Age, they shaped metal into jewelry, dining utensils and even weapons. 

During this period, Egyptians and people in the eastern Mediterranean area learned how to weld iron together. They did this by using charcoal-generated heat to turn iron ore into sponge iron. This process was also used to make weapons.

Medieval Era

During the Medieval Era, welding became especially important. In Europe, noblemen were expected to maintain warhorses, iron armor and fine blades (weapons, weapons and more weapons). These expectations led to the very first blacksmiths — elite tradesmen who understood how to use heat to create fine metallic items. This was a crucial skill that made blacksmiths respected members of society.

Edmund Davy of England was a professor of Chemistry at the Royal Cork Institution and Royal Dublin Society in the early 1800s. In 1836 he was credited with the discovery of acetylene , a colorless gas that is widely used as fuel as well as a chemical building block (commonly used in gas welding).

In the same era, Sir Humphry Davy is credited with the production of an arc between two carbon electrodes using a battery (otherwise known as an electric arc). During the same time, the electric generator was invented and arc lighting became more popular.

Towards the end of the century, gas welding and cutting were developed.

In addition to these advances, C.L. Coffin of Detroit was awarded the first U.S. patent for arc welding using a metal electrode. This was the first record of a successful weld made by the metal melted from an electrode carried across the arc to deposit filler metal in the joint.

In the early 1900s, Great Britain’s A.P. Strohmenger and Oscar Kjellberg introduced a coated metal electrode. Strohmenger used clay and lime coating to stabilize the arc, while Kjellberg dipped iron wire into mixtures of carbonates and silicates to coat the electrode. Unfortunately, the high cost of these electrodes prevented them from being very popular. However, their hard work contributed to the development of Shielded Metal Arc Welding, more commonly known as Stick welding.

Resistance welding became a practical process during this time thanks to Elihu Thompson who originated this joining process. With that advancement came the developments of resistance welding processes like  spot welding , seam welding , projection welding and flash butt welding .

During this time, gas welding and cutting were improved thanks to the production of oxygen and the liquefying of air, along with the introduction of a blow pipe/torch in 1887. Before 1900, hydrogen and coal gas were used with oxygen, but the early 1900s developed a torch suitable for use with low-pressure acetylene.

Of course, we can’t forget to thank World War I because it brought an astounding demand for manufacturing. More advanced development of welding machines and electrodes became pertinent to meet the demand. Up until this period, acetylene welding was the most popular. That popularity was soon replaced with arc welding machines.

In 1932,  James Donovan Forney invents a revolutionary new product and calls it “The Forney Instant Heat Soldering Iron”. Forney continued his success in 1936 when he invented and produced the first successful 110-volt/ 125 amp and 110-volt/ 150 amp welders.

Around the same time, big names in welding such as Hobart, Lincoln, Forney Industries and Miller began to rise in popularity. 

In the 1930’s electric arc welding became a more common process used in the United States. However, the 1940s introduced two revolutionary processes; gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and gas metal arc welding (GMAW), however it took a while for these processes to gain popularity.

After decades of development gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), widely recognized as TIG welding, was finally perfected by Russel Meredith and patented in 1942.

In 1945, the Rural Electric Associations (REA) began delivering 230 volt service to farms and ranches. The Forney Industries sales staff gained permission from the REA to climb utility poles to connect welders for demonstration, and as a result Forney welders add metal repair and tool hardening to farmer’s capabilities.  

in 1948,the gas metal arc welding  (GMAW) process was successfully developed at Battelle Memorial Institute  under the sponsorship of the Air Reduction Company. This development utilized the gas shielded arc similar to the gas tungsten arc but replaced the tungsten electrode with a continuously fed electrode wire. After more development, this process would become more commonly known as MIG welding. 

The 1950’s were crucial years for the development of a flux-cored arc welding process (FCAW) . This process allows self-shielded wire electrodes to be used with automatic equipment, and as a result welding speeds were greatly increased. In this time, plasma arc welding   and cutting was invented and patented in 1956 by National Cylinder Gas Company. 

The 1980’s and ’90s turned welding from an art to a science by advancements in robotic welding , on-board computers, state-of-the-art electrodes and mixing multiple exotic gases. Engineers began developing more exotic materials, driving the need for advanced electronics. 

Modern Welding

Since the early 2000s, welding has become an even more valuable skill and sought-after trade. The world has seen a substantial increase in the number of  welding processes , and metalworking specialists are constantly researching ways of creating more. Although more processes are being developed, the most popular processes continue to be Stick, MIG and TIG welding. Plasma cutting is also a valuable skill to master, and when paired with welding it can take a piece to the next level. 

In the automotive industry, welding aluminum has gained popularity. Although it’s a more complicated material to weld, it is lighter than steel and can be just as strong.  Laser welding is one of welding’s newer processes. The laser was originally developed as a communication device, but the enormous amount of concentrated energy in a small space proved to be a powerful heat source. It can now be used for cutting metals and nonmetals, especially in automotive metalworking operations.

Welding machines are getting more technologically advanced, however welding has never been more simple. This can be attributed to the rise of  “do-it-yourselfers” (DIY). It’s now easier than ever for someone to learn to weld. Recently, Forney Industries developed the Forney Easy Weld line of machines. These welders and plasma cutter take the fear out of welding, and make it simple for just about anyone to produce quality welds.

Future Welding Trends

Welding operations must be completely integrated into agile manufacturing processes and control schemes. In addition to this, welding engineers will develop new materials and adapt existing materials to be welding into world-class, fabricated products.

It is hypothesized that welding will continue to become even simpler, in turn making metalworking machines more advanced. The competition among other welding companies to create more user-friendly and durable machines will drive advancements. You might also see a rise in more exotic materials, specifically in Aerospace engineering. 

Electron-beam welding will push to the future. This advanced form of welding is excellent for joining dissimilar and hard to weld metals. 

Whichever way you look at it, welding has always been an important trade. Thanks to past and present welding technicians and engineers, it seems that welding has a rich future ahead. If you’re interested in learning how to weld, or you just want to know more about the trade there are tons of resources out there to get you started. 

Forney Industries would like to thank the following for information included in this blog:

Or-laser.com ,  Weldguru.com ,  Millerwelds.com ,  Cliffswelding.com ,  Aws.org .

To know more about Forney Industries, visit  forneyind.com . For additional questions, call Forney customer service at  1-800-521-6038.

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The Process of Arc Welding: Main Aspects Essay

Introduction, the process of arc welding, choice of welding process, metals used in welding, oil industry in the uae, relevance of welding in mechanical engineering.

Welding is a process best described as the method of permanently joining two or more metals. This industry is still growing because of the technologies involved that are always changing. The welding process comprises basic components: a heat source, filter material, a shield, and the metals themselves. Before modern-day welding was developed, two pieces of metals were joined by putting them together and hammering the open ends (History|Reference.com, n. d.).

It was called forge welding . After securing the surface, pouring molten metal ensued. This was mainly done to fill the joint. This traditional process was slow and needed a lot of concentration from the welder hence the warm welcome of the new technology. There are different types of welding, namely spot welding, arc welding, metal inert gas welding, and forge welding (Welding, n. d.). Arc welding is the focus of this assignment. It is a process that uses electricity as a source of heat or energy needed to melt the metals before they are joined together. The welding process is so broad that mechanical engineering as a discipline is part and parcel of it.

This discipline involves the design and manufacture of sophisticated products such as machines. Welding is used in the oil industry and it goes without saying that improving the technology will obviously lead to more profits within the industry. The United Arab Emirates is top on the list of the world’s greatest oil producers, and any developments in the process would greatly benefit these nations.

Within the process of arc welding are other types which are described below:

Stick Welding or Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

In this process, the rod used is coated with a non-metallic material to protect the weld puddle and metal from contamination. The material burns to create a shield from oxygen. Sometimes, a filter is added onto the coating to act as a catalyst. This type of arc welding can be carried out outdoors because the flux protects the weld from oxygen and is not bothered by wind (Institute of Welding, 2006).

Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG)

This is a type of arc welding where a bare wire is fed to the joint through a welding gun. Inert shielding gas flows to the welding handle protecting the weld from atmospheric contamination. The process itself is not hard, but rather the process of setting up the machine. Its disadvantage is that it cannot be effectively done outdoors as the wind can blow away the shielding.

Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)

As the name suggests, the rod used in this process is made of tungsten. It is not consumable functions by heating the metal while the filler is added when required. It is not part of the filler material. (Simonik, 1965).

The above processes are all applicable in different scenarios depending on what the manufacturer aims to achieve. If used effectively, production levels in any company are guaranteed to rise, and profits maximized. In the case of MIG, the process is considerably quicker as the metals are fired by machines at great speed. Unfortunately, there is a limit to the distance because the further you move from the wire the greater the friction (Welding Safe, 2007).

Stick welding can also be a quick process if the rod being used is large and is coated together with filler material. Its advantage of being able to withstand outdoor conditions makes it an attractive choice. Long cords give this method an advantage over the rest because it allows welding to go on for a long period of time while its shortness keeps electricity in check and there is no doubt that it is the easiest type of arc welding suitable for small-time repairs. The best quality welding is done using the Tungsten Inert Gas Welding process.

Ironically, it is a slow process because it requires a bottle of gas for its work which can be easily disrupted by the wind. Stick welding machines can be upgraded to TIG welders by simply adding a TIG torch and a bottle of gas. TIG is mostly used in welding thin specialty metals. This type of arc welding is the most valuable and responsible for producing top quality welds.

Although almost any metal can be welded, there are those that are preferred because of the good results they produce. Welding engineers are tasked with the responsibility of determining which metals are welded and how to go about it. The three most commonly used metals are steel, stainless steel, and aluminum (AWS, n. d.). It is to be noted that there is a difference between steel and stainless steel. The latter requires much skill and preparation compared to steel which has little difficulty.

Aluminum poses the most challenges and welds easily with the TIG and MIG processes. It is not, however, limited to the processes alone. Nonetheless, there are other metals that are produced and can be welded, only that some of them are rather expensive. Titanium, for instance, is used in aerodynamics while Nickel-based alloys are used in nuclear plants. The very purpose of their manufacture justifies their great cost (Joining Welders since 1995, n. d.).

The United Arab Emirates is the world’s largest producer could benefit from any developments made in the welding sector. If, for instance, the best welding processes were chosen in the industry, then operational costs would be reduced and profits increased (Joining Welders since 1995, n. d.).

Most people may not know it, but there is more to welding than just hot works (Six-Axis Laser Welding Robot Features Integrated Beam Guidance, 2012). A welder has to make mathematical calculations and estimations before working on pieces of metal to come up with an efficient end product. It is quite a complex procedure involving drawing up designs and looking at blueprints in a bid to envision the finished product. A welder has all the specifications of metals he is working on. This is what makes him do all mathematical calculations spontaneously as he works. It is a job that creates something tangible out of an idea formulated in the mind (Introduction to Welding, n. d.).

This assignment shows how the welding industry has come of age over the years and how the world relies on it to produce good quality metals. It gives a detailed definition of welding as well as the different types of processes involved. Critical analysis of the welding industry reveals that there is more to the industry than just hot works. It employs use mechanical engineering which is basically the science of designing and creating complex products from scratch, using special skills and knowledge. The study shows how the oil industry in the UAE could benefit from any development in the welding industry.

American Welding Society (AWS) . (n. d.). Web.

Institute of Welding. (2006). Welding Processes. British Welding Journal , 5 (2-12). Print.

History|Reference.com . (n.d.). Web.

Introduction to Welding. (n.d.). From The Industrial Revolution to Welding Processes and Careers . Web.

Joining Welders since 1995. (n.d.). Welding.Com Resource Center . Web.

Simonik, A. G. (1965). Stabilization of arc burning process (ac-arc) at argon-arc welding of structural steel . Ft. Belvoir: Defense Technical Information Center, 28 . Print.

Six-Axis Laser Welding Robot Features Integrated Beam Guidance . (2012). ThomasNet Industrial News Room (press Release) . Web.

Welding Safe. Safety. (2007). Fabricating & Metalworking : 36. Print .

Welding . (n. d.). Web.

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History of Welding Essay Example

• Pages: 4 (858 words)
• Published: January 15, 2017
• Type: Essay

The history of joining metals goes back several millennia, called forge welding, with the earliest examples of welding from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age in Europe and the Middle East. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus states in The Histories of the 5th century BC that Glaucus of Chios "was the man who single-handedly invented iron-welding. " Welding was used in the construction of the iron pillar in Delhi, India, erected about 310 AD and weighing 5. The Middle Ages brought advances in forge welding, in which blacksmiths pounded heated metal repeatedly until bonding occurred.

In 1540, Vannoccio Biringuccio published De la pirotechnia, which includes descriptions of the forging operation. Renaissance craftsmen were skilled in the process, and the industry continued to grow during the following centuries. In 1802, Russian scientist Vasily Petrov discovered the electric arc and subse

quently proposed its possible practical applications, including welding. In 1881–82 a Russian inventor Nikolai Benardos created the first electric arc welding method known as carbon arc welding, using carbon electrodes.

The advances in arc welding continued with the invention of metal electrodes in the late 1800s by a Russian, Nikolai Slavyanov (1888), and an American, C. L. Coffin (1890). Around 1900, A. P. Strohmenger released a coated metal electrode in Britain, which gave a more stable arc. In 1905 Russian scientist Vladimir Mitkevich proposed the usage of three-phase electric arc for welding. In 1919, alternating current welding was invented by C. J. Holslag but did not become popular for another decade.

Resistance welding was also developed during the final decades of the 19th century, with the first patents going to Elihu Thomson in 1885, who produced further advances over

the next 15 years. Thermite welding was invented in 1893, and around that time another process, oxyfuel welding, became well established. Acetylene was discovered in 1836 by Edmund Davy, but its use was not practical in welding until about 1900, when a suitable blowtorch was developed. At first, oxyfuel welding was one of the more popular welding methods due to its portability and relatively low cost.

As the 20th century progressed, however, it fell out of favor for industrial applications. It was largely replaced with arc welding, as metal coverings (known as flux) for the electrode that stabilize the arc and shield the base material from impurities continued to be developed. World War caused a major surge in the use of welding processes, with the various military powers attempting to determine which of the several new welding processes would be best. The British primarily used arc welding, even constructing a ship, the Fulagar, with an entirely welded hull.

Arc welding was first applied to aircraft during the war as well, as some German airplane fuselages were constructed using the process. Also noteworthy is the first welded road bridge in the world, designed by Stefan Bryla of the Warsaw University of Technology in 1927, and built across the river Sludwia Maurzyce near Lowicz, Poland in 1929. During the 1920s, major advances were made in welding technology, including the introduction of automatic welding in 1920, in which electrode wire was fed continuously.

Shielding gas became a subject receiving much attention, as scientists attempted to protect welds from the effects of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. Porosity and brittleness were the primary problems, and the solutions that developed included the

use of hydrogen, argon, and helium as welding atmospheres. During the following decade, further advances allowed for the welding of reactive metals like aluminum and magnesium. This in conjunction with developments in automatic welding, alternating current, and fluxes fed a major expansion of arc welding during the 1930s and then during World War II.

During the middle of the century, many new welding methods were invented. 1930 saw the release of stud welding, which soon became popular in shipbuilding and construction. Submerged arc welding was invented the same year and continues to be popular today. In 1932 a Russian, Konstantin Khrenov successfully implemented the first underwater electric arc welding. Gas tungsten arc welding, after decades of development, was finally perfected in 1941, and gas metal arc welding followed in 1948, allowing for fast welding of non-ferrous materials but requiring expensive shielding gases.

Shielded metal arc welding was developed during the 1950s, using a flux-coated consumable electrode, and it quickly became the most popular metal arc welding process. In 1957, the flux-cored arc welding process debuted, in which the self-shielded wire electrode could be used with automatic equipment, resulting in greatly increased welding speeds, and that same year, plasma arc welding was invented. Electroslag welding was introduced in 1958, and it was followed by its cousin, electrogas welding, in 1961. In 1953 the Soviet scientist N. F. Kazakov proposed the diffusion bonding method.

Other recent developments in welding include he 1958 breakthrough of electron beam welding, making deep and narrow welding possible through the concentrated heat source. Following the invention of the laser in 1960, laser beam welding debuted several decades later, and has proved to be especially useful

in high-speed, automated welding. Electromagnetic pulse welding is industrially used since 1967. In 1991 friction stir welding was invented in the UK and found high-quality applications all over the world. All of these four new processes continue to be quite expensive due the high cost of the necessary equipment, and this has limited their applications.

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The History of Welding And Fabrication

Throughout history, welding, in its simplest form, has been around for more than two thousand years. Archeologists have found evidence of pressure welded gold boxes dating back at least that far. The Egyptians figured out how to weld iron by hitting it with a hammer over and over. Herodotus also claims that a Greek sculptor by the name Glaucus of Chios was the person who invented iron welding in the 5th century BC. Techniques were also developed in other areas of the world, completely independent of one another. For example, one of the most spectacular early examples of forge welding (a process by which iron is first heated in a forge to make it malleable and then hammered together) is the Iron Pillar of Delhi. It is 7,000lbs of welded wrought iron that was built sometime in the fourth century.

In the history of Welding, this style of welding would continue this way for hundreds of years, not undergoing any significant changes until 1800, the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. This changed when Sir Humphrey Davy discovered the wonders of the electric arc. In Russia, Vasily Petrov independently developed the continuous electric arc. In the nineteenth century, newer, more modern methods were developed (by Russians and Americans), which got us closer to advanced techniques.

It took until World War One for modern welding to take off, though. The sudden need for ships and new additions to war weapons like tanks and aircraft precipitated a new burst of innovation. In Britain, arc welding was used to create a completely welded hull for the first time. Germans became the first to apply welding to aircraft, also using arc welding.

In those early days, there were issues with oxygen and nitrogen getting into the welds, leading to excessive and far too rapid corrosion and excessive brittleness. It also led to the degradation of welds and significant damage to ships, aircraft, and even bridges. Fortunately, the problems were reduced by the introduction of shielding gas back in the 1920s. Shielding gases are inert (meaning that they don’t readily interact with other elements). They are used to displace the typical atmosphere around the weld. The most commonly used shield gasses are hydrogen, argon, and helium. It’s worth noting that the welding can still take place without the purge gas. Using it merely makes the weld stronger than it would be without it.

It was also discovered than an effective way of shielding was to coat the welding rod. As the rod is used, the coating is burned off, creating the gas shield. However, this type of rod requires unique controls as there is concern about moisture degrading the coating. Therefore, the coated rod has to be used either as soon as it is removed from its container. It is being kept at a high temperature to prevent problems from developing from excessive moisture content. Because of this, it is only used in specialized applications.

World War One has provided ample evidence of the usefulness of welding; development continued apace even after the war was over. This led to the construction of an all-welded merchant ship (M/S Carolinian) and other significant advances like submerged arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, plasma arc welding, and several different methods.

Methods of welding that require heavy machinery to use, such as magnetic pulse and laser welding, came into use since the 1960s. However, these are only used in heavy industrial settings. At Schaus-Vorhies Manufacturing (SVM), we use various methods that don’t require anything more than a machine, a ground, and a gas bottle or two.

These include tried and true methods of welding such as Gas Metal Arc (or Metal in Gas – MIG) Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc (or Tungsten in Gas – TIG) Welding and Shielded Metal Arc (Stick) Welding.

Welding has been around through modern history and has been integral to the development of civilization for thousands of years, a fact that has only become truer in the last century. SVM is proud to participate in this tradition with our fabrication services . Our expert welders help create custom fabricated buildings, crane rails, custom railings, and more for our clients.

Call us to find out how we can create something for you.

Schaus-Vorhies has proudly served Southern Iowa and beyond for over 35 years.  Let’s discuss your project.

Schaus-Vorhies Contracting

General Contractor For Commercial, Industrial, & Residential Construction In Southeast Iowa

(641) 472-8539

2407 W. Burlington Ave. Fairfield, Iowa 52556

Schaus-Vorhies Manufacturing

Fabrication Services for Commercial, Industrial, & Manufacturing

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1000 West Stone Ave, Fairfield, Iowa 52556

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Commercial & Industrial Metal Cleaning

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• Solar Eclipse 2024

What the World Has Learned From Past Eclipses

C louds scudded over the small volcanic island of Principe, off the western coast of Africa, on the afternoon of May 29, 1919. Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory in the U.K., waited for the Sun to emerge. The remains of a morning thunderstorm could ruin everything.

The island was about to experience the rare and overwhelming sight of a total solar eclipse. For six minutes, the longest eclipse since 1416, the Moon would completely block the face of the Sun, pulling a curtain of darkness over a thin stripe of Earth. Eddington traveled into the eclipse path to try and prove one of the most consequential ideas of his age: Albert Einstein’s new theory of general relativity.

Eddington, a physicist, was one of the few people at the time who understood the theory, which Einstein proposed in 1915. But many other scientists were stymied by the bizarre idea that gravity is not a mutual attraction, but a warping of spacetime. Light itself would be subject to this warping, too. So an eclipse would be the best way to prove whether the theory was true, because with the Sun’s light blocked by the Moon, astronomers would be able to see whether the Sun’s gravity bent the light of distant stars behind it.

Two teams of astronomers boarded ships steaming from Liverpool, England, in March 1919 to watch the eclipse and take the measure of the stars. Eddington and his team went to Principe, and another team led by Frank Dyson of the Greenwich Observatory went to Sobral, Brazil.

Totality, the complete obscuration of the Sun, would be at 2:13 local time in Principe. Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. For a moment, it was totally clear. Eddington and his group hastily captured images of a star cluster found near the Sun that day, called the Hyades, found in the constellation of Taurus. The astronomers were using the best astronomical technology of the time, photographic plates, which are large exposures taken on glass instead of film. Stars appeared on seven of the plates, and solar “prominences,” filaments of gas streaming from the Sun, appeared on others.

Eddington wanted to stay in Principe to measure the Hyades when there was no eclipse, but a ship workers’ strike made him leave early. Later, Eddington and Dyson both compared the glass plates taken during the eclipse to other glass plates captured of the Hyades in a different part of the sky, when there was no eclipse. On the images from Eddington’s and Dyson’s expeditions, the stars were not aligned. The 40-year-old Einstein was right.

“Lights All Askew In the Heavens,” the New York Times proclaimed when the scientific papers were published. The eclipse was the key to the discovery—as so many solar eclipses before and since have illuminated new findings about our universe.

To understand why Eddington and Dyson traveled such distances to watch the eclipse, we need to talk about gravity.

Since at least the days of Isaac Newton, who wrote in 1687, scientists thought gravity was a simple force of mutual attraction. Newton proposed that every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe, and that the strength of this attraction is related to the size of the objects and the distances among them. This is mostly true, actually, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.

On much larger scales, like among black holes or galaxy clusters, Newtonian gravity falls short. It also can’t accurately account for the movement of large objects that are close together, such as how the orbit of Mercury is affected by its proximity the Sun.

Albert Einstein’s most consequential breakthrough solved these problems. General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. Rather than some kind of mutual tug-of-war, large objects like the Sun and other stars respond relative to each other because the space they are in has been altered. Their mass is so great that they bend the fabric of space and time around themselves.

Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse

This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous. But others thought it sounded reasonable. Einstein and others knew that if the theory was correct, and the fabric of reality is bending around large objects, then light itself would have to follow that bend. The light of a star in the great distance, for instance, would seem to curve around a large object in front of it, nearer to us—like our Sun. But normally, it’s impossible to study stars behind the Sun to measure this effect. Enter an eclipse.

Einstein’s theory gives an equation for how much the Sun’s gravity would displace the images of background stars. Newton’s theory predicts only half that amount of displacement.

Eddington and Dyson measured the Hyades cluster because it contains many stars; the more stars to distort, the better the comparison. Both teams of scientists encountered strange political and natural obstacles in making the discovery, which are chronicled beautifully in the book No Shadow of a Doubt: The 1919 Eclipse That Confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity , by the physicist Daniel Kennefick. But the confirmation of Einstein’s ideas was worth it. Eddington said as much in a letter to his mother: “The one good plate that I measured gave a result agreeing with Einstein,” he wrote , “and I think I have got a little confirmation from a second plate.”

The Eddington-Dyson experiments were hardly the first time scientists used eclipses to make profound new discoveries. The idea dates to the beginnings of human civilization.

Careful records of lunar and solar eclipses are one of the greatest legacies of ancient Babylon. Astronomers—or astrologers, really, but the goal was the same—were able to predict both lunar and solar eclipses with impressive accuracy. They worked out what we now call the Saros Cycle, a repeating period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours in which eclipses appear to repeat. One Saros cycle is equal to 223 synodic months, which is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same phase as seen from Earth. They also figured out, though may not have understood it completely, the geometry that enables eclipses to happen.

The path we trace around the Sun is called the ecliptic. Our planet’s axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, which is why we have seasons, and why the other celestial bodies seem to cross the same general path in our sky.

As the Moon goes around Earth, it, too, crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in a year. The ascending node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic. The descending node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic. When the Moon crosses a node, a total solar eclipse can happen. Ancient astronomers were aware of these points in the sky, and by the apex of Babylonian civilization, they were very good at predicting when eclipses would occur.

Two and a half millennia later, in 2016, astronomers used these same ancient records to measure the change in the rate at which Earth’s rotation is slowing—which is to say, the amount by which are days are lengthening, over thousands of years.

By the middle of the 19 th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. In October 1868, two astronomers, Pierre Jules César Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, separately measured the colors of sunlight during a total eclipse. Each found evidence of an unknown element, indicating a new discovery: Helium, named for the Greek god of the Sun. In another eclipse in 1869, astronomers found convincing evidence of another new element, which they nicknamed coronium—before learning a few decades later that it was not a new element, but highly ionized iron, indicating that the Sun’s atmosphere is exceptionally, bizarrely hot. This oddity led to the prediction, in the 1950s, of a continual outflow that we now call the solar wind.

And during solar eclipses between 1878 and 1908, astronomers searched in vain for a proposed extra planet within the orbit of Mercury. Provisionally named Vulcan, this planet was thought to exist because Newtonian gravity could not fully describe Mercury’s strange orbit. The matter of the innermost planet’s path was settled, finally, in 1915, when Einstein used general relativity equations to explain it.

Many eclipse expeditions were intended to learn something new, or to prove an idea right—or wrong. But many of these discoveries have major practical effects on us. Understanding the Sun, and why its atmosphere gets so hot, can help us predict solar outbursts that could disrupt the power grid and communications satellites. Understanding gravity, at all scales, allows us to know and to navigate the cosmos.

GPS satellites, for instance, provide accurate measurements down to inches on Earth. Relativity equations account for the effects of the Earth’s gravity and the distances between the satellites and their receivers on the ground. Special relativity holds that the clocks on satellites, which experience weaker gravity, seem to run slower than clocks under the stronger force of gravity on Earth. From the point of view of the satellite, Earth clocks seem to run faster. We can use different satellites in different positions, and different ground stations, to accurately triangulate our positions on Earth down to inches. Without those calculations, GPS satellites would be far less precise.

This year, scientists fanned out across North America and in the skies above it will continue the legacy of eclipse science. Scientists from NASA and several universities and other research institutions will study Earth’s atmosphere; the Sun’s atmosphere; the Sun’s magnetic fields; and the Sun’s atmospheric outbursts, called coronal mass ejections.

When you look up at the Sun and Moon on the eclipse , the Moon’s day — or just observe its shadow darkening the ground beneath the clouds, which seems more likely — think about all the discoveries still yet waiting to happen, just behind the shadow of the Moon.

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Why Taiwan Was So Prepared for a Powerful Earthquake

Decades of learning from disasters, tightening building codes and increasing public awareness may have helped its people better weather strong quakes.

Search-and-rescue teams recover a body from a leaning building in Hualien, Taiwan. Thanks to improvements in building codes after past earthquakes, many structures withstood Wednesday’s quake. Credit...

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By Chris Buckley ,  Meaghan Tobin and Siyi Zhao

Photographs by Lam Yik Fei

Chris Buckley reported from the city of Hualien, Meaghan Tobin from Taipei, in Taiwan.

• April 4, 2024

When the largest earthquake in Taiwan in half a century struck off its east coast, the buildings in the closest city, Hualien, swayed and rocked. As more than 300 aftershocks rocked the island over the next 24 hours to Thursday morning, the buildings shook again and again.

But for the most part, they stood.

Even the two buildings that suffered the most damage remained largely intact, allowing residents to climb to safety out the windows of upper stories. One of them, the rounded, red brick Uranus Building, which leaned precariously after its first floors collapsed, was mostly drawing curious onlookers.

The building is a reminder of how much Taiwan has prepared for disasters like the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that jolted the island on Wednesday. Perhaps because of improvements in building codes, greater public awareness and highly trained search-and-rescue operations — and, likely, a dose of good luck — the casualty figures were relatively low. By Thursday, 10 people had died and more than 1,000 others were injured. Several dozen were missing.

“Similar level earthquakes in other societies have killed far more people,” said Daniel Aldrich , a director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University. Of Taiwan, he added: “And most of these deaths, it seems, have come from rock slides and boulders, rather than building collapses.”

Across the island, rail traffic had resumed by Thursday, including trains to Hualien. Workers who had been stuck in a rock quarry were lifted out by helicopter. Roads were slowly being repaired. Hundreds of people were stranded at a hotel near a national park because of a blocked road, but they were visited by rescuers and medics.

On Thursday in Hualien city, the area around the Uranus Building was sealed off, while construction workers tried to prevent the leaning structure from toppling completely. First they placed three-legged concrete blocks that resembled giant Lego pieces in front of the building, and then they piled dirt and rocks on top of those blocks with excavators.

“We came to see for ourselves how serious it was, why it has tilted,” said Chang Mei-chu, 66, a retiree who rode a scooter with her husband Lai Yung-chi, 72, to the building on Thursday. Mr. Lai said he was a retired builder who used to install power and water pipes in buildings, and so he knew about building standards. The couple’s apartment, near Hualien’s train station, had not been badly damaged, he said.

“I wasn’t worried about our building, because I know they paid attention to earthquake resistance when building it. I watched them pour the cement to make sure,” Mr. Lai said. “There have been improvements. After each earthquake, they raise the standards some more.”

It was possible to walk for city blocks without seeing clear signs of the powerful earthquake. Many buildings remained intact, some of them old and weather-worn; others modern, multistory concrete-and-glass structures. Shops were open, selling coffee, ice cream and betel nuts. Next to the Uranus Building, a popular night market with food stalls offering fried seafood, dumplings and sweets was up and running by Thursday evening.

Earthquakes are unavoidable in Taiwan, which sits on multiple active faults. Decades of work learning from other disasters, implementing strict building codes and increasing public awareness have gone into helping its people weather frequent strong quakes.

Not far from the Uranus Building, for example, officials had inspected a building with cracked pillars and concluded that it was dangerous to stay in. Residents were given 15 minutes to dash inside and retrieve as many belongings as they could. Some ran out with computers, while others threw bags of clothes out of windows onto the street, which was also still littered with broken glass and cement fragments from the quake.

One of its residents, Chen Ching-ming, a preacher at a church next door, said he thought the building might be torn down. He was able to salvage a TV and some bedding, which now sat on the sidewalk, and was preparing to go back in for more. “I’ll lose a lot of valuable things — a fridge, a microwave, a washing machine,” he said. “All gone.”

Requirements for earthquake resistance have been built into Taiwan’s building codes since 1974. In the decades since, the writers of Taiwan’s building code also applied lessons learned from other major earthquakes around the world, including in Mexico and Los Angeles, to strengthen Taiwan’s code.

After more than 2,400 people were killed and at least 10,000 others injured during the Chi-Chi quake of 1999, thousands of buildings built before the quake were reviewed and reinforced. After another strong quake in 2018 in Hualien, the government ordered a new round of building inspections. Since then, multiple updates to the building code have been released.

“We have retrofitted more than 10,000 school buildings in the last 20 years,” said Chung-Che Chou, the director general of the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in Taipei.

The government had also helped reinforce private apartment buildings over the past six years by adding new steel braces and increasing column and beam sizes, Dr. Chou said. Not far from the buildings that partially collapsed in Hualien, some of the older buildings that had been retrofitted in this way survived Wednesday’s quake, he said.

The result of all this is that even Taiwan’s tallest skyscrapers can withstand regular seismic jolts. The capital city’s most iconic building, Taipei 101, once the tallest building in the world, was engineered to stand through typhoon winds and frequent quakes. Still, some experts say that more needs to be done to either strengthen or demolish structures that don’t meet standards, and such calls have grown louder in the wake of the latest earthquake.

Taiwan has another major reason to protect its infrastructure: It is home to the majority of production for the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest maker of advanced computer chips. The supply chain for electronics from smartphones to cars to fighter jets rests on the output of TSMC’s factories, which make these chips in facilities that cost billions of dollars to build.

The 1999 quake also prompted TSMC to take extra steps to insulate its factories from earthquake damage. The company made major structural adjustments and adopted new technologies like early warning systems. When another large quake struck the southern city of Kaohsiung in February 2016, TSMC’s two nearby factories survived without structural damage.

Taiwan has made strides in its response to disasters, experts say. In the first 24 hours after the quake, rescuers freed hundreds of people who were trapped in cars in between rockfalls on the highway and stranded on mountain ledges in rock quarries.

“After years of hard work on capacity building, the overall performance of the island has improved significantly,” said Bruce Wong, an emergency management consultant in Hong Kong. Taiwan’s rescue teams have come to specialize in complex efforts, he said, and it has also been able to tap the skills of trained volunteers.

Taiwan’s resilience also stems from a strong civil society that is involved in public preparedness for disasters.

Ou Chi-hu, a member of a group of Taiwanese military veterans, was helping distribute water and other supplies at a school that was serving as a shelter for displaced residents in Hualien. He said that people had learned from the 1999 earthquake how to be more prepared.

“They know to shelter in a corner of the room or somewhere else safer,” he said. Many residents also keep a bag of essentials next to their beds, and own fire extinguishers, he added.

Around him, a dozen or so other charities and groups were offering residents food, money, counseling and childcare. The Tzu Chi Foundation, a large Taiwanese Buddhist charity, provided tents for families to use inside the school hall so they could have more privacy. Huang Yu-chi, a disaster relief manager with the foundation, said nonprofits had learned from earlier disasters.

“Now we’re more systematic and have a better idea of disaster prevention,” Mr. Huang said.

Mike Ives contributed reporting from Seoul.

Chris Buckley , the chief China correspondent for The Times, reports on China and Taiwan from Taipei, focused on politics, social change and security and military issues. More about Chris Buckley

Meaghan Tobin is a technology correspondent for The Times based in Taipei, covering business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China. More about Meaghan Tobin

Siyi Zhao is a reporter and researcher who covers news in mainland China for The Times in Seoul. More about Siyi Zhao

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No Aloha: Olivia Rodrigo and The Breeders Reconnect Alt-Rock’s Severed History at MSG Show (Critic’s Essay)

Rodrigo inviting the '90s alt greats to be part of her story helps stitch together a rock timeline that never should have been interrupted -- and makes for an emotionally overwhelming live experience.

By Andrew Unterberger

Andrew Unterberger

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Olivia Rodrigo Makes MSG Debut: 8 Best Moments From Her First NYC Guts Tour Show

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It was crushing to me, not only because it was hard to not feel somewhat personally erased by the music that defined my own adolescence being treated like a cultural dead-end, but because I felt in my bones that rock still had something to offer at that mass youth-culture level. When some people from Paramore’s team came by the Billboard offices in 2016 to play some tracks from their stellar After Laughter album, I expressed to an older then-co-worker that while I liked the songs, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that the band was moving in a poppier, more groove-oriented direction at a time when they were one of the few modern rock artists of any real currency left in the mainstream. He basically rolled his eyes at me that I was still holding on at all, that this deep into its seeming obsolescence, I still hadn’t embraced rock’s fate. I knew he was probably right, but I still couldn’t totally accept it. I couldn’t understand how he could totally accept it, either. 

And in an act of paying-it-back that felt virtually without precedent for an artist who could rightly be currently considered one of the biggest pop stars in the world, Rodrigo handpicked one of the great underrated bands from that era to open all four of her MSG shows (and at tour’s end, her four shows at L.A.’s Kia Forum): Ohio-based Buzz Bin alums The Breeders . The other lead-in acts on the Guts World Tour are up-and-coming left-of-center pop acts with Gen Z fanbases fairly likely to overlap with Rodrigo’s own – Chappell Roan, PinkPantheress, Remi Wolf. But The Breeders, who released their debut album in 1990 and are now all in their 50s and 60s, are infinitely more likely to already be familiar to the parents in attendance than to the young teens they’re chaperoning. The band itself was stunned when Rodrigo reached out to offer them the slot: ““I thought, ‘Is she sure?” guitarist Kelly Deal, who leads the band along with frontwoman sister Kim, related to the New York Times . “Do they really mean us?’”

But in a lot of ways, the pairing remained confusing, probably even more so for the younger fans in attendance. Rodrigo embraces distortion, but rarely outright abrasiveness, which The Breeders tend to mix into even their sweetest, poppiest confections. More pressingly, while there’s no doubt much for Rodrigo and the Deal sisters to admire about each others’ songwriting, their lyrical approaches differ wildly: Both products of their respective generations, Rodrigo’s songs veer linear in narrative, direct in emotion and near-autobiographical in interpretation, while the Deals’ lean significantly more abstract, elliptical, wisecracking and resistant to straightforward reading. At a time when pop writing is largely expected to be relatable, cathartic and often explicitly diaristic, it’s a tough ask for Rodrigo’s fanbase to immediately embrace a band whose biggest hit – which Rodrigo said on MSG Night One divided her life into “before” and “after” sections the first time she heard it, understandably – is built around the chorus “Want you/ Koo koo/ Cannonball.” 

But there was one truly lovely moment between audience and artist: during “Drivin’ on 9,” a country-fried highway ballad that The Breeders borrowed from alt-folkers Ed’s Redeeming Qualities for Last Splash. As the group played their sweetly swaying cover – their set’s lone totally acoustic moment – the cell phone lights slowly started going up in the audience, until they eventually blanketed the whole arena, as if the group was unleashing their rendition of Rodrigo’s towering “Traitor.” It was a somewhat awkward response for the gentle road-tripper, but it was touching to see Rodrigo’s fans really attempting to engage with the performance the best way they knew how – and the Deals were clearly moved, with Kim commenting that the headliner was going to love the crowd tonight. 

I was moved, too – much more than I was prepared for. Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I was more emotionally overwhelmed by a live experience than I was watching The Breeders open for Olivia Rodrigo at Madison Square Garden. I first started getting choked up during that “Drivin’ on 9” moment, and by the time the band got to “Cannonball,” I was in full-on tears – which, needless to say, was also not a particularly appropriate fan response on my part to the rollicking alt-radio riffer. 

To see the Breeders get the chance to become arena-rockers that should have long been theirs by right of their inspired ‘90s work – which has also since extended to excellent albums in the ‘00s and ‘10s – was a very powerful thing. And I do have an attachment to their songs that goes beyond the content of the songs themselves and even the memories I have associated with them. I’ve never once considered The Breeders as having articulated a specific emotion I was otherwise trying to express, or having served as the soundtrack to my life in any specifically resonant way. That doesn’t mean these songs don’t feel very much a part of me, though, of my life, of who I’ve become in the decades that I’ve lived with them. Bands like The Breeders show how we tend to overrate the particular functions that songs can perform in our lives and underrate the importance of just loving songs for what they are, and the significance that they can build in our hearts regardless of any larger context. 

But I think the most affecting part of The Breeders’ performance came through its connection with Olivia Rodrigo, and her reaching across the generations to include them in her big Madison Square Garden moment. It goes beyond a new artist paying her respects to those who came before her, I think, and serves to help connect and re-strengthen a timeline that was at serious risk of being totally severed. 

This point was driven home by Rodrigo’s own headlining set, which certainly contained its fair share of acoustic balladry and folky detours, but which both began and ended with full rock righteousness, with her fans enthusiastically embracing its harder-edged moments as the true tone-setters for the evening. No one would’ve confused her set for The Breeders’ relatively static setup: Rodrigo commands the stage like the pop star she is, with costume changes and video montages and dance numbers and everything else you’d expect from one of 2024’s biggest artists. But the alt-rock elements were no mere affectation or sonic window dressing – hearing Rodrigo wail “Each time I step outside/ It’s social suicide” over gnawing Nirvana chords during “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” felt as genuinely and awesomely ‘90s as anything the Deal sisters brought to the stage on Monday night.

Alternative radio isn’t currently playing Olivia Rodrigo or many other female artists, either; you have to scroll down to St. Vincent at No. 21 on this week’s chart to get to the first woman. But in 2024, it just doesn’t matter nearly as much: If Olivia Rodrigo wants to play rock music, she can have all the success in the world doing so without getting permission from the gatekeepers first, as long as her audience embraces it. She can remake the rock world in whatever image she wants, because her co-sign is infinitely more meaningful than radio’s anyway, as opener Chappell Roan has found out the past month and a half. Since starting on the Guts World Tour in late February, Roan’s seen her weekly official on-demand U.S. streams more than triple, from 3.7 million to nearly 11.7 million, according to Luminate — a truly insane boost for any tour’s opening act. 

This was all swimming around my head, consciously and subconsciously, as I was fighting back tears while singing along to “No Aloha” and “Do You Love Me Now” on Monday night. I was thinking about how great The Breeders sounded in a massive arena, and how happy I was to get to see them in that setting after all these years. I was wondering how much more emotional the experience must be for those parents in the building, and imagining the conversations they’d have with their kids on the trip back home. I was thinking about how relieved and grateful I was that my co-worker was actually wrong back in 2016, that it was worth holding onto the idea that rock music could still be pop music. And I was already dreaming about who the next Olivia Rodrigo might end up being for the next rock era. 

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