Advancements in Welding Technology

Welding has been around a long time, and as professionals are asked to join new and different materials, welders have to keep up through extensive training. As such, welding technologies are evolving to shorten training periods and make the welding process simpler to not only make things easier for entry-level welders but also to ease the burden of ongoing training for seasoned professionals. To make things more complicated, the welding industry is facing a shortage of qualified welders. This deficit has been estimated to reach 450,000 welders by 2022. 

• New Processes – Arc welding has traditionally been the preferred method of joining heavy plates. Newer processes including narrow gap welding, high heat input, and laser welding are proving to be advanced ways of accomplishing the same task. 
• New Materials – For years, steel was king, but as automakers have turned to lighter weight materials to boost fuel economy and overall impact on the environment, high-tensile steels are used more often. This has led to advancements in laser welding and laser brazing that have made these processes efficient and able to produce strong, continuous welds. As these advancements spread through different manufacturing sectors, welders find they need to be trained to handle them.
• Robotic Welding – Automation can be applied to any process, it seems, and welding is no exception. While robots can provide the steady “hand” needed to produce high-quality, repeatable welds, human operators need to remain close to the robots to ensure quality. Robots can adapt to a variety of welding processes, including MIG, TIG, resistance, laser, spot welding, and more. They are highly accurate and produce less waste.