Main types of welding

Welding is commonly referred to as the technology of obtaining reliable permanent joints of parts made of a solid material, using plastic deformation and fusion of the material when heated.

All types of welding are divided by the fusion method. It can be carried out by local or general heating, as well as their combination. And the resulting seam has the same characteristics (mechanical and physical) as the parts to be joined.

Today it is difficult to imagine any area in the construction sector, where this technology would not be applied. It allows to carry out fastening of details from ceramic materials, plastic and various kinds of alloys and metals.

Types of welding of metals can be divided into three main classes (depending on the type of energy used): mechanical, thermal and their combination - thermomechanical.

One of the most frequently used methods remains arc, it is referred to as fusion welding. The main and filler metal are melted by creating an electric arc between the metal to be welded and the electrode. A welding bath forms and as a result of the subsequent crystallization of the cooling metal a strong seam is formed.

When joining too thick sheets, when the metal is not heated in one pass, the edges of the adjacent parts are mowed and the second pass is made before welding. Then a benign fusion occurs and a strong joint with a high-seam weld is obtained.

On the second place on frequency of use it is possible to put contact welding. During the process, the connection points are heated by means of an electric current. Depending on the form of the connection, the welding types are divided into: butt joint , relief, point, suture, by the method of Ignatiev and shovno-butt joint. Contact welding can be carried out by alternating, constant or pulsating current.

Of the modern varieties of welding processes can be identified ultrasonic. It is used for joining metals of very small thickness, as well as a number of plastics. This innovative method is widely used in the radio engineering, electrical and electronics industries. And in the 70 years even they began to use it in medicine for "fusion" of bones with complex fractures, which significantly reduced the time of illness, and hence the person's incapacitated state.

Such types of welding, as contact, electric arc and several others, have become widespread due to automation and mechanization of the production process.
This made it possible to perform a complex combination of structures with high technical and economic performance.

Various types of welding as an energy source can use ultrasound, laser radiation, friction, gas flame, etc.

Strength and reliability of welded joints, new technological achievements, modern convenient and practical equipment contribute to the wide use of welding in different areas of construction and repair work.