Welding is a process of joining two or more similar or not similar parts together permanently. This is done by heating above or below the melting point to achieve the desired pressure. Welding can be done with or without fillers. Its most significant benefit is creating a strong permanent join. However, welding is limited only to skilled personnel.
Welding has been largely known to many as used on metals only, but guess what? This word applies to both wood and thermoplastic materials. Based on customer requirements, different processes and technologies are used, for example, Laser welding, TIG, MIG/MAG, and Resistance welding. Welding thus comes with pros and cons, as will be discussed broadly here.
| Summary Table For The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Welding | |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Permanent joint | The job is done manually |
| Ability to join plastics | Difficult inspection |
| Leak-proof joining | Materials distortion |
| Superior strength | Changes in metal properties |
| No holes needed to be drilled | Residue generations |
| Ability to dismantle metals | No provision for contraction and expansion |
| High load-carrying capacity | Large energy needed |
| Economical process | |
| Can be performed in different environments |
Advantages Of Welding
It is believed that nearly 75 percent of all the products manufactured globally use a certain type of welding to complete the process. Yes, other joining methods like rivet joint, adhesive joint, cotter joint, knuckle joint, fasteners, among others used for a permanent and temporary joint. But for ages, welding has remained the outstanding one in various industries as it offers more benefits over other methods. Some of its pros include:
1. Permanent Joint– welding produces a permanent joint that is very efficient and can hold tightly without any leakages. Normally this surety comes in handy when storing dangerous or non-liquid products or those in containers. Once welding is done, it won’t be easy to separate the joint unless you dismantle them.
2. Jointing Plastics– welding is not meant for only metal materials. Plastic can be welded in different ways to come up with great results in the market.
3. Creates Job Opportunity-being a welder is a career on its own that provides many people with multiple opportunities and a permanent income. However, not anybody can do welding professionalism and experience are essential to perform this job. If interested, you should enroll in an institution that offers such education and choose your career path as a professional welder.
4. Leak-Proof Joining-professional and experienced welder can weld joints that are leak-proof considering various products available.
5. It Can Be Performed In Different Environments-the good thing about welding is that it can be done in a different environment, even in remote areas. For example, outer space using robots, underwater, and in areas of radiation that are not easily accessible.
6. Superior Strength– usually, the welded connections are very strong more than the parent’s materials. This is especially when fillers and the right technique are used.
7. No Hole Drilling– as opposed to the riveted joint, the welding process does not need holes drilled on its parent components. Drilled holes can reduce space and strength altogether.
8. High Load-Carrying Capacity– the load-carrying power remains high even if the parent’s parts are welded.
9. Join Various Parts Of Different Shapes– this joining method can join numerous shapes like rods, sheets, plates, among others. This makes the welding process special compared to other jointing methods.
10. Ability To Join Dissimilar Metal– joining different metal parts can be hectic, and it doesn’t matter if you are using fillers. But thanks to welding, now you can easily join the dissimilar metals with ease.
11. Economical Process– when you look closely at all the cost incurred in the whole process, one can see the economic sense more so in terms of fabrication and materials costs.
12. Less Working Space- Compared to riveting joints, the welding process requires less working space, labor, and materials.
Disadvantages Of Welding
Almost everything that has advantages doesn’t lack its setbacks, and welding is not an exception. Only one percent of the total population has the knowledge and skills of professional welders; thus, welders are always in demand. In short only skilled personnel with experienced can perform these duties. Let’s check out other cons in details:
1. It’s A Manual Job– welding is manually done, which can be physically draining.
2. Difficult Inspection– its inspection task is difficult and costlier compared to other joining processes. This is majorly due to its advanced testing methods used in the process.
3. Materials Distortion– uneven heating and cooling of parents’ components can distort structural joint. This causes stress to many due to its now inaccurate dimensions and possible rejected parts.
4. Residue Generation– since there are uneven heating and cooling of different components, there is a possibility of generating residue, which is normally stressful. This residual stress reduces the load-carrying capacity of the welded parts.
5. Change In Metal Properties– heating the base plate above the melting point and then cooled to a certain temperature during the welding process allows the metallurgical changes to occur around the welded bead, i.e., heat-affected zone. Such changes are not desirable at all.
6. No Provision For Contraction And Expansion – during welding, there is no contraction and expansion kept in welded joints giving room for possible racks around those areas.
7. Considerable Energy Used. Lastly, the whole process needs considerable energy, which is dangerous.
What Are The Advantages Of Being A Welder?
There are several benefits of being a welder, more than you can imagine. First, being a welder is a professional job like any other white color job other than there, and you need to have a certain qualification to get this job and perform your duties properly.
Yes! Choosing a career path at a tender age can be stressful since many people want a job that pays well and offers more opportunities in the future. People also have different perceptions regarding a certain type of employment in the market, associating them with prestige. And they end up flooding that industry resulting in unemployment. Being a welder, you should be proud of yourself as this career pays well and open more opportunities for your career advancements. Let’s look at some of the advantages mention in details;
1. Decent Wages– this career offers you steady and fair wages, and if you are serious about it can be your permanent source of income. You can easily pay off your bills and live a fulfilled life. At the moment, statistics show a professional welder gets about 19 dollars per hour.
2. Various Job Variety– welders get multiple offers from different industries in need of their service. This makes you an all-rounded person while enabling you to gain more skills and understanding in other fields.
3. Opportunity To Advance-they say hard work pays, and if you love and put extra effort into what you do, more doors will open for you. You can be promoted to the level of an instructor, supervisor, and technician, among other titles within the industry.
4. Welding Can Be Your Stepping Stone To Other Careers Of Your Choice. For example, you can become an artist designing your work or innovating different products in the market.
What Are Some Disadvantages To Being A Welder?
Just like any other career, welders have their fair share of limitations too. This job is done manually, meaning a welder is subjected to a contorted position for a maximum of eight to 12 hours a day for certain periods. In the long run, their muscles and tendons are damaged, causing carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis.
Sometimes welders are forced to work in hazardous environments such as extreme cold or heat etc. putting their health at risk. If you are a welder, you need to wear proper respiratory protection gear, or you will end up damaging your lungs or any other part of the body.
As if that is not enough, the intense ultraviolet light from arc welding can cause skin cancer or damage your eyes. Numerous testing and inspection in this type of job can bring stress to many welders easily.
What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of MIG Welding?
M.I.G stands for Metal Inert Gas, and this method is so common across the automotive and construction industries. Some of its pros and cons include:
Advantages Of M.I.G
1. High welding speed
2. Fluxes don’t apply in most cases
3. Ultra-low hydrogen method
4. No time wastages while working as welders doesn’t need to change the electrode
5. Less skilled needed as well as post cleaning
Disadvantages Of M.I.G
1. The high cost is needed to set up
2. Severe side effects from the radiation
3. Setting up the whole plant at first require a high level of skills
4. The maintenance cost of the electronic components is high
5. Not fully efficient where high duty cycle requirement is needed
What Is The Hardest Metal To Weld?
One of the hardest metal that challenges welders in the industry to weld is Aluminum. Yes! It’s surprising to think so, but it’s the difficult one to weld. To weld, you need a more experienced welder who understands all the properties of aluminum metal. Welders require special tools while working with this kind of metal, even among the soft metal known. Others include nickel and titanium.
What Is The Easiest Metal In The World?
Certain types of metal can be weld easily, and most welders like to work with such, for example, mild steel. This doesn’t mean all-steel belongs to this category. Stainless steel is a good example of the easiest metal to work with.
Final Thought
Welding is very important in our every day to day life, and more efforts need to be put in this sector to come up with better ideas and techniques as well as developed equipment. We have more things to benefits from it, as we mentioned above in our article, plus the setbacks. For better understanding, please go through it and tell us what you think.
