EE 541L

History of Welding

History of Welding
Welding was used in the
construction of the iron
pillar in Delhi India,
erected about 310 AD
and weighing 5.4 metric
tons.

History of welding
Welding, was transformed during the 19th century. In
1802, Russian scientist Vasily Petrov discovered the
electric arc and subsequently proposed its possible
practical applications, including welding.
From this many other forms, including current forms,
have been born including:
Carbon arc welding
Alternating current welding
Resistance welding
Oxyfuel welding

19th Century
1800-1850s
Scientists are using the oxy-hydrogen
blowpipe as a laboratory tool to examine
refractory metals to the extreme temperature
of 4468F.
1800

Alessandra Volta discovers that two dissimilar

metals connected by a substance became a
conductor when moistened, forming a 'Voltaic
Cell'.

19th Century (continued)

1801
Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) of London
England, experimented and demonstrated the
arc between two carbon electrodes using a
battery. This was the forerunner to electric-arc
lighting.

19th Century (continued)

1828
Wallaston produced sponge platinum and
welded it together by cold-pressing, sintering
and then hammering while the metal was hot.
1838

Charles Goodyear discovers the vulcanization

of rubber, giving rise to the development of
rubber hoses for welding gases.
Eugene Desbassayrs de Richemont patents a
process of fusion welding

19th Century (continued)

1839
Michael Faraday discovers the homopolar
device that generates voltage.
1840

Frenchman E. Desbassayns de Richemont

invents the first air-hydrogen blowpipe.
de Richemont coins the phrase "soudure
autogne", improperly translated into English
as "autogenous welding". Welding implies
solid state whereas fusion welding implies a
liquid state.

19th Century (continued)

1841
German H. Rossier used the air-hydrogen
blowpipe for soldering lead.
1856

James Joule, an Englishman, first

experimented with a bundle of wire in charcoal
and welded the wires by heating with an
electric current. This was the first example of
heating by internal resistance to produce a
weld. Years later, Elihu Thomson perfected the
process into what will then be known as
resistance welding.

19th Century (continued)

1860s
An Englishman named Wilde successfully
used the theories of Volta and Davy and the
primitive electric sources of the time to make
"Joins" and received a patent for the earliest
form of the art now known as "electric
welding".

19th Century (continued

1877-1903
Development of gas welding and cutting,
carbon arc and metal arc welding.
Elihu Thomson invents a low-pressure
resistance welding machine which was
accomplished by causing internal resistance
enough to reach the plastic stage of a metal.
Later, it was referred to as Incandescent
Welding.

19th Century
1881
Auguste DeMeritens working at an associated
laboratory founded by the periodical
"l'Electricien" - Cabot Laboratory (Cabat),
France was using arc heat to join lead plates
for storage battery. French Patent Number
146010 was issued.
1885

Nikolai N. Benardos (Bernados) and Stanislav

Olszewaski (Olszewaski) secured a British
patent with carbon arc welding.

19th Century (continued)

1886
N. N. Benardos obtained Russian Patent (No.
11982) electric arc welding with carbon
electrode called ""Elecktrogefest" or
"Electrohephaestus".

19th Century (continued)

1887
N.N. Benardos and S. Olszewaski secured an
American Patent for the welding apparatus.
The "blowpipe" or "torch", using the gases
acetylene and liquefied air or oxygen, was
developed.
Thomas Fletcher develops blowpipe that could
be used with either hydrogen or coal gas and
oxygen
An English shop began making tanks, casks,
and iron garden furniture with the electric arc
process.

19th Century (continued)

1888
Benardos/Olczewski granted patent 12984 for
Carbon Arc Welding.
1889

Hans Zerner is issued German Patent

53502.3.12.1889 for the Twin Carbon Arc
welding process?.
C. Coffin is issued patent 395878, 'Process of
Electric Welding'.

19th Century (continued)

1890
C. L. Coffin in Detroit Michigan awarded first
U.S. Patent (No. 419032, Jan 1) for metal
electrodes. This was the first record of metal
melted from an electrode and actually carried
across the arc to deposit filler metal in the joint
to make the weld. One electrode was carbon
and the other electrode was filler material.
Coffin also described the GTAW beginnings
when a weld was made in non-oxidizing
atmospheres.

19th Century (continued)

1886-1898
Elihu Thompson of the Thompson Welding
Co. invented Resistance Welding (RW).

History of welding
Until the end of the 19th century, the only
welding process was forge welding, which
blacksmiths had used for centuries to join iron
and steel by heating and hammering them.
Arc welding and oxyfuel welding were among
the first processes to develop late in the
century, and resistance welding followed soon
after.

20th Century
1900
E. Fouch and F. Picard develops oxyacetylene
torch in France.
1907

Siemund-Wienzell Electric Welding Co.

patents a metal arc welding method.
Lincoln Electric Company began by
manufacturing electric motors in 1895. By
1907, Lincoln Electric were manufacturing the
first variable voltage DC welding machine.

20th Century
1907-1914
Oscar Kjellberg (pronounced 'Shellberg') of
Sweden and the ESAB (Elektriska SvetsningsAtkieBolaget) Company invented the covered
or coated electrode by dipping bare iron wire
in thick mixtures of carbonates and silicates.
1908

Oscar Kjellberg received Patent No. 231733

for the coated welding electrode.
N. N. Benardos develops electroslag welding
process.

20th Century
1912
Lincoln Electric Co. introduces the first welding
machines after experimentation started in
1907.
E. G. Budd Spot Welds (SW) the first
automobile body in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

20th Century
1913
Avery and Fisher develop the acetylene
cylinder in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1917

Because of a gas shortage in England during

World War I, the use electric arc welding to
manufacture bombs, mines, and torpedoes
became the primary fabrication method.

20th Century
1917-1920
During World War I, a Dutchman, Anthony
Fokker, began using welding in the production
of Fuselages in German fighter planes.
HMS Fulagar (Fullagar) was first all welded
hull vessel - Great Britain.
The repair of sabotaged German ships in New
York Harbor highlighted the first important use
welding because the German merchant
marines tried to destroy the ships boilers on
109 ships

20th Century
1920s
Various welding electrodes were developed:
Mild steels electrodes for welding steels of
less than 0.20% carbon;
Higher carbon and alloy electrodes; and
Copper alloy rods.
The automotive industry began using
Automatic Welding with a bare wire fed to the
workpiece to the production of differential
housings.

20th Century
1920
P.O. Nobel of General Electric Company
developed automatic welding, using Direct
Current (DC) using the arc voltage to regulate
feed rate.
Torch brazing is in full swing using silver and
gold filler metals and mineral fluxes as
protective cover.

20th Century
1924
1st all-welded steel buildings constructed in
U.S. by General Boiler Co. "to the exclusion of
rivets".
Resistance, gas and metallic arc welding in
the manufacturing of all steel automobile
bodies at the E.G. Budd Manufacturing
Company.
Mechanical flash welder used for joining rails
together.

20th Century
1926
H.M. Hobart and P.K. Devers used
atmospheres of Helium and Argon for welding
with a bare rod inside the atmosphere.
1928

In East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the Turtle

Creek, America's First All-Welded Railroad
Bridge was erected by Westinghouse Electric
and Manufacturing Company.

20th Century
1929
Lincoln Electric Co. started production of
heavy coated electrodes (Fleetweld 5) and
sold the electrodes to the public
1930

Specifications for welding electrodes were

beginning to be written.
H. M. Hobart issued Patent for "Arc Welding"
and P. K. Devers was issued Patent for "Arc
Welding r using a concentric nozzle with a
wire feed. This became known later as Gas
Metal Arc Welding (GMAW).

History of welding
World War I and
World War II
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.

20th Century (continued)

1931
E. G. Budd Manufacturing Company of
Philadelphia spot welded stainless steel (18-8)
and built the Privateer. The spot-welding was
a process called "shotwelding" a proprietary
process developed by E.G. Budd.
1932

Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) developed by

National Tube Company. Used in late 30s and
early 40s in shipyards and ordnance factories.

20th Century (continued)

1934
1st All-welded Excavator - HARNISCHFAGER
Corp.
1st All-welded British bridge - Middlesborough,
England
Lloyd's Rules for pressure vessels permits
inspection using X-Ray technology.
1937

BS 538: Metal arc welding in mild steel, was

issued, legitimizing arc welding structural
applications.

20th Century (continued)

1938
The German Shipbuilding Industry uses
welding extensively to reduce the weight of
warships and increase the overall size of the
ship. This restriction was put in place after
World War I.
1940s

With World War II GTAW was found to be

useful for welding magnesium in fighter
planes, and later found it could weld stainless
steel and aluminum.

20th Century (continued)

1940
Gas shielded metal arc welding developed by
Hobart and Devers at Battelle Memorial
Institute.
1942

Chief of Research, V. H. Pavlecka, and

engineer Russ Meredith of Northrup Aircraft
Inc. designed the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
(GTAW) process to weld magnesium and
stainless steel. Alternate names are TIG
(tungsten inert gas) and Argonarc and Heliarc.

20th Century (continued)

1944
1st Low-hydrogen electrodes used in
fabrication of alloy armor tanks vehicles by the
Heil Corp in response to the chrome and
nickel shortages from World War II for the U.S.
Army.

20th Century (continued)

1946
Spray weld Process (US Patent 2361962)
issued to Wall-Colmonoy uses an alloy powder
spray which produces a smooth, welded
deposits.
General Electric Co. Ltd (UK) invents the Cold
Pressure Welding Process.
High Frequency (HF) stabilized AC tungstenarc welding is used for aluminum alloys.

20th Century (continued)

1948
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees
established the Department of Welding
Engineering on January 1 as the first of its
kind for a Welding Engineering cirriculum at a
University.
Air Reduction Company develops the InertGas Metal-Arc (MIG) process.
SIGMA Welding (Shielded Inert Gas Metal
Arc) was developed to weld plate greater
than1/8 inch instead of the "Heli-Arc" welding
process.

20th Century (continued)

1950s
Electron Beam (EB) welding process
developed in France by J. A. Stohr of the
French Atomic Energy Commission.
Wave soldering is introduced to keep up with
the demand of Printed Wiring Boards used in
the electronics age.
Research on testing of brazed joint begins as
serious endeavor for the next ten years.
Electroslag Welding (ESW) is developed at
the E. O. Paton Welding Institute, Ukraine
USSR.

20th Century (continued)

1951
Russia use Electroslag Welding (ESW)
process in production.
The Philip Roden Co. of Milwaukee Wisconsin
announces the DryRod electrode oven.
1953

Modifying the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

process, Lyubavskii and Novoshilov used CO2
with consumable electrodes.

20th Century (continued)

1954
Bernard develops DualShield (Flux Cored Arc
Welding (FCAW))- Shielding comes from Gas
shielding outer and with gas generated from
the arc welding.
Lincoln Electric introduces a cored wire
without the outer shielding gas (No-gas
welding) but the shielding is provided by the
flux within the core wire.

20th Century (continued)

1957
Flux Cored-Arc Welding (FCAW) patented and
reintroduced by National Cylinder Gas Co.
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW) Process
developed by Robert M. Gage

20th Century (continued)

1958
The Soviet Union introduced the Electroslag
Welding (ESW) Process at the Brussels World
Fair in Belgium.
1959

Electroslag welding first used at the

Electromotive Division of General Motors and
was called the "Electro-Molding Process".
Development of Inside-Outside Electrode
which did not require an external gas shielding
- Innershield from Lincoln Electric Co.

20th Century (continued)

1962
The Mercury Space Capsule is formed using
inner and outer titanium shell, seam welded
together using a three-phase resistance
welder by Sciaky.
1965-1967

CO2 lasers are developed for cutting and

welding.

20th Century (continued)

1969
The Russian Welding Program in Space
began by producing Electron Beam welds on
SOYUZ-6. Welding an AMG6 and DM-20
aluminum alloys with the Vulkan process.
1971

British Welding Institute (Houldcroft) adds

oxidizing gas jet around laser beam to develop
laser cutting.

20th Century (continued)

1973
The American Astronauts used Electron Beam
welding process in June 1973 welding
Aluminum Alloy 2219-T87, Stainless 304 and
Pure Tantalum.
1976

First automotive production application of

lasers weld begins with General Motors
Corporation

20th Century (continued)

1983
Homopolar pulse welding variation of the
upset welding process research begins at the
University of Texas at Austin at the Center for
Electromechanics.
1996

Over 7,00,000 brazements are produced for

the aircraft industry in the US and Canada.
Over 132,010,00 units of brazed automotive
parts are produce.

21st Century
2000
Magnetic Pulse Welding (MPW) is introduced
by Pulsar Ltd. of Israel using capacitive power
as a solid state welding process.

21st Century
Areas for Future Innovation
Welding operations must be more completely
integrated into agile manufacturing processes
and process control schemes.
Welding will become increasingly automated
as it is integrated into the entire manufacturing
design and coordinated with improved
information systems.

21st Century
Areas for Future Innovation (continued)
Future products requiring welded joints will be
composed of designed-to-be-weldable
materials, such as highstrength steels that are
also smart materials containing embedded
computer chips to monitor the weldments
lifecycle performance. Such materials could
create new opportunities for using welding as
a joining technique in the coming decades.

21st Century
Areas for Future Innovation (continued)
In the future, the modeling of welding will be
part of the new emphasis on integrating
welding across the entire manufacturing cycle
Welding and materials engineers will develop
new materials and adapt existing materials,
which are specifically designed to be welded
into world-class, fabricated products.
The development of materials that will reduce
energy requirements

References
Welding History
Weld Guru
Vision for Welding Industry

WELDING
The process of joining metals
usually by heat or sometimes with
pressure and sometimes with an
intermediate or filter material with
high melting point.

I. WELDING SYSTEMS
1. BASIC INTERVALS
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Squeeze Interval
Weld Interval
Hold Interval
Release
Standby Interval

2. POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a. Arc Welding

SMAW
TIG Welding
MIG Welding

b. Solid State Welding

c. Resistance Welding

Spot Welding
Seam Welding
Upset Welding

1. BASIC INTERVALS

a. SQUEEZE INTERVAL
Welding electrode comes
forward and engage the
metal pressing against the
surface.
Typical squeeze time is 1
sec.

1. BASIC INTERVALS

b. WELD INTERVAL
Welding
transformer
is
energized, current flows
and creates a weld.
On heat subinterval is a
condition when the current
is on.
On cool subinterval is when
the current is of
Typical duration (2-10 sec).

1. BASIC INTERVALS

c. HOLD INTERVAL
Weld interval is finished.
Electrode pressure is
maintained.

d. RELEASE
Welding electrode is retracted.

e. STANDBY INTERVAL
The time after release interval
to the next start sequence.

2. POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a. ARC WELDING
It is simply the use of electric
arc to provide heat.
Process
of
utilizing
the
concentrated
heat
of
an
electric arc to join metal by
fusion of the parent metal and
the addition of metal to joint
usually
provided
by
a
consumable electrode.

2. POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.ARC WELDING
Either direct or alternating current
may be used for the arc,
depending upon the material to
be welded and the electrode
used.
Various forms of arc welding
includes
electroslag
welding,
plasma arc welding, gas metal arc
welding, submerged arc welding,
gas tungsten arc welding, etc.

2. POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.1 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Known as Stick welding
Uses a flux covered metal electrode to carry
an electrical current
The electric arc creates enough heat to melt
both the electrode and the base material(s).
The molten pool of metal is surrounded and
protected by a fume cloud and a covering of
slag produced as the coating of the
electrode burns or vaporizes.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.1 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
primarily because of its low cost, flexibility,
portability and versatility.
very flexible in terms of the material thicknesses
that can be welded (materials from 1/16 thick to
several inches thick can be welded with the same
machine and diferent settings).
It is a very portable process because all thats
required is a portable power supply (i.e. generator).
Finally, its quite versatile because it can weld many
diferent types of metals, including cast iron, steel,
nickel & aluminum.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.1 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

biggest drawbacks :
(1) that it produces a lot of smoke &
sparks, (2) there is a lot of post-weld
cleanup needed if the welded areas
are to look presentable, (3) it is a
fairly slow welding process and
(4) it requires a lot of operator skill
to produce consistent quality welds.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.2TIG WELDING (tungsten inert gas)

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
An arc is formed between a nonconsumable tungsten electrode and the
metal being welded.
Some of its benefits includes superior
quality welds, precise control of heat,
free of splatter and low distortion.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.2TIG WELDING
an arc is established between a tungsten electrode and

the base metal(s).

Under the correct conditions, the electrode does not melt,
although the work does at the point where the arc
contacts and produces a weld pool.
The filler metal is thin wire thats fed manually into the
pool where it melts.
Since tungsten is sensitive to oxygen in the air, good
shielding with oxygen-free gas is required.
The same inert gas provides a stable, inert environment
to protect the weld pool as it solidifies.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.2TIG WELDING
the welds produced are sound, free of contaminants and

slags, and as corrosion-resistant as the parent metal.

Tungstens extremely high melting temperature and
good electrical conductivity make it the best choice for a
non-consumable electrode.
The arc temperature is typically around 11,000 F.
Typical shielding gasses are Ar, He, N, or a mixture of
the two.
As with GMAW, the filler material usually is the same
composition as the base metal.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.2TIG WELDING
easily performed on a variety of materials, from

steel and its alloys to aluminum, magnesium,

copper, brass, nickel, titanium, etc.
Can weld virtually any metal that is conductive
Its clean, high-quality welds often require little
or no post-weld finishing.
This method produces the finest, strongest
welds out of all the welding processes.
However, its also one of the slower methods of
arc welding.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.3 MIG WELDING (metal inert

gas)
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
Commonly used high deposition
rate welding process
Referred to as a semiautomatic
welding process
Benefits
include
all
position
capability, long weld can be made
without start and stops and minimal
post weld cleaning is required.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.3 MIG WELDING

Since fluxes are not used (like

SMAW), the welds produced are

sound, free of contaminants, and as
corrosion-resistant as the parent
metal.
The filler material is usually the same
composition (or alloy) as the base
metal.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.3 MIG WELDING

an arc is established between a continuous wire

electrode (which is always being consumed) and the

base metal.
Under the correct conditions, the wire is fed at a
constant rate to the arc, matching the rate at which
the arc melts it.
The filler metal is the thin wire thats fed
automatically into the pool where it melts.
Since molten metal is sensitive to oxygen in the air,
good shielding with oxygen-free gases is required.
This shielding gas provides a stable, inert
environment to protect the weld pool as it solidifies.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

a.3 MIG WELDING

extremely fast and economical.
This process is easily used for welding on thin-

gauge metal as well as on heavy plate.

It is most commonly performed on steel (and its
alloys), aluminum and magnesium, but can be
used with other metals as well.
It also requires a lower level of operator skill than
the other two methods of electric arc welding
discussed in these notes.
The high welding rate and reduced post-weld
cleanup are making GMAW the fastest growing
welding process.

Exam ple ofW elds

PO PULAR WELDING PROCESSES

b. SOLID STATE WELDING

Group of welding processes
which produces coalescence at
temperatures
essentially
below the melting point of the
base materials being joined,
without the addition of brazing
filler metal.
Pressure may or may not be
used.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

b.SOLID STATE WELDING

Sometimes called solid state
bonding processes.
Includes cold welding, difusion
welding, explosion welding,
forge welding, friction welding,
hot pressure welding, roll
welding, and ultrasonic welding

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

c. RESISTANCE WELDING
Uses the application of electric
current and mechanical pressure to
create a weld between two pieces
of metal.
Weld
electrodes
conduct
the
electric current to the two pieces of
metal as they are forged together.
Some of its benefits include high
speed, easily automated, suitable
for high rate production and it is
economical.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

C.1 SPOT WELDING

Resistance welding in which
the weld is produced by the
heat obtained at the interface
between the work pieces.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

C.2 SEAM WELDING

Spots are very closed
to each other that
they
overlap
and
make a continuous
seam weld.

POPULAR WELDING PROCESSES

C.3 UPSET WELDING

Resistance
welding
process applicable to
small welding areas.