Welding is the process of joining together two or more pieces using heat and/or pressure to form a high strength joint. There are many ways to perform a weld and these require different skill levels and can utilise many levels of technology in the equipment used.
To carry out a weld a heat source is required. This can be thermo chemical energy which is produced using a combination of gases such as oxygen and acetylene to produce a flame. This process was widely used but requires a high level of manual skill and dexterity. Another source is electrical energy. This is where an arc is established between the electrical source or Arc welding power source and the work piece. This process is referred to as Arc welding or Arc cutting and can produce heat at temperatures over 30000с. Arc welding can be used on a wide range of different metals, alloys and materials. Dependent on the process and welding result required Arc welding requires different skill and dexterity levels. Arc welding uses a wide range of power source types from basic transformers to equipment which utilises high levels of technology.
The applications which utilise Arc welding are extensive, from DIY to nuclear, structural fabrication to aerospace, vehicle repair to vehicle assembly, robot automation to offshore the list is endless. Welding can be carried out pretty much anywhere...