And The History Of Welding Is...
Any top welder will now quite a bit about the history of welding. With all of the complex welding tools being used today (auto darkened shade helmets and TIG machinery come to mind), it is important to reflect on weldings history that led to the development of these items. Weldings early roots are traced back to the Iron Age where Egyptions and eastern Mediterranean people began to perfect the craft of welding iron pieces together for box making. Later on in the Middle Ages, the technique of hammering was used to weld many items made out of iron. As the 'dark age' lifestyle may suggest, their process of forge welding meant pounding heated metal over and over until it bonded. The history of welding part 2: These barebones essentials soon took a backseat to the discovery of acetylene by Edmund Davy in the 1830s. This chemical helped produce an arc between two carbon electrodes using batteries. With the invention of arc lighting, welders found new ways to gas weld and cut their material. During this period, welding as a joining process became popular as well. 50 years later, a French scientist named Auguste De Meritens used the heat of an arc to join lead plates. Here, De Meritens and his student Stanislaus Olszewski began to secure patents left and right for an electrode holder, which marked the start of carbon arc welding. This was a popular form of welding leading into the 1900s. The history of welding part 3: Welding really began to pick up speed when the coated metal electrode was invented in 1900. Upgrades in electrodes throughout the years had one defining goal: to improve and create a more stable arc for precision. After stick electrodes were introduced in 1914, many resistance welding processes beganm to take shape, including projection welding and seam welding. Railroad rails were beginning to reap the benefits of welding as well. Now, gas welding and cutting began to improve tremendously, relying on blowtorches and low pressure acetylene instead of hydrogen and coal gas to form oxygen. The history of welding part 4: Welding's best sign of advancement during this early era was in its use during World War I. Competition amongst world powers also meant trying to discover new advances in welding technology to construct and repair ships. The British embraced arc welding to construct their ships while Americans realized its repair benefits after Germany dinged their ships. Airplane fuselages were also beneficiaries of the up-and-coming welding processes. Fifty years after World War I, the laser was invented, leading to the fruition of laser beam welding which continues to remain the quickest and most automated way of welding today. All in all, welding has had an illustrious history with many different contributors from different parts of the globe. Any professional will tell you that to truly become a master at what you do, you should study the history of your profession. It's no different in regards to learning the history of welding. There's a lot more to know, but hopefully this little history lesson helped you a bit. |