The History of Welding (Background and Timeline of Events)

Clues about the background of welding can be gained by examining the origins of the English word itself, which has its roots in Scandinavia. While some may think that "weld" comes from the Old English term "weald," which referred to a forested area and ultimately evolved into the modern English word "wild," the true Old English term for iron welding was "samod." This means "to bring together," while "samodwellung" translates to "to bring together hot."

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However, the word "weld" stems from the later Middle English verb "well" (wæll) or "welling" (wællen), meaning "to heat" (to the maximum possible temperature) or "to bring to a boil." The past participle form of this verb is "welled" (wællende). This usage was first recorded in a version of the Christian Bible translated into English by John Wycliffe. The original English version, from Isaiah 2:4, read, "...thei shul bete togidere their swerdes into shares..." (they shall beat together their swords into plowshares). Wycliffe's fourteenth-century translation altered this to, "...thei shullen welle togidere her swerdes in-to scharris..." (they shall weld together their swords into plowshares).

As with many English words, the root of "well" can be traced back to Scandinavia and the Vikings, specifically the Swedish word "valla," meaning "to boil." While Sweden was a significant exporter of iron during the Middle Ages, "valla" was only used in relation to joining metals when accompanied by the word for iron (järn), as in "valla järn" (to boil iron).

Other languages had their own terms for welding (or "boiling") iron, including the Illyrian (Greek) word "variti," the Turkish "kaynamak," the Grison (Swiss) "bulgir," and the Lettish (Latvian) word "sawdrit," which means "to weld or solder," derived from "wdrit," again meaning "to boil."

The history of metal joining techniques dates back thousands of years, making it nearly impossible to definitively identify the first individual to invent welding. Early instances of welding can be traced to the Bronze Age (approximately 2000 B.C. to 700 B.C.) and the Iron Age (between 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C.) in Europe and the Middle East. However, evidence of welding in Egypt dates back to around 3000 B.C.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus claimed in "The Histories" from the 5th century B.C. that Glaucus of Chios "single-handedly invented iron welding," although it is improbable that he was the first welder in the world.

Regardless of who was truly the first to apply welding to join metals, significant advances in forge welding occurred during the Middle Ages (around 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.). During this time, blacksmiths would forge heated metal to create bonds and produce various items, including decorative pieces, tools, and weapons. By 1540 A.D., Vannoccio Biringuccio published "De La Pirotechnia," which included descriptions of forging, signifying that craftsmen in Europe had become proficient in the process by the Renaissance.

The origins of modern welding can be traced to the discovery of the short-pulse electrical arc by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1802, with his findings published the same year. In another part of the world, Russian scientist Vasily Petrov developed a continuous electric arc in 1803, publishing his results in "News of Galvanic-Voltaic Experiments" in that year. In his findings, Petrov described a stable arc discharge, indicating its potential uses, including for melting metals. Simultaneously, unaware of Petrov's work, Humphrey Davy rediscovered the continuous electric arc in 1806. However, it wasn't until 1881-82 that it was applied to welding. Russian Nikolai Bernados and Polish Stanislaw Olszewski created the world's first electric arc welding method, carbon arc welding, utilizing carbon electrodes. This patent officially marked the invention of the first welding machine.

Throughout the following decades, numerous advancements in welding technology emerged, along with enhancements to existing techniques. To illustrate the evolution of welding over the years, the following timeline of key events is presented:

The history of welding spans thousands of years, gaining momentum towards the end of the 19th century with the advent of modern welding techniques.

Circa 3000 B.C.

Evidence from ancient Egypt indicates the use of bronze, employing charcoal to perform pressure welding on swords and other items.

Circa 1200 B.C.

Evidence shows the onset of early iron smelting practices.

Circa 1000 B.C.

Archaeologists have discovered welding on small golden boxes, along with jewelry, dining utensils, and weapons. These artifacts were created from bronze, copper, gold, iron, and silver.

589 A.D.

Chinese metalworkers from the Sui Dynasty learn to transform iron into steel. Around this time, Japanese metalworkers begin welding and forging steel to manufacture Samurai swords.

The Middle Ages (Circa 500 to 1500 A.D.)

This era, commencing with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, witnessed the spread of blacksmithing across nations, producing a variety of welded metal items. Advances in forge welding enabled the creation of diverse objects, including horseshoes, locks, nails, furniture, weapons, and armor. Consequently, the blacksmith's forge became the heart of many settlements, delivering essential tools and items vital for daily life, protection, and transportation.

1540 A.D.

Italian metallurgist Vannoccio Biringuccio publishes "De La Pirotechnia," the first printed book on metallurgy, encompassing descriptions of forge welding and smelting.

1700-1800 A.D.

This span, which includes the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, saw welding persist in similar forms as it had for centuries; however, monumental changes emerged with the Industrial Revolution.

1802 A.D.

Chemist Sir Humphrey Davy discovers the production of an electric arc between two carbon electrodes using a battery.

1803 A.D.

Russian scientist Vasily Petrov creates a stable electric arc, leading to the early invention of electric generators and arc lighting. This turning point allows metalworkers to utilize the arc for melting metals, laying the foundation for arc welding.

1836 A.D.

Edmund Davy, cousin of Humphrey Davy, is credited with discovering acetylene, which plays a crucial role in the future development of gas welding and cutting. A suitable torch invention around 1900 makes this welding process practical.

1885 A.D.

While working at Cabot Laboratory in France, Auguste de Meritens joins lead plates for storage batteries using arc heat. However, it is his Russian student, Nikolai N Benardos, who secures the welding patent. Benardos and fellow Russian Stanislaus Olszewski obtain patents in Britain (1884) and America (1885), showcasing early electrode holders and marking the beginnings of carbon arc welding, which became increasingly popular into the early 20th century.

1896 A.D.

Elihu Thompson receives patents for resistance welding, later advancing this technique over the next 15 years through further patents.

1897-1899 A.D.

In the closing years of the 19th century, the introduction of metal electrodes emerges. Russian Nikolai Slavyanov's invention (1897) is followed by the American Charles L Coffin's invention (1899), who was unaware of Slavyanov's earlier discovery. The distinction between these two innovations is that Slavyanov's method aimed to cast metal into a mold, while Coffin's approach used melted metal from the electrode to fill joints and create welds.

1903 A.D.

Thermite welding is invented and patented by German chemist Hans Goldschmidt as oxy-fuel welding becomes an established welding method. Due to its relatively low cost and portability, oxy-fuel welding gains popularity in the early 20th century but is eventually replaced by arc welding due to advances in shielding fluxes that protect base materials from impurities and stabilize arcs.

1905 A.D.

A P Strohmenger releases a metal electrode coated with clay or lime in Britain, providing a more stable arc.

1906 A.D.

Russian scientist Vladimir Mitkevich proposes the use of a three-phase electric arc for welding.

1907-1909 A.D.

Oscar Kjellberg of Sweden invents a covered or coated electrode by dipping iron wire segments into mixtures of carbonates and silicates. During this time, various resistance welding processes are developed, including seam welding, spot welding, projection welding, and flash butt welding.

1914-1918 A.D.

The First World War sparks increased use and development of welding processes as both Allied and Axis powers explore which techniques are best suited for military applications. For example, arc welding was employed by the British to construct the fully welded ship, Fullagar. Meanwhile, aircraft manufacturing leveraged welding processes to assemble German airplane fuselages.

1920s A.D.

C J Holslag invents alternating current welding, which only gains popularity in the 1940s as heavily coated electrodes come into wider use. This decade also sees the establishment of the American Welding Society (AWS). Formed as a non-profit organization, the AWS was founded by 20 members of the Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation under Comfort Avery Adams' leadership to advance welding and associated processes.

1920s-1930s A.D.

P O Nobel of General Electric develops automatic welding, where electrode wires are fed continuously through a welding machine regulated by arc voltage. In these decades, various welding gases are investigated to protect welds from atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen, preserving welding integrity. Alexander and Langmuir experiment with hydrogen to create a controlled welding atmosphere, initially using carbon electrodes but transitioning to tungsten electrodes and then employing atomic hydrogen in the arc. This atomic hydrogen was blown out of the arc, generating heat 50% hotter than an oxyacetylene flame, leading to the creation of the atomic hydrogen welding process, which gained only limited popularity.

1930 A.D.

The Institution of Welding Engineers forms after 20 acetylene welders and electrical arc engineers gather at London's Holborn Restaurant. Formally registered in February 1930, its goal was to "advance and develop the science and practice of welding," thus paving the way for today's Welding Institute and TWI Ltd.

1931-1934 A.D.

The method for linear friction welding is patented simultaneously by W Richter in England and H Klopstock in the Soviet Union, and then subsequently in Germany in 1934.

1936 A.D.

H M Hobart and P K Devers conduct experiments using argon and helium atmospheres during the early 1930s, applying for patents in 1936 to protect the use of gas around the arc. This is a precursor to gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Hobart and Devers showcase a concentric nozzle through which wire is fed, a method that later evolves into gas metal arc welding (GMAW).

1937-1939 A.D.

Following debates over the advantages of heavy-coated versus light-coated rods, Langstroth and Wunder from the A O Smith Company develop heavy-coated electrodes.

1940 A.D.

The Maurzyce Bridge in Poland becomes the world's first welded road bridge.

1941 A.D.

The Lincoln Electric Company begins the production of extruded electrode rods. Meanwhile, the appearance of welding codes necessitates the use of higher-quality weld metals, leading to an increase in the application of covered electrodes across industries.

1943 A.D.

Stud welding is developed at the New York Navy Yard for attaching wood decking over metal surfaces. Submerged arc welding also emerges in 1943, pioneered by the National Tube Company to make longitudinal seams in pipes at a mill in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. This process, patented by Robinoff, was sold to Linde Air Products, rebranded as Unionmelt welding. It grew increasingly popular in shipyards and ordnance factories as nations ramped up armament production. 1943 also marked the launch of the world's first all-welded merchant vessel, the MS Carolinian, in Charleston, South Carolina. Additionally, advancements in welding reactive metals such as aluminum and magnesium occurred during these years.

1944 A.D.

Russian Konstantin Khrenov develops the first underwater electric arc welding process.

1945-1949 A.D.

The onset of World War II prompts significant welding advancements, enhancing earlier developments. One notable innovation is the refinement of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) in 1947, patented by Russell Meredith and initially referred to as Heliarc welding. This process was later licensed to Linde Air Products, resulting in the creation of a water-cooled torch.

1948 A.D.

The Battelle Memorial Institute, under sponsorship from the Air Reduction Company, engineers gas metal arc welding (GMAW), also termed metal inert gas (MIG) or metal active gas (MAG) welding. This innovative process utilized a gas-shielded arc akin to that in gas tungsten arc welding but substituted the tungsten electrode with a continuously fed electrode wire. Enhancements were achieved through employing small-diameter electrode wires and a constant voltage power source. Although the principle had been initially patented by H E Kennedy, the process saw its first application in aluminum welding in 1949.

1950 A.D.

Lyubavskii and Novoshilov announce the utilization of consumable electrodes in a carbon dioxide atmospheric environment, thus initiating CO2 welding. This process employed equipment developed for inert gas metal arc welding while economically welding steels. Over subsequent years, reductions in electrode diameters necessitated lower currents, culminating in the emergence of short-circuit variants like micro-wire, short-arc, and dip transfer welding in late 1954. These variations allowed for all-position welding on thin materials, rendering them the most favored of gas metal arc welding methods. Additionally, in 1950, Soviet scientist N F Kazakov proposed diffusion bonding.

1953 A.D.

CO2 welding undergoes further development with the advent of a special electrode wire, an inside-outside electrode characterized by a tubular cross-section containing fluxing agents. Dubbed Dualshield, this method harnessed both the gas produced by the flux and an external shielding gas. It was invented by Bernard and patented in 1953, subsequently reintroduced by the National Cylinder Gas Company.

1955 A.D.

In the Soviet Union, initial experiments in rotary friction welding are conducted by machinist A J Chdikov before being introduced to the United States in 1955.

1956 A.D.

Flux-cored arc welding is developed, employing a self-shielded wire and automatic equipment, significantly accelerating welding speed. Also in this year, Robert Gage invents plasma arc welding, which uses a constricted arc or an arc through an orifice to produce a plasma arc with a temperature surpassing that of tungsten arcs.

1957 A.D.

Electron beam welding is pioneered in France, utilizing a focused electron beam as a heat source in a vacuum chamber, although it was first publicly presented by J A Stohr of the French Atomic Energy Commission in November. Electroslag welding is unveiled by the Soviets at the Brussels World Fair of 1958. Although it had been employed in the Soviet Union since 1951, based on R K Hopkins' work in the United States (whose patents were granted in 1952), it lacked widespread application for joining. The process was perfected and supported through the development of equipment at the Paton Institute Laboratory in Kiev, Ukraine, and the Welding Research Laboratory in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. It was later adopted by the Electromotive Division of General Motors in Chicago, branded as Electro-Molding, for manufacturing welded diesel engine blocks.

1960 A.D.

A new inside-outside electrode is manufactured that eliminates the need for external gas shielding, referred to as Innershield.

1964 A.D.

A new welding variation emerges, utilizing inert gas coupled with small amounts of oxygen for a spray-type arc transfer. This technique becomes popular in the early 1970s, accompanied by the introduction of a pulsed current variant. The laser itself is invented in 1960 by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories, leading to laser welding development over subsequent decades.

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1968 A.D.

The Arcos Corporation introduces Electrogas welding, a process utilizing electroslag welding principles but employing a flux-cored electrode wire alongside externally supplied shielding gas. This open arc method does not rely on a slag bath. Moreover, this approach is further refined to incorporate self-shielding electrode wires, leading to additional variants utilizing gas shielding and solid wire. These advancements facilitate welding of thinner materials previously unachievable with electroslag welding. Concurrently, The Welding Institute engages in initial studies of friction welding in the UK.

1970s A.D.

MTI and Caterpillar Inc. collaborate to develop an inertia friction welding process within the United States.

1975 A.D.

Originally conceived in the 1950s, ultrasonic welding for thermoplastic material joining is patented by Seymour Lindsey and Branson Instruments laboratory manager, Robert Soloff.

1982 A.D.

Kuka AG and Thompson unveil rotary friction welding for industrial applications, advancing the process to a direct-drive mechanism in 1986.

1990s A.D.

Magnetic pulse welding enters industrial use.

2000s A.D.

A team at TWI creates a 2kW laser, demonstrating a deep penetration laser weld, although the work remains unpublished at the time. Concurrently, scientists in the United States explore laser applications with cross-flow systems, also left unpublished during this epoch. Nevertheless, lasers will provide numerous welding solutions in the following years.

2003 A.D.

Originally devised in the Soviet Union by Klimenko, friction stir welding is proven experimentally and evolves into a commercial technology under Wayne Thomas at TWI, leading to patent issuance in the UK.

2005 A.D.

TWI develops the ClearWeld method for plastic welding using a layer of infrared-absorbing dye between two plastic components and a laser beam absorbed by the dye, melting the plastic while creating a joint under pressure.

The timeline presented is not exhaustive, as numerous developments and modifications to welding techniques have arisen over the years, with TWI playing a significant role in this sector through extensive research. Modern welding has evolved to be fast, accurate, and effective, with over 90 different welding processes now utilized across industries, including aerospace, nuclear power, construction, and shipbuilding.

The advancements in welding techniques extend beyond their efficacy; they have also enhanced safety and sustainability standards. Modern inspection techniques have minimized instances of defects and imperfections in welds, allowing for elevated industry standards.

While TWI is renowned for pioneering friction stir welding, this innovation has spurred recent strides, such as the development of the Coreflow technique for fabricating subsurface channels in materials employing the friction process. Ongoing research at TWI has also garnered interest from both industry and academia, hinting at further potential welding advancements yet to be discovered.

When was TIG Welding Invented?

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding was perfected in 1941 by Russell Meredith, utilizing a tungsten electrode arc and helium as a shielding gas. This breakthrough built upon earlier developments by Charles L Coffin, H M Hobart, and P K Devers.

When was MIG Welding Invented?

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding was devised by the Battelle Memorial Institute in 1948 and patented for aluminum welding in 1949. Its ease of learning has led it to become one of the most widely employed welding techniques.

When was Arc Welding Invented?

Arc welding draws from Edmund Davy's acetylene discovery and Sir Humphrey Davy's invention of the electric generator. In 1881, the Russian Nikolai Bernados and Pole Stanislaw Olszewski created the first electric arc welding method, carbon arc welding.

When was Stick Welding Invented?

The patent awarded to Charles L Coffin in 1900 for employing an electrode to melt metal and generate a joint marks the inception of stick welding, also referred to as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), manual metal arc welding (MMA or MMAW), or flux shielded arc welding.

How Long has Welding Been Around?

Archaeological evidence traces welding back around 5,000 years to circa 3000 B.C. The earliest forms of welding signal ancient Egyptians using charcoal to perform pressure welding on bronze items.

Who Invented TIG Welding?

Russell Meredith is credited with inventing TIG welding in 1941 while engaged with the Northrop Aircraft Corporation in Southern California, United States.

Who Invented MIG Welding?

MIG welding is rooted in multiple preceding inventions from the 19th century; however, it was finally pioneered by the Battelle Memorial Institute in 1948 and patented in 1949.

Who Invented Arc Welding?

In 1881, Nikolay Bernados from Russia and Stanislaw Olszewski of Poland introduced carbon arc welding, marking it the first practical arc welding method.

When was Welding First Used?

Archaeological findings indicate pressure welding's initial application in Egypt around 3000 B.C. However, tangible archaeological evidence reveals small golden boxes dating back to around 1000 B.C., along with various other artifacts like jewelry, weapons, and utensils.

How was Welding Invented?

While the exact origins of welding remain unclear, indications suggest that pressure welding using charcoal was practiced by ancient Egyptians about 5,000 years ago.

When did Welding Begin?

Evidence of welding traces back to ancient Egypt, where charcoal was utilized to perform pressure welding on swords around 3000 B.C. The oldest archaeological finds suggest that actual welding dates back to approximately 1000 B.C.