EVOLUTION OF WELDING
The evolution of welding
Welding has a long and fascinating history, evolving from the primitive techniques used by blacksmiths to today’s advanced technologies. Initially, blacksmiths melted metal in furnaces, joining joints uniformly through prolonged use of heat. Although effective, this technique was laborious and crude, producing rough results.
The birth of electric welding
In 1877, American engineer Elihu Thomson introduced the first electric welding system. This method used copper electrodes heated by electric current to fuse the metals together. In the early 20th century, electric arc welding was introduced, using an electrode to generate a high-temperature arc that melts the metals at the contact point.
The main types of electric arc welding include:
- Manual metal arc welding (MMA)
- Submerged arc welding (SAW)
- Gas metal arc welding (MIG/MAG)
- Gas tungsten arc welding (TIG)
Innovations in welding
With the introduction of shielding gases, underwater welding became possible, improving the quality and corrosion resistance of joints. Today, techniques like laser welding and microplasma are at the forefront, but arc welding remains the most widespread and reliable.