Types of Welding

When you think about welding you might think that there is only one type of welding This is a common idea because most people only see the finished product. However, there are many different types of welding that you might find interesting.

Welding is a way of joining metals to each other to make them firm and the metal forms a bond that is tight. There are a variety of bonds that are done depending on the types of welding you use.

Types of welding fit under categories as listed here:

Gas welding

This type of welding creates a flame from a burning gas and this creates the welding heat that is needed. You will see this in the following types of welding:

Propane torches - people use this when they want to sweat a joint or when they want to solder two pieces of metal together. This is one of the lowest heats and can be used for small things.

Oxyacetylene torch - this heat gets a bit hotter and many people say this is the most universal type of welding tool you can find. This is used when you need a very hot flame. This type of torch will weld a variety of things as long as you have the right metals and tools for it. It is generally used when you want to cut, braze, weld or solder something that requires a higher heat. You have to be careful though because it is a type of heat that can be difficult to control and it can sometimes overheat the area.

Oxy-propane - this type of welding is used when you want to solder, braze or heat something. This is a cheaper form of both of the types of welding that was first listed.

Arc welding

This type of welding creates the heat through the use of an electric arc. The types of welding that are done through this type of welding include:

Basic AC & DC arc welders - when you are looking for a way to weld either heavy gauge steel or cast iron this is the type of welding to use. It uses rods that you guide along the place to be weld and these are made of flux coated steel or other materials.

MIG (Metal Inert Gas) - this is a very quick way of welding and some say it is easier to do than regular arch welding It is done through the use of a DC arc and it uses filler metal that is used with a spool of thin wire. You use inert gas instead of flux. This is usually used with steal bodywork and is a good choice when you need to weld sheet metal.

TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) - this type of welding uses an AC arc that is of high frequency and it is combined with a tungsten electrode that is shielded by inert gas. This comes together to create a torch that is controllable. This is a good choice to weld very thin metals together. If you are working with aluminum or stainless steel this is a good choice.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

Welding Terminology - Welding Glossary of Terms

If you are interesting in welding there are many different terms that you will want to familiarize yourself with in order to read magazines or books on the topic. Here is a list of common terms that are important to know:

ACETYLENE — this is a gas that you will be working with to do welding. It is a very flammable gas so you have to be careful with it. This gas is made up of carbon and hydrogen and it is used in the oxyacetylene type of welding process.

AIR-ACETYLENE — this is a flare that you can produce using low temperature. It is created when you burn acetylene with air and not oxygen.

AIR-CARBON ARC CUTTING (CAC-A) — this is a way of arc cutting where you melt metals through the heat of a carbon arc.

ALLOY — this is a mix that has metallic properties because it has at least one element that is metal, but it can have several other things in the mix as long as one is metal.

ALTERNATING CURRENT — a current that goes backward and forward at regular intervals (see DC Current).

BACK FIRE — this is the popping sound that you hear when you turn on the acetylene torch when you connect it with fire. It is created because the flame turns back into the tip for a moment and then comes back out of the torch as a flame.

BACKHAND WELDING — this is a special welding technique where you point the flame at the weld that is already completed.

BACKING STRIP — this is a strip of material that you will use when you need to keep metal that is melted at the bottom of the weld. You may also use this strip to add strength to the thermal load of a joint so you can stop the base of the metal from warping too much.

BASE METAL — this is what you call the metal that you are going to weld or that you are going to cut. If this is an alloy, it will be the metal that you have in the highest amount.

BRAZING — this is actually several welding processes. You will use this when you have a groove, fillet, lap or flange joint that you need to bond. This will require a nonferrous filler metal that has a melting point higher than 800 degrees F (427 degrees C) but less then your base metals. Then, the filler metal will be distributed throughout the joint using capillary attraction.

DIRECT CURRENT (DC) — a current that only flows in one direction — forward. Flows in one direction and does not reverse its direction of flow.

DEFECT — there can be defects in your weld after you create it. The main defects you can find are things like cracks, porosity, places where the metal has been undercut, or where you have a slag inclusion.

EDGE JOINT — this is where you set two plates and put them together at a 90 degree angle with their outer edges.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

The History of Welding

When you drive your car or look at a light fixture in the street or open your microwave, chances are that there is something in any of those items that has been welded. These products and others have been a part of the process of welding for more years than you might imagine.

Welding actually started a very long time ago during the Middle Ages. Many artifacts have been found that date back to the Bronze Age. These have been small boxes that were welded together with what is called lap joints; no one is exactly sure what these were used for, but this was important to that time.

The Egyptians also made a variety of tools by welding pieces of iron together. Perhaps this is where Maxwell’s Hammer comes later? Who can say! Then came the rise of the Middle Ages and many people there were able to use blacksmithing for iron. Different modifications were made along the way until the welding that is used to day was developed.

There were several significant inventions in the 1800s that influenced welding included here:

* The invention of acetylene by an Englishman named Edmund Davy.
* Gas welding and cutting became known and a way to cement pieces of iron together.
* Arc lighting was a very popular part of welding after the electric generator became known.
* Arc and resistance welding become another popular aspect of welding.
* Nikolai N. Benardos receives a patent for welding in 1885 and 1887 from America and Britain.
* C.L. Coffin receives an American patent for a arc welding process.

After the 1800s many more patents and inventions were made in order to create more ways of doing welding but one of the greatest needs would come much later during World War I because this process was needed to create arms. Because of the demand welding firms became a staple of America and Europe because the war needed welding machines and electrodes to go with them.

During the war people really got a chance to look at how welding worked and it became a very popular way of work. So much so that in 1919 the first American Welding Society was begun. This nonprofit organization came directly out of through a group of men who called themselves the Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (Source: Miller Welds).

The 1950s and 1960s were also a significant time for welding because a welding process using CO2 was discovered and a variation of this form of welding that used inert gas became very popular in the 1960s because it produced a different type of arc.

There have been a number of improvements in the welding trade over these years and today the process has added two areas, friction and laser welding. These two have created a more specialized field and therefore more opportunities for learning.

One interesting point about laser welding is that those people who use it have found that is a tremendous heat source so it can actually weld both metal and non-metal objects.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

What is Welding?

Wikipedia defines welding as “a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals.” This is done by melting the part of the materials to be joined and adding some additional molten joining material. When the molten material cools, it forms a strong bond or joint.

Welding is the most widely practiced way of joining metals together due to the efficiency and economy of the process. It has been estimated that approximately 50% of the Gross National Product of the USA arises from activities that are in some for or another related, perhaps remotely, to welding. As an example, farming may appear to have nothing to do with welding, but the equipment the framer uses to grow and harvest his crops will have used welding in their manufacturing process.

Until the advent of the 20th century, welding was confined to blacksmith shops where two pieces of metal were heated to very high temperatures in a forge and then hammered together until the joining occurred. This is what is called forge welding.

With the introduction of electricity into industrial processes, welding became both quicker and easy, and also more economical. Today there are 4 types of welding techniques that are commonly used.

· The most basic for is Arc Welding where the parts to be joined together are brought into contact with strong electrical current and heated. The molten parts are then joined together to form a weld. This is the low technology end of welding in its cheapest and least sophisticated form.

· Gas Welding is generally used for repair work especially in the case hollow items like tubes and pipes. Hot gas is forced onto the surfaces to be welded. This procedure requires the parts to be subjected to less heat and is suitable for material that may be damaged by exposure to high temperature. For this reason it is used in the jewellery industry which has to work with soft metal with low melting points.

· Resistance Welding requires that an additional sheet of material is used to cover the pieces that are to be welded together. This provides great strength to a weld, but the process requires expensive equipment and also the use of additional material to encase the weld which makes it expensive and not suitable for all applications.

· Laser Welding is the most modern technology available. High intensity lasers can be tightly focused and produce controllable heat on the surfaces to be welded very quickly. This is perfect for material which can be damaged by prolonged exposure to extreme heat. Laser welding is very accurate and can be used to produce even the smallest of welds. However, because of the high capital cost involved in purchasing this equipment, the cost of welding is also high.

Although the perception of welding is that of a simple process of heating and joining, it is a high technology industry with huge amounts being spent of research and development to find stronger, more accurate and cheaper methods. The welding process plays a big role in metallurgy with a constant effort underway to find newer and more weld friendly alloys.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

Tribology and Low Friction Coatings - Here’s the Answer

Tribology and low friction coatings interrelated? Absolutely. If you want to surface engineer for success, that is. So, first, let’s discuss tribology.

We see tribology as the resultant interaction of two moving surfaces. Motion is necessary for their function but, ultimately, can be undermined by their own created friction and wear.

Tribology is all around us. You don’t have to look far. Consider any kind of mechanical energy and you’ll see what I mean. Gears. Bearings. Nuts and bolts. Machining. Material conveyance. Transportation. Moving parts are everywhere.

Quickly, we blame our materials for their friction coefficient or their wear characteristics. When, really, we should be comparing materials when they’re paired, counter-faced. Only then can we truly understand the need for lubrication, low friction, at their interface.

So, how do we do choose among dry film lubricants? Choices are many. While the solutions, sometimes, can be few. Just look at all the products available today, including Teflon, PTFE, MoS2 (molybdenum disulfide), WS2 (tungsten disulfide), plating, and graphite. What works? What doesn’t?

Understand the following parameters and you’re halfway there:

First, of course, structural or intrinsic parameters, you need to consider material and lubricant properties, the physical, chemical and overall environmental factors affecting friction and wear. Second, can you identify parameters relating to their use? For example, loads, force or contact stress, even heat, can affect their duration. And, third, what are your interactive parameters? Can you characterize the actions of their use on intrinsic properties of your material or lubricant?

Surface engineer for success. Next time, understand your tribology and low friction coatings.

Want more information? Need help with your surface engineering? We care! Just visit us at:

Low Friction Coatings

William Gunnar, a degreed scientist, researcher, engineer, and friend, has helped thousands of ‘best of class’ product designers and equipment manufacturers — for nearly 20 years now — surface engineer with coatings for success.

His publication, IndustrialCoatingsWorld.com, brings wisdom, honesty, leading edge information, and no nonsense advice to thousands weekly. Put together by some of the world’s leading experts in coatings and manufacturing, his FREE newsletters are truly must-reads for those who want to be ‘in-the-know’.

Bigger is Not Always Better When it Comes to Machinery

Every day we can easily see some big piece of machinery being used in someone’s small yard. We ask ourselves why this is the case and we can all come up with one applicable answer. This has to be because of the way people describe machinery to be better the bigger it is. They think that the bigger the machine the more power they get and to some aspects this is true. What also is true is the fact that the bigger the machine the less mobility to use that machine is present.

Today we shall discuss the small machinery and the many ways they fix this ever growing problem. We will do this by talking about small tools that have made a big impact on today’s world. Next we will talk specifically about the best small backhoe and how this piece of machinery is being used everywhere. Last we shall see the true meaning of small machinery. Let’s go.

When the words small tools or small machinery come to mind what do you think of? Well in most cases the answer is smaller versions of big machines or tools that are hand or body held. In today’s world tools that are small have made some of the biggest impact on our world. Take for example the hammer. Without the hammer which is a small tool we would not enjoy the many things that we do today. Another small tool would be things like the drill and the saw. All of these things are used in many applications on almost everything.

One tool that is small and helps in a large way is the small backhoe. Sometimes these machines may require backhoe accessories or compact backhoe loaders but these machines are more effective than the big ones in many circumstances. Lets just say that we are in a yard and need to dig up something like a stump. Having a big backhoe may only get in your way. With this smaller one you have all of the machine you need to move in an unhindered way to get the job done.

So with all of this being said you can see that the true meaning of small machinery is a smaller size with greater potential. So get your small machines today.

Gottlieb Wendehals owns and operates http://www.Backhoesource.com

Case Backhoe Dealers

Important Considerations For Selecting Plastic Suits

Plastic suits and other protective clothing materials are tested using an ASTM F739 test (American Standard Test Method) to determine the permeation, breakthrough, and degradation rate. For example, the results of these tests have determined that Tyvek suits are best in situations involving light chemical spray and particulates. While these variables are tested in a laboratory, the results aren’t guaranteed since many different variables can affect the performance of the material.

Degradation

Degradation tests involve noting any changes that occur in the material once it has been saturated with a chemical. Tyvek suits, for instance, can harden when exposed to certain chemical compounds. The final effect of the chemical compound is not all you need to question. The rate at which hardening, discoloration, thread swelling, and general deterioration occurs is important for safety. These things are not identified with government standardized testing, so it is up to the manufacturer to determine and release these results.

Permeation And Breakthrough

Standardized testing uses a special cell that sandwiches the material of plastic suits in the middle of the cell and injects a chemical from one side of the cell. There are sensors on the other side to detect the chemical. The first thing detected with this style of testing is the permeation rate. This is how long it takes gas and vapors to reach the other side. Naturally, the heavier and denser the threading, the longer this takes. The higher the number, the longer it takes to reach the other side of the material. For example, Tyvek suits have a lower rating for permeation. They usually handle some chemical splash well. The amount of time it takes for a chemical to soak through to the other side of the material is called the breakthrough time.

Things To Know About Ratings For Plastic Suits

Even though the testing of protective clothing, such Tyvek suits, is standardized, many different factors can alter the ratings of the material. First, these tests are done in a laboratory. This does make them all standard, however this changes when it is applied out in the real world because the tests do not take pulling, bending, and stretching into account. The temperature of the suit, the outside air, and the chemical can also greatly alter the safety level of safety garments.

A significant factor that effects permeation, saturation, degradation, and breakthrough is the chemical itself. A higher concentration level, for example, can make the chemical seep through the material faster than it does in standardized tests. Mixtures of chemicals also change its safety rating. Anytime you are in doubt, it is best to have these things tested to be certain. Lastly, every manufacturer will have a different set of ratings, even if it made from the ’same’ material since they will undergo slightly different processes.

Each time you work with a different chemical or in a different situation, reevaluate the safety of your plastic suits to ensure you are always as safe as possible. For instance, if you use Tyvek suits for a cleanup job inside, it might not work for the outdoor job you are doing the next day. Through careful and informed decisions, you will be as safe and comfortable as possible in any situation you encounter. Remember, not one single protective garment available will keep you 100% safe in all situations.

About the Author: Christine O’Kelly writes for the leading provider of Tyvek suits, MPE Safety Apparel. They have been providing plastic suits and other protective clothing items since 1987.

Shredder Machines - How They Are Beneficial in Waste Handling

Shredder equipments are useful waste managing device which are handy subsidiary device to balers. They chop up unwanted or useless materials into small pieces. And therefore, they are generally used for recycling purpose so that amount of waste can be reduced.

Types of Shredders and How They are Useful

There are paper shredders and cardboard shredders used for waste management purpose in industrial areas.

Paper Shredders:

Paper shredders are manufactured keeping in mind the operation and task. One of them is the strip cut paper shredder. As the name suggests, it decreases input paper into strips of thinly cut paper. A single sheet of paper fed into a paper shredder will get decimated into around 15-20 strips of cut paper. Therefore, several industrial paper shredder manufacturers use this type of shredding for their high speed high volume.

The cross cut paper shredder has a different mechanism of shredding the document compared to the strip cut paper shredder. This let the blades cross each other in a synchronized motion so that the cuts of the paper happen to cross to each other and not in parallel strips.

There is a range of paper shredders which includes office paper shredders, home paper shredders and high volume paper shredders. Paper shredders are also get used to shred checks, bank statements and other receipts.

Cardboard Shredders:

Cardboard shredders are normally used for shredding or cutting materials like empty boxes. They are helpful in saving space and money. They help to alter corrugated sorts of cardboards and cartons to efficient packaging material. It is necessary for the secure transportation of the goods. Such cardboard shredders are used by packaging companies, warehouses and also used in shipping business.

A fine cardboard shredder has long life time with trouble free mechanisms in order to get rid of bending and twisting of cutting rollers. Such shredders are available in the market in various models and sizes. Make a wise selection of them as per your requirement.

Industrial Shredders:

Shredders are widely used for various industrial applications. They are employed for continuous heavy use and are sometimes meant for handling other materials like cardboard, plastic and metal. Cardboard shredders are used especially for turning cardboard into packing materials.

Garden Shredders:

Garden shredders are useful in grinding and composting branches and twigs left from the summer pruning of trees and also bushes. You can make best use of these equipments for recycling and managing other garden waste.

Picking up and making use of suitable recycling shredding equipment can reduce and manage the amount of waste.

Erich Neilson is an eminent writer and expert in issues regarding recycling and waste handling. To learn more about the benefits of recycling equipments like shredder and balers, visit NorcalCompactors.com.

Copper Pricing Indexes - Camden and COMEX

Copper, a favorite of the wire and cable industry, possesses excellent electrical conductivity and finds widespread use as an electrical conductor in everyday wire and cable products. Copper has even become the world’s third most widely used metal. Due to a number of influencing factors, including demand, the price of copper has risen dramatically over the past few years.

Concerns with copper are not isolated to the U.S., but have developed into an international concern across a number of markets. Since the price of copper directly affects the price of electrical wire and cable, those involved in the industry, suppliers and customers alike, are affected by any fluctuation in copper prices.

In order to closely follow changes, the wire and cable industry looks to outside sources for accurate pricing information. The two primary indexes used in determining the cost of copper industry have been the COMEX Copper Index and the Omega-Camden Copper Index. Although the two differ slightly, both indexes continually remain reliable resources.

You may have read about COMEX copper prices in national publications such as the New York Times or American Metal Market. Lines like, “Copper prices rise on the COMEX Division of the Mercantile Exchange,” are not uncommon. The COMEX (Commodities Exchange) draws public attention as a division of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), which is a worldwide physical commodity futures exchange. In the COMEX Division, metals like gold, silver and high-grade copper futures are traded.

COMEX manages the trading of copper as a commodity with commercial value by means of a daily settlement price. The prices are recorded on the COMEX Copper Index, which keeps track of all settlement prices. Copper futures on the COMEX Division are used by copper market participants for investment purposes. The future prices listed on the index reflect where copper prices appear to be headed based on the present opinion of the marketplace. The opinions and direction of the prices on the index can change abruptly.

Like the COMEX Copper Index, the Omega-Camden Copper Index plays a role in determining the cost of copper in the wire and cable industry. The Omega-Camden copper base, formerly known as the Camden copper base, is a point of reference for wire and cable prices. The Omega-Camden Index records and measures whether copper prices are increasing or decreasing. The Omega-Camden copper index is supplied by International Wire (IMG), whose products include a broad range of copper wire.

Unlike the daily changes of the COMEX Copper Index, the Omega-Camden Index is only updated twice a month. Another difference is that prices on the Omega-Camden copper index take into consideration transportation costs. The Omega-Camden base may be fifteen to twenty cents higher per pound than COMEX prices as a result of the added cost. COMEX’s copper price reflects only the price as produced at the mine. It does not include additional production costs.

With the current volatility of prices, the COMEX and Omega-Camden Copper Indexes have become valuable tools to the wire and cable industry. COMEX is helpful because it is updated on a daily basis and predicts future prices. The Omega-Camden Index is useful because it considers added costs. Both provide a deeper understanding of one of the industry’s biggest concerns - the ever-fluctuating cost of copper.

For more information on Copper, please visit Allied Wire and Cable, Inc.

For more information on COMEX, visit http://www.nymex.com

Utilization of Structural Design in Structural Engineering

Structural design is one of the most important parts in structural engineering. Structural engineering is used in large number of industrial areas. These areas include construction of residential buildings, dams, shop designing etc. Here structural design plays a vital role to accomplish these tasks effortlessly.

It can be identified as a process used for construction of buildings or other structures. In this process, “engineering mechanics” is used so that these structures can resist load. Structural design mainly focuses on giving them maximum stability. Now when the structural design gets completed, one will have a feasible solution in the form of a secure and economic designed structure.

Structural design needs great amount of planning and concentration. Structural/Civil engineers deeply observe the situation and make a strategy in order to make structures strong enough to withstand loads and other external forces. They plan it according to engineering mechanics and give these structures strong integrity and safety. Some of the main areas of concern are:

• Stability against loads/external forces
• Reliability/Safety
• Strength/Potential.

In structural engineering, structural design is responsible for building’s support. It takes care of building parts like:

• Beams
• Walls
• Columns, Floors etc.

Then it simply calculates how to maximize the strength of a building structure by utilizing available materials. It also takes care of what factors can affect the strength of the buildings.

Now the next step is to decide which construction technique should be used. This construction technique should be unique, easy to implement and economic. Also it should follow safety measures of the construction industry. If implemented properly, it saves ample of time and thus helps your business do better and better.

This is how structural design is used in structural engineering. It simply uses structural and civil engineering concepts and makes buildings/structures strong and accurate enough for business purpose.

About The Author: James Soul
URL: http://www.cadservicesspain.com/
Email: info@cadservicesspain.com