Did You Know!

Welding has been called, “the best kept secret” in career planning. The fact is welding is a critical skill that will always be in demand. From the beginning of civilization, we have relied on the skills of welders to enrich our lives.

History of Welding

Depictions of ancient welders and tools are found in long-sealed Egyptian tombs. President Roosevelt, in a letter to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, boasts about the discovery of a new welding technique enabling America to build ships with a speed unequaled in the history of shipbuilding. See how discoveries and developments in welding processes and metallurgy led to the technological marvels that changed the world we live in today.  Find out more about welding and AWS...Go!

What Is Welding, Anyway?

 

Welding is the joining of two or more materials through heat or heat and pressure, forming a bond between two pieces of metal.

Steel melts at 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

A common form of welding is Gas Metal Arc Welding, or GMAW, which uses a consumable wire electrode.

• Commonly used in high-production manufacturing & construction.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. GTAW, uses a nonconsumable tungsten electrode to make high-precision welds.

• Commonly used in food, aerospace, and nuclear industries.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding, SMAW, uses flux-covered electrodes.

• Often called “stick” or “stick-electrode” welding.
• Commonly used to repair or occasional welding.

Still another welding method is Resistance Welding where, instead of an arc, electrical resistance and pressure are applied to fuse metals.

Welding-related expenditures in American industry and construction were no less than $34.1 billion in the year 2000 alone. These expenditures are equivalent to more than $325 for every U.S. household.

The shortage of qualified operators, technicians, and engineers in the field of welding is a potential threat to U.S. industry.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook calls welding an “excellent job prospect” for 2004.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects a labor shortage of 250,000 welding professionals by the year 2010, as baby boomers retire.