The Fascinating Journey of Welding History

Welding is the strongest metal joining process and is the foundation of metal fabrication today. But did you know that the first forms of welding date from ancient times? Have you ever wondered who invented welding or how the first welding processes looked?

To feed your curiosity, we decided to embark on the fascinating journey of welding history from first traces back in ancient times to the modern processes we know and use today. So fasten your seatbelts; we're about to go back in time.

Welding In Ancient Times

The entire history of humankind is closely related to the discovery of metals, from copper, bronze, silver, gold, and iron. These metals changed how the ancient people hunted, ate, and cultivated the land, but to get the advanced shapes they came up with, they decided to reshape and join the metal pieces.

As a result, the first traces of welding appeared in the Bronze Age, when people joined two pieces of metal. They overlapped the two pieces and joined them using heating, hammering, and pressure, creating small gold boxes, jewelry, dining utensils, and weapons dating back to approximately 2000 B.C.

The discovery of iron played a significant part in history. The new metal was much stronger than copper but was more challenging to process. The Egyptians used charcoal-generated heat to turn iron ore into direct reduced iron, which was much easier to shape and process. By 1200 BC, iron smelting was spread across ancient civilizations, which used it to make, shape, and join iron tools, even more powerful weapons, and later sculptures.

Metalworking In the Middle Ages

The importance of metalworking significantly arose in the Middle Ages, as noblemen were expected to iron armor and fine blades and maintain warhorses. That's when blacksmithing became one of the most respected professions. The blacksmiths mastered the art of heating iron and hammering it to create metallic items.

While there were many changes in the way people crafted the metal from the Middle Ages up to the Industrial Revolution, the welding we know today wasn't invented until the 19th century.

The Discovery Of Welding

The Industrial Revolution (1760 to 1840) was a period of global transition of the human economy towards more widespread, efficient, and stable manufacturing processes. Steam machines replaced manual work, and modern problems required modern solutions. Soon enough, the first traces of welding as we know today emerged.

In 1800, Sir Humphrey Davy invented the first electric arc. He created the first arc between two carbon electrodes using a car battery, which is credited as the foundation of modern welding. Still, the process we recognize as welding today didn't arise until 1881.

In 1881, Auguste De Meritenes used the heat of an arc discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy to join lead plates for storage batteries. However, it was his pupil Nikolai N. Benardos who was granted the first patent for welding. Thus, 1881 was the year welding, as we know, was first used in practice.

Since the first processes used carbon electrodes, the first-ever welding process was known as carbon arc welding. In the following years, Nikolai Benardos and his Russian colleague Stanislaus Olszewski guaranteed a British welding patent in 1885 and an American welding patent in 1887. They included the design for the first electrode holder, leading to the process we know today.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolay_Benardos

The Invention Of Arc Welding

Soon after the first discoveries, in 1890, C.L. Coffin of Detroit was granted the first U.S. patent for the arc welding process. Instead of the carbon electrodes, which only supplied the heat, he came up with the first bare electrode, which melted during the process and provided the weld metal.

At the same time, a Russian scientist, Nikolay Slavyanov, presented the same idea of creating a consumable electrode with filler metal. However, the cast metal was transferred in a mold compared to his colleague's work, so the discovery of arc welding is credited to C.L.Coffin.

Learn more about Stick/Arc Welding in our comprehensive article .

The Discovery Of Coated Electrodes

At the start of the 1900s, scientists worked hard to find new ways to improve the newly discovered welding method. The biggest issue was that the new process used a bare electrode, often producing an inconsistent welding arc and cracks in the weld due to interaction with the atmosphere.

In approximately 1900, Strohmenger produced the first coated metal electrode. The first coating was made of clay or lime, and it was highly fragile. However, it provided a more stable arc, which led to further breakthroughs.

That's why between 1907 and 1914, Oscar Kjellberg of Sweden, within his company ESAB (Elektriska Svetsnings-AtkieBolaget), coated metal electrodes by dipping bare iron wire in thick mixtures of carbonates and silicates. This created a stronger coating that provided good protection and was the foundation for the self-shielded Stick electrodes we use today.

New Welding Methods Of 1900s

The start of the 1900s also brought several new welding methods. The American engineer and inventor Elihu Thomson came up with resistance welding, including spot welding, seam welding, projection welding, and flash butt welding. Even though his discovery of resistance welding is related to 1885, his patents dated 1885-1900.

Although Edmund Davy of England discovered acetylene in 1837, his discovery wasn't practical nor used in welding and cutting until 1990. In 1990, the first torch suitable for low-pressure acetylene was developed, leading to significant use of Gas welding and cutting in the shipbuilding and aerospace industry of the 20th century.

In 1903, Goldschmidt invented thermite welding. This process was built on Goldschmidt's chemical process, which extracted metals by reducing the oxide with aluminum powder. Due to aluminum's strong affinity for oxides, mixing pure aluminum dust and oxidized iron releases enormous heat, which is used to melt and fuse pieces.

Welding During World War I

World War I brought a tremendous demand for armament production, including weapons, ships, and aircraft. Electric arc welding was favored during the fabrication of torpedoes, bombs, and mines in England during World War I due to the gas shortage.

Meanwhile, welding was less widely used in shipbuilding and the first aircraft. At that time, coated electrodes were still being perfected, so the electric arc processes still produced cracks, which were unsuitable for these applications. As a result, bolting and riveting were much-preferred options until welding was perfected, and the importance of speed and reliability came into the picture.

However, welding in shipbuilding gained a lot of attention after WWI. The Washington Naval Treaty was signed in November 1921 to prevent an arms race after WWI. Representatives limited the construction of battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers, but not by the number, but by weight of 10,000 tons displacement. Welding the ship plates eliminated the need for rivets and bolts, reducing the overall weight of the ships and allowing countries to build many more ships simply by introducing welding.

Welding Breakthroughs In The 1920s

War highlighted the importance and advantages of welding, which continued to evolve in post-war times. In 1919, after the war, 20 members of the Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation founded the American Welding Society under the leadership of Comfort Avery Adams.

Source: https://gawdamedia.com/2019/09/17/american-welding-society-100-years/

This was the first non-profit organization, commonly known as AWS, whose work was dedicated to the improvement of welding. The organization is still running today with the same goals to advance the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes.

In 1920, P.O. Nobel, who was part of the General Electric Company, invented automatic welding. This process was used to build worn motor shafts, crane wheels, and, later, rear axle housing in the automotive industry. Additionally, automated welding also inspired a new method: submerged arc welding.

In 1930, Robinoff patented the submerged arc welding process. This process was used to make longitudinal seams in the pipe, and it was perfected later by the National Tube Company for a pipe mill at McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

Shielding Gas Study

The 1920s were the year scientists also started working on research related to welding in the artificial atmosphere. In 1920, scientists Alexander and Langmuir worked in chambers using hydrogen atmosphere. The hydrogen was changed into atomic hydrogen, which shielded the arc from contamination, preventing cracks and porosity. This also resulted in a new process known as atomic hydrogen welding, used in specific applications.

This discovery also inspired other scientists to pursue shielding gas research, resulting in a 1926 patent in which arc welding utilized external shielding gas supplied around the arc. The scientists H.M. Hobart and P.K. Devers used argon and helium welding atmospheres to conduct research, and their results were later used as a foundation for TIG welding (GTAW). They also used a nozzle and automatically fed electrode wire, which was the foundation of MIG Welding (GMAW).

Pipeline Welding Evolution

At the start of the 1920s, natural gas was discovered in the Great Plains, leading to increased demand for pipeline construction. Even though early pipelines date from the 19th century, they were furnace butt-welded and lap-welded, which yielded inferior results.

Welding advancements in the 1920s brought new processes, so the first electric-resistance-welded pipe arose in 1924, followed by a large-diameter seamless pipe (up to 24 inches) in 1925. In 1927, electric-flash-welded seams were used when making pipe, yielding much superior results compared to furnace welding.

Years after the 1930s patent, submerged arc welding became the most common means of joining large-diameter pipe. After the war, this process was replaced by the double-submerged arc process in the years to come.

Welding During World War II

Nearly 20 years of peace passed, and the world was again called to arms. In the race to quickly produce suitable equipment to fight World War II, welding was again used to meet the military's demand for sturdy tanks, ships, and planes.

During this period, more than 1700 different kinds of weapons, including a 155-mm Howitzer carriage, a 105-mm Howitzer, and an M4 Sherman tank, were made with welding. In addition to armament, technological advancements in welding also increased its use in shipbuilding and the aircraft industry.

Submerged arc welding revolutionized the shipbuilding industry during the war. It yielded faster and much more reliable results than older welding processes. The aircraft industry developed and used a new method called Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG welding), which could work with magnesium, aluminum, and stainless steel much faster than flame welding. However, we'll discuss the history of TIG a bit further on.

The demand for oil used to power tanks, jeeps, trucks, and artillery during WWII again highlighted welders' role in pipeline welding. Operation PLUTO (Pipeline Under the Ocean or Pipeline Underwater Transportation of Oil) used welders to build submarine oil pipelines under the English Channel to supply the demands during Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Female Welders During The War

Once the U.S. joined WWII, thousands of capable men left their jobs, and there was a massive demand for workers in factories and shipyards. That's when the women of the U.S. stepped up to prove themselves, and the big role in their employment was credited to an allegorical cultural icon, Rosie the Riveter.

Rosie the Riveter was an iconic poster of a female worker flexing her muscles, encouraging other women to join the World War II effort. The declaration "We Can Do It!" inspired many females to start working, increasing the number of working American women from 12 million to 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940.

Aside from Rosie, another cultural icon called Winnie the Welder appeared. A comedian named Jack Marshall presented a catchy tune called "Winnie the Welder, Queen of the Smelter, Defense Plant No. 9," which soon became a cultural icon. With a distinctive helmet, the woman welder symbolized a changing world, but her stature in popular imagination dimmed over time.

Source: https://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/blogs/blog/winnie-the-welder-female-welders-of-wwii

The Invention Of TIG Welding (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding)

The increased use of advanced materials such as magnesium, aluminum, and stainless steel during the construction of WWII ships and planes resulted in a new welding process known as GTAW or TIG welding. TIG welding was perfected in 1941 and patented by Russell Meredith, who worked for Northrop Aircraft Corporation in Southern California.

He named this new process Heliarc welding since the first applications used 100% helium shielding. However, TIG welding is a more common name today since other inert shielding gases can be used.

TIG Welder Patent

As noted above, the invention of TIG welding was based on the shielding gas research by H.M. Hobart and P.K. Devers. They used the concept of working in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, presented by C.L. Coffin all the way back in 1890. Still, instead of hydrogen, they used helium and argon-based welding atmospheres.

Finally, in 1941, the enormous success of TIG Welding allowed the American industry to build ships, airplanes, and other products faster than ever before in human history. This process met the challenge of welding magnesium and aluminum, which are widely used in the aerospace industry, and their importance is present to this day in welding delicate and hard-to-weld metals with the highest standards and quality.

The company called Linde developed the first TIG welding machines and sold torches, parts, and consumables for TIG welders, but the first units were enormous. In the 1970s, Miller Electric introduced square waveform welding to provide excellent control over the heat, and it is still used today and found in many modern machines, including the YesWelder TIG Welders.

Learn more about modern TIG welding in our separate article .

The Invention Of MIG Welding (Gas Metal Arc Welding)

Battelle Memorial Institute presented the GMAW welding process in 1948 under the sponsorship of the Air Reduction Company. This invention was also based on shielding gas research and TIG welding, but the inventors replaced the tungsten with a continuously fed electrode wire.

Smaller-diameter electrodes and CV (constant voltage) power sources increased versatility, while argon shielding gas provided adequate protection. This principle was patented earlier by H.E. Kennedy but is now found in use.

In 1953, MIG welding significantly improved as scientists Lyubavskii and Novoshilov introduced welding with consumable electrodes with CO2 shielding gas. The CO2 produced good protection of the welding arc when welding steel, but it was much cheaper than argon, leading to a variant known as MAG welding (Metal Active Gas welding), or simply MIG welding with CO2.

In late 1958 and early 1959, inventors developed the short-circuit MIG arc variation. In the 1960s, scientists presented a spray-arc transfer and pulsed current to improve metal deposition and provide heat control. All these options are used today, and you can find them in YesWelder MIG Welders.

Source: https://www.aedmetals.com/news/mig-welding-transfer-methods

Invention Of Flux-core Wires

New advancements and inventions in welding during the 1950s also brought the world flux-core wires, or as people called them, "inside-out" electrodes. Like stick electrodes, these contain the flux that protects the weld from atmospheric contamination. However, these wires were tubular in cross-section with the fluxing agents on the inside, ergo the name inside-out electrodes.

This led to the invention of the Dualshied process, which Bernard announced in 1954 and patented in 1957. Further advancements in 1959 presented and patented Innershield wires that didn't require external shielding, leading to Flux-cored arc welding as we know it today.

Learn more about the Dualshield process and Flux-cored arc welding .

New Welding Processes In 1960s

Many new welding processes arose in the late 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s. In 1958, the Soviets presented the Electroslag welding process, which was based on the idea of R.K. Hopkins, who got patents in 1940.

Even though electroslag welding has been used in the Soviet Union since 1951, significant breakthroughs were seen in 1961 and presented by the Arcos Corporation. They introduced external shielding gas and flux-core electrode to existing electroslag equipment, improving the process.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroslag_welding

In 1957, Gage worked on improving TIG welding, which resulted in the plasma arc welding process. He developed a special torch that positions the electrode within the body of the torch so the plasma arc was separated from the shielding gas. This produced higher temperatures than TIG.

During the same year, 1957, J.A. Stohr of the French Atomic Energy Commission presented the electron beam welding process. He used a beam of high-velocity electrons to join two pieces. The workpieces melt and flow together as the kinetic energy of the electrons is transformed into heat upon impact.

Source: https://www.ebpglobal.com/the-electron-beam-welding-process-explained/

New Welding Technologies And Future Trends

In the 21st century, welding has turned from a highly specialized field with expensive equipment to a profession everyone can do at home or in a garage. New technologies and future trends have made welders smaller and cheaper, making them a favorite of many enthusiasts, hobbyists, and DIY lovers.

However, technological advancements and improvements in new technologies and trends in welding continue to evolve. As a result, we are seeing new welding materials, new processes, increased use of welding automation, and new ways to train welders.

Regarding the processes, we are seeing an increased use of advanced methods such as ultrasonic welding, explosive welding, friction stir welding, and laser welding. Inventors often combine the benefits of two methods, laser welding, and MIG or TIG, resulting in a hybrid welding process. This process uses the pros while cutting the cons of the given processes.

Source: https://www.heatsign.com/laser-welding-machines-fundamentals-and-how-it-works/

Although automated welding was developed in 1920, General Motors introduced the first automatic welder robot in 1962. Since then, welding automation has been gaining popularity, and experts project that the robotic welding market will reach USD 11.7 billion by 2026.

Welder training also continues to improve, focusing more on welder safety and understanding of the processes and skills. That's why we are seeing tailored welder training and virtual reality being introduced. Tailored training is built to develop specific organizations or individual welders, while VR promotes safe training on virtual simulations.

Welding History Timeline Summerized

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