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Welding is a process of joining metals through melting parts together with high heat, and it has quickly become of the most popular forms of fusing metals together across many industries. Welding can be very cost efficient, and often produces strong metal bonds that serve well for many applications. While many major parts of an aircraft utilize fasteners for conjoining, welding still proves extremely beneficial to much of the construction. As aircraft welding and manufacturing processes have improved, new techniques have been made to conjoin different materials. In the present, the most popular forms of aircraft welding are gas, electric arc, and electric resistance welding.
To perform gas welding, the ends of metal parts are heated with a high temperature flame until they reach a molten state. The flame is called an oxy-acetylene flame, and it is a mixture of burning acetylene and pure oxygen that produces a heat reaching around 6,300 degrees Fahrenheit. While gas for aircraft welding proved useful during the 1950’s, it has since been economically superseded by electric welding and now serves mostly for repair operations. While a gas welding machine may be a permanent fixture, it is often in the form of portable equipment.
Electric arc welding is widely used for both manufacturing and repair, and it may be used for many metal types. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is a subtype that utilizes a welding tool wire coated with welding flux. This wire is then clamped within an electrode holder connected to cables to provide current for heating. As an arc is produced between the rod and work, a heat surpassing 10,000 degrees is produced. Beyond SMAW welding accessory kits, other methods for electric arc welding include Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW).
The final method, electric resistance welding, primarily is used for spot or seam aircraft welding. Through these methods, thin sheet metal components may easily be fused together during the manufacturing process. Spot welding involves having two copper electrodes that are connected to a spot welding machine. Pressure is then enacted upon the electrodes and held materials so that an electrical current may be induced throughout both. As resistance of the material far surpasses that of the copper electrodes, the metal can be melted and united. With seam welding, fuel tanks and other parts that require a continuous weld also can be produced. With two copper wheels instead of electrodes, a metal may be moved between them as electric pulses melt metal in an overlap to create a continuous seam.
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